‘Violetto di Ramacca’ is a local variety of artichoke grown in Sicily (Southern Italy), known for its purple color with green streaks. In this study, the effects of two different preparation and drying methods (method A, fresh sample oven-dried at 40 °C for 48 h then mixed and ground into flour; and B, minced and frozen sample oven-dried at 40 °C for 24 h then blended and ground into flour) for flours from different parts of the artichoke (bracts, stems, and mix), used at different percentages of integration (5, 7.5, and 10%), in combination with re-milled semolina, have been evaluated. The polyphenol contents of the flours produced with the two methods were measured. The results showed significant differences between the methods and samples, with a range from 9.09 mg GAE/g d.m. (bracts 100%, method A) to 2.62 mg/g (mix 100%, method B). The values were then lowered in the flour products with supplements ranging from 0.96 mg GAE/g (bract flour 10%, method A) to 0.11 mg GAE/g (mixed flour 7.5%, method B). As the amounts of polyphenols increased, the antioxidant activity increased, with a range that varied in the pure flour from 8.59 mg trolox eq/g d.m. (bract flour, method A) to 3.83 mg trolox eq/g d.m. (mixed flour, method B). These flours were also analyzed for color, highlighting a clear difference between methods A (greener) and B (browner). The flours thus obtained were used to produce breads, which were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics during 4 days of storage. The results showed a reduction in volumes and heights, an increase in the percentage of integration of the artichoke flours, a greater quantity of moisture in the integrated breads, and a lower reduction in the structural characteristics during storage compared to the control breads. The TPA was conducted on the breads from T₀ to T₄, highlighting that, although initially more compact, the integrated breads offered less alteration of the values during storage. The a_w ranged from 0.63 (mix flour 5%, method B) to 0.90 (bract flour 5%, method B). The amounts of polyphenols (from 0.57 mg GAE/g in bread with bracts at 10% (method A) to 0.13 mg GAE/g in bread with mix 5% (method B)) and the antioxidant activity (from 0.55 mg trolox eq/g d.m. in bread with bract flour 10% (method A) to 0.14% mg trolox eq/g d.m. in bread with mix flour) were also evaluated, showing a trend similar to the values obtained in the flours. Colorimetric tests highlighted a color more similar to wholemeal bread in the loaves produced with method B. Statistical factor analysis and cluster analysis were conducted for all trials.

Glucosidases are important enzyme largely used in food industry; for this reason, different research studies have been aimed at investigating new producing microorganisms and cheap growth medium that can help to minimize their production costs and time. Food by-products and wastes are considered low-cost substrates that can play an important role from the perspective of a circular economy concept. Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is the most abundant by-product of beer production that, thanks to its chemical and nutritional composition, has recently been re-evaluated for its application in various sectors. The aim of the present study was to induce the production of β-glucosidase in Wickerhamomyces anomalus BS91 using BSG as the main component. The results obtained during our research show that BSG is an attractive by-product of beer industry that can be used for the production of glucosidase. Enzyme activity obtained using this microorganism was equal to 369.7 ± 8.0 U/mL, six time greater than that observed in conventional nutritional medium (59.0 ± 5.7 U/mL). Also, we conducted additional research concerning β-glucosidase localization, and the obtained results show that the enzyme is tightly bound to the yeast cell wall, and this can probably greatly affect its stability since it is being protected by the cell wall itself.

This study aimed to explore innovative process technologies for producing milk liqueurs with balanced and stable formulations. Milk liqueurs are known to pose significant technological challenges due to phase separation, which compromises product stability and reduces shelf-life. Interactions between milk proteins, alcohol, carbohydrates, temperature, and ionic strength play a crucial role in such destabilization. Pectin, known for its stabilizing effect, can mitigate phase separation, enhancing both shelf-life and sensory quality. This research focused on developing stable formulations of liqueur milk based on fresh buffalo milk by incorporating the pectin extracted from lemon peels. Rheological properties, particularly viscosity, were assessed in formulations containing varying percentages of pectin. The most stable formulation was identified as the one containing 0.10% pectin. Accelerated shelf-life testing, modelled using the Arrhenius equation, predicted a shelf-life of 15 months at 25 °C under standard lighting. The findings demonstrate that lemon peel-derived pectin, obtained from agri-food waste, sustainably improves product stability. Further studies are needed to characterize the pectin structure and optimize extraction methods for industrial-scale applications.

Authors aimed to explore new process technologies for the production of liqueur creams with innovative and balanced mixtures. It is well known that cream liqueur presents considerable technological problems regarding phase separation, with consequent product instability and short shelf-life. The interactions between milk proteins, alcohol, carbohydrates and factors such as temperature and ionic strength are well known in cream liqueurs. The stabilizing effect of pectin reduces the risk of phase separation, improving shelf-life and lying the sensory qualities of the product. The aim of this research was to develop stable liqueur formulations based on fresh buffalo milk cream by adding pectin extracted from lemon peels. Rheological properties, such as viscosity, were evaluated in formulations with different pectin percentages. The formulation that was found to be most stable was the one with 0.10% pectin added. Accelerated shelf-life tests were performed on it. The application of the Arrhenius model, which was used to predict shelf-life, showed a shelf-life of 15 months, keeping the liqueur at a temperature of 25°C and under standard lighting conditions. Results showed that pectin, extracted from lemon peel waste, improves product stability in a sustainable way. However, further studies will follow to define the structure of pectin and optimize pectin extraction methods for industrial-scale applications.