Dietary components, including dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenols, along with meal timing and spacing, significantly affect the microbiota’s capacity to produce various metabolites essential for quality sleep and overall health. This review explores the role of gut microbiota in regulating sleep through various metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid. A balanced diet rich in plant-based foods enhances the production of these sleep-regulating metabolites, potentially benefiting overall health. This review aims to investigate how dietary habits affect gut microbiota composition, the metabolites it produces, and the subsequent impact on sleep quality and related health conditions.

Polyphenols are organic chemical compounds naturally present in plants, renowned for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anticancer, and cardiovascular protective properties. Their bioactivity and bioavailability can vary widely depending on the methods of food processing and interactions with the gut microbiome. These factors can induce changes in polyphenols, affecting their ability to achieve their intended health benefits. Thus, it is essential to develop and apply food processing methods that optimize polyphenol content while maintaining their bioactivity and bioavailability. This review aims to explore how various food processing techniques affect the quantity, bioactivity, and bioavailability of polyphenols, as well as their interactions with the gut microbiome, which may ultimately determine their health effects.

Daily diets may not always provide adequate amounts of antioxidants for some individuals, prompting a growing interest in dietary antioxidant supplements. This study focuses on a diverse range of supplements marketed as “antioxidant supplements” in the Polish market, encompassing both single-ingredient and multi-component formulations. The objective of this study was to assess the antioxidant activity and polyphenolic profiles of these supplements to provide comparative insights. A total of 96 supplements from various manufacturers were analyzed. Polyphenol content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while antioxidant activity was evaluated using three approaches: FRAP, DPPH, and electrochemical assays, together with HPLC-based profiling of selected antioxidant compounds. Total polyphenol content ranged from 0.146 to 177.499 mg GAE/g. Antioxidant activity showed broad dispersion across products, with FRAP values from 0.027 to 64.734 mmol/g, DPPH from 0.013 to 22.499 mmol Trolox/g, and electrochemical response from 51.162 to 374 µC. FRAP and DPPH were strongly correlated with each other (Spearman ρ ≈ 0.68) and with total polyphenols (ρ ≈ 0.89 and 0.84, respectively). Electrochemical response showed moderate correlation with total polyphenols (ρ ≈ 0.63). Moderate positive correlations were observed between assay responses and rutin, quercetin, resveratrol, ferulic acid, and chlorogenic acid. Compound profiles differed between supplement source groups and were highly heterogeneous in multi-component formulations. The results indicate that antioxidant activity is associated with compound composition and distribution rather than total polyphenol content alone and support the use of multiple complementary assays for supplement evaluation.

Wild-growing edible mushrooms are known to bioaccumulate radionuclides from their environment, particularly the natural isotope potassium-40 (⁴⁰K) and anthropogenic cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs). However, region-specific data for commercially relevant species in north-eastern Poland remain limited, despite the cultural and economic importance of mushroom foraging and export. This study aimed to assess the radiological safety of wild mushrooms intended for human consumption, with particular attention to regulatory compliance and potential exposure levels. In this study, 230 mushroom samples representing 19 wild edible species were analyzed using gamma spectrometry, alongside composite soil samples collected from corresponding foraging sites. The activity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in mushrooms ranged from 0.94 to 159.0 Bq/kg fresh mass (f.m.), and that of ⁴⁰K from 64.4 to 150.2 Bq/kg f.m. None of the samples exceeded the regulatory limit of 1250 Bq/kg f.m. for ¹³⁷Cs. The highest estimated annual effective dose was 2.32 µSv from ¹³⁷Cs and 0.93 µSv from ⁴⁰K, with no exceedance of regulatory limits observed in any sample. A strong positive correlation was observed between ¹³⁷Cs activity in soil and mushroom dry mass (Spearman’s Rho = 0.81, p = 0.042), supporting predictable transfer patterns. Additionally, the implications of mushroom drying were assessed considering Council Regulation (Euratom) 2016/52, which mandates radionuclide levels in dried products be evaluated based on their reconstituted form. After such adjustment, even the most contaminated dried samples were found to comply with food safety limits. These findings confirm the radiological safety of wild mushrooms from north-eastern Poland and contribute novel data for a region with limited prior monitoring, in the context of current food safety regulations.

Background: Most studies on polyphenols and antioxidant activity focus on raw ingredients, often overlooking the impact of technological processes—a gap that is particularly notable given that many population studies rely on theoretical calculations from nutritional databases. Therefore, it is essential to verify whether these theoretical values align with experimental findings on model dishes and to determine the extent to which processing affects polyphenol content and antioxidant activity in processed foods. Methods: As model dishes, this study analyzed soups prepared through thermal processing, along with commercially available ready-to-eat and instant soups. Total polyphenol content was measured using the Singleton–Rossi method, while antioxidant activity was assessed using the FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant potential) method and an electrochemical method. Theoretical calculations were performed based on original recipes from Polish nutritional value tables, as well as data from available polyphenol and antioxidant activity databases for raw ingredients. Results: The total polyphenol content varied significantly between experimental measurements and theoretical calculations, with deviations ranging from −42% to +1370%. FRAP antioxidant activity also differed, ranging from −62% to +524%, depending on the type of soup. The polyphenol content in homemade soups ranged from 3.692 to 16.534 mg GAE/100 mL, in ready-to-eat soups from 4.387 to 18.431 mg GAE/100 mL, and in instant soups from 1.624 to 7.254 mg GAE/100 mL, with tomato soups consistently having the highest polyphenol content across all categories. FRAP values ranged from 0.021 to 0.189 mmol/100 g in homemade soups, 0.029 to 0.269 mmol/100 g in ready-to-eat soups, and 0.033 to 0.134 mmol/100 g in instant soups, with tomato soups again showing the highest FRAP values. Antioxidant activity measured electrochemically ranged from 44.410 to 52.467 mC/g in homemade soups, 22.750 to 58.900 mC/g in ready-to-eat soups, and 22.515 to 47.680 mC/g in instant soups, with broccoli soups showing the highest values. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that theoretical models alone are insufficient for accurately determining polyphenol content and antioxidant activity in food, reinforcing the importance of experimental validation in processed food.

Background: Exogenous compounds with antioxidant activity mainly include plant compounds such as polyphenols, β-carotene, lycopene, vitamin C and vitamin E. Culinary processing significantly affects the organoleptic characteristics and nutritional value of food. However, little is known about the effect of cooking processing on the antioxidant activity of foods. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether cooking processes affect the antioxidant activity of foods and whether there are differences in antioxidant activity between different foods. Materials and methods: Raw materials were used to prepare raw and cooked soups. Four model raw and four cooked soups (tomato, cucumber, cauliflower, vegetable) were prepared according to recipes given in Polish food composition tables, each in triplicate. Samples were lyophilized and extracted with the following solvents: methanol/water (90:10 vol.) and acetone/water/acetic acid (70:29.5:0.5 vol.). Antioxidant activity was determined by an electrochemical method using the e-BQC analyzer, Bioquochem, Spain, and expressed in µC, and by the FRAP spectrophotometric method according to Benzie and Strain, in which values were expressed in mM/100g dry weight. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Wilcoxon tests were used for intergroup comparisons and the Spearman test was used for correlations. Results: Antioxidant activity measured by the electrochemical method was found to be higher in acetone extracts compared to methanol extracts (p < 0.05) in terms of Q1 (fast-acting antioxidants), Q2 (slow-acting antioxidants) and QT (total charge) parameters. No significant differences were found by FRAP between methanolic and acetone extracts (p = 0.057). In acetone extracts, higher antioxidant activity was found in cooked soups compared to raw soups for tomato, cucumber and cauliflower soups. In both methanolic and acetone extracts, the antioxidant activity determined by the electrochemical method (parameter Q1) correlated with the FRAP method: 0.92 and 0.63, respectively. No correlation was found between the FRAP method and parameter Q2 of the electrochemical method in either extract. Discussion: The model soups had different antioxidant activities, but it was higher for boiled soups, which may be related to the better availability of antioxidants after cooking. The methanol extraction method allows the extraction of compounds that similarly affect the antioxidant activity determined by the electrochemical and FRAP methods.