The main objective of this study was to develop high fibre cakes utilizing and valorising cabbage by-products - cabbage outer leaves. Cabbage outer leaves were dried and milled in order to produce cabbage leaf powder. The cabbage leaf powder was added at 0, 10, 20% into sponge cake. All of the samples were subjected to physicochemical analysis and sensory evaluation. Methods of descriptive sensory analysis were used for a comparative analysis of the sponge cakes with cabbage leaf powder and the cake without cabbage leaf powder. Addition of cabbage leaf powder in sponge cakes significantly affected the cake volume and textural properties. Springiness of cakes with cabbage leaf powder and crumb tenderness were lower, while the structure was stable at high loads, as expressed by lower shrinkage in comparison with the control cake. The nutritional value of the sponge cakes with cabbage leaf powder was lower than the control cake. The cells cakes modified by cabbage leaf powder were smaller and almost equal, uniformly distributed in the crumb, and at the same time had thicker walls. The cakes with addition of cabbage leaf powder showed the springiness and their crumb tenderness were lower, while their structure was stable at high loads. Control cake showed higher water-absorbing capacity compared to the cakes with 10 and 20% cabbage leaf powder.

It has been long recognized that fruits are healthy diet compounds as they are excellent sources of health-beneficial bioactive components (polyphenols, minerals, vitamins, organic acids, etc.). The diversification of the consumer’s taste calls for an expansion of food options and novel ingredients. Puddings are a well-known food choice introduced in the human diet at a very early age because of their easy and high digestion. Four formulations with two types of starch (corn and rice) were selected as object of analysis. Nectarines were incorporated as a purée, and lyophilized powder. The nectarine variety “Gergana”, used for the preparations, is a local variety with proven beneficial properties. The study aimed at analyzing the physical (moisture, ash, color, water-holding capacity, water activity, density and syneresis), textural (firmness, gumminess, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness), nutritional, and sensory characteristics of the nectarine-enriched puddings. The outcomes obtained from this study provided significant information about the possible application of the formulations in the children’s daily menus. All four formulations had distinct peachy aroma. The formulations prepared with nectarine purée resulted in a better sensory perception about their texture, and better water-holding capacity. At this point, the formulation prepared with lyophilized fruit and rice starch has the most promising results. Sufficient evidence leads to further exploration of the perspective of fruit-enriched puddings in order to improve their technological and health-promoting properties.

The aim of the current study was to investigate some bioactive compounds from Sambucus nigra L. blossoms and to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the obtained extracts. In this study, samples from four different regions of Bulgaria /Rhodopes, Plovdiv, Strandzha and Dobrich region/ from Sambucus nigra L. were collected and analyzed for total phenols, flavonoids, sugars and amino acids. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated by four assays based on different mechanisms. The sweetness index and total sweetness index of the extracts were also evaluated. The carbohydrate composition of the leaves and the blossoms was determined, with glucose and fructose predominating in both cases, as their contents were not above 3%. Nineteen amino acids have been identified in the composition of Sambucus nigra L., and glutamic, leucine and asparagine acids are predominant. The highest antioxidant activity and total content of phenols (49.2 ± 1 mg GAE/g) and flavonols (18.6 ± 0.5 mgQE/g) were found in the sample from the Rhodope region. Therefore, the higher altitude and lower temperature in mountains could influence the accumulation of secondary metabolites in blossoms of Sambucus nigra L., which improves the antioxidant potential of the samples.

The current research focused on algae from the waters of the Black Sea—Chaetomorpha linum, Ulva intestinalis, Ericaria crinita, and bioreactors—Chlorella spp. and Arthrospira platensis/cyanobacterium/. Pigment content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity were investigated for their use as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic ingredients. E. crinita exhibited the highest antioxidant activity by ORAC and HORAC (463.3 µmol TE/g and 463.3 µmol GAE/g) and the highest total content of polyphenols and rutin of the investigated algae. Lower protein content was found in saltwater algae than in freshwater algae. For the first time, biologically active substances from the Bulgarian A. platensis and Chlorella spp., produced in a bioreactor, have been quantitatively identified. A. platensis contained rutin (141.25 mg/100 g), naringenin (42.17 mg/100 g), quercetin (26.74 mg/100 g), kaempferol, and quercetin-3-β-glycoside. Phenolic acids were isolated: neochlorogenic (172.27 mg/100 g) for lyophilized and 5783 mg/100 g for convection-dried A. platensis. It has been found that the protein content in A. platensis (convection dried) and Chlorella spp. (lyophilized) was nearly 54% higher than that of green algae U. intestinalis from Varna. The lyophilization process reduced the protein content of A. platensis samples by almost 20%. The high protein content of convection-dried A. platensis (43.4%) and lyophilized Chlorella spp. (43.7%) identified them as suitable emulsifiers in colloidal and emulsion systems.

Edible coatings that have a recognized ecological effect are an alternative to retard the processes of moisture evaporation and mold growth in bakery products. The aim of the present research was to study the influence of Malva sylvestris L. (mallow) flowers’ extract on the antimicrobial activity of edible coatings of three types of polysaccharides, pectin/P/, xanthan/X/ and carboxymethylcellulose/C/, as well as to analyze their effect on the freshness and microbiological status of coated small loaves during storage. It was found that the presence of a mallow extract had a positive effect on the fungicidal and yeasticidal activities of the X and C coatings. The loaves were evaluated for their physical (moisture, color), textural (firmness and crumb firming kinetics) and microbiological characteristics. The coatings (P, X and C) with mallow extract had the strongest moisture-retaining effect on the loaves’ crumb. The coatings with X and with P (with/without mallow extract) significantly slowed down the crumb firming process, and the value of the rate constant for the crumb firming (k) is the lowest for the X coating—0.1815 day⁻¹. The smallest changes in the crust color were reported when mallow-based coatings were used. They have also been proven to have the lowest microbial load when they are stored for up to three days. This study shows that polysaccharide edible coatings with an active mallow component have significant potential to extend the shelf life of bakery products.