Due to the health-promoting properties of elderberry fruits, which result from their rich chemical composition, this raw material is widely used in herbal medicine and the food industry. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the antibacterial activity of the elderberry fruit extracts. The research showed that the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the extracts determined their antibacterial activity. The research showed that the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the extracts determined their antibacterial activity. The following phenolic acids were predominant: chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, and t-cinnamic acid. Their average content was, respectively, 139.09, 72.84, 51.29 mg/g extract. Rutin and quercetin (their average content was 1105.39 and 306.6 mg/g extract, respectively) were the dominant flavonoids. The research showed that the elderberry polyphenol extracts exhibited activity against selected strains of bacteria within the concentration range of 0.5–0.05%. The following bacteria were the most sensitive to the extracts: Micrococcus luteus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas fragii, and Escherichia coli. Of the compounds under analysis, apigenin, kaempferol and ferulic, protocatechuic, and p-coumarin acids had the greatest influence on the high antibacterial activity of elderberry extracts. The results of the microbiological and chemical analyses of the composition of the extracts were analyzed statistically to indicate the bioactive compounds of the greatest antimicrobial significance.

In the study the effect of drying temperature on phenolic and organic acid content, total phenolic content, ergosterol content, antioxidant activity and content of 40 elements in fruiting bodies ofLeccinum scabrumandHericium erinaceuswas estimated. The analysis was performed for fresh fruiting bodies and those dried at 20, 40 and 70 °C. Drying resulted in changes in the profile of phenolic and organic acids. Drying generally resulted in losses of the content of total phenolics, ergosterol and antioxidant activity in both species. However, a reduction and an increase of phenolic acids and organic acids were observed. The greatest reduction of the compounds was generally observed at 70 °C. The greatest losses concerned organic acids (some single components and total) (even more than 90% of some compounds). The inhibition of free radicals decreased in the following order: fresh samples > air-dried samples > samples dried at 40 °C > samples dried at 70 °C. The drying temperature affected only selected element contents in fruiting bodies.

The effects of solvent and time of extraction on the antioxidant properties and phenolic profiles of 13 herbs and spices used for food seasoning and preservation were investigated. The profiles of phenolics in plant material were analysed by UPLC, and the chemometric approach was used for the deeper evaluation of relationships between phenolic compounds and the antioxidant properties of the samples. The best extraction conditions enabling to obtain the highest total phenolics and the antioxidant activity were: long time extraction (24 h) with 50% aqueous ethanol. The most potent antioxidant was clove with the ABTS—2495.85 µmol/g, DPPH—1443.35 µmol/g and FRAP—1310.91 µmol/g, which resulted from the high total phenolic content (TPC—167.22 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (TFC—26.22 mg QE/g). Wide variations in the antioxidant activity (ABTS: 7.31—2495.85 µmol/g) and TPC (0.87–167.22 mg GAE/g) were observed with black seed extract showing one of the lowest values of the parameters studied. High linear correlation (above 0.95) calculated for the parameters showed significant contribution of phenolics to the antioxidant activity of spices. UPLC analysis together with PCA (principal component analysis) confirmed this relation and ABTS, FRAP, DPPH, TFC, TPC, total phenolic acids, protocatechuic acid,t-cinnamic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid determined sample distribution along PC1 (principal component 1), whereas total flavonoids determined by UPLC, kaempferol, catechin and luteolin along PC2. All samples were discriminated with 100% classification’s propriety according to GDA (general discrimination analysis) which proved huge diversity among phenolic profiles and the antioxidant properties of tested samples.

To date, studies on volatile metabolites in cereal grain have focused mainly on a single species. In this paper, results are presented of the analysis of volatile compounds in five cereal grain species (spring wheat, durum wheat, triticale, rye, oats and barley) based on representative sampling of at least 15 cultivars of individual species. Profiles of volatile compounds were determined using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and GC–TOF (time of flight mass spectrometry). Many of the volatile compounds were only present in single samples; however, several dozen were found in over 50% of samples and 46 volatiles were found in all samples. Among them there were six alcohols, 10 aldehydes and ketones, six terpenes, seven hydrocarbons and 11 benzene derivatives. The highest concentrations of these compounds were found in durum wheat, while the lowest were observed in triticale and rye.

Studies on plant metabolism, including those on cereals, increasingly focus on plant phenolic compounds, e.g. phenolic acids and flavonoids. The aim of this study was to present a comprehensive picture of major phenolic acids in grain, starting from their biosynthesis, their occurrence and finally their role in the vegetation of cereals. It is clearly connected with the polygenic plant resistance to pathogens, particularly toxin-forming fungi. Other crucial aspects include the transformations that take place during the technological processing of grain, their metabolic pathway in the human organism as well as the presentation of the health-promoting effect of grain processing products containing phenolic acids. These compounds are used as precursors of bioactive compounds commonly applied both for therapeutic purposes and in the cosmetics, engineering and food industries. An advantage of phenolic acids is the fact that they may be metabolized by microorganisms found in nature and thus they provide an alternative to the increasing load of man-made chemicals in the environment.