Recently, there has been increasing interest in medicinal plants, due to their content of health-promoting compounds, e.g., caffeic acids derivatives. Hence, the aim of this work was to study the antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from the following medicinal plants: caraway (Carum carvi L.), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale F.H.Wigg.), lovage (Levisticum officinale L.), tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) and white mulberry (Morus alba L.), characterized by their high content of caffeic acid derivatives. The water-ethanolic extracts were characterized on average by about 9 times higher contents of caffeic acid derivatives level than water extracts. Both in water and water-ethanolic extracts, the dominant phenolic acid was 5-CQA (5-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and 3,4-diCQA (3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid), then CCA-1 (chicoric acid isomer 1), which appeared only in water-ethanolic extracts. Extracts from dandelion contained compounds such as CTA (caftaric acid), CCA-1 (chicoric acid isomer 1) and CCA-2 (chicoric acid isomer 2), which were not detected in other plant extracts examined in this work. The water-ethanolic extracts from coltsfoot and tarragon were characterized by a high content of di-caffeoylquinic acids, especially 3,4-diCQA and 3,5-diCQA, respectively. It has been stated that there is a positive correlation between caffeic acid derivatives and antioxidant activity (radical cation scavenging activity (ABTS) and radical scavenging activity (DPPH)), especially in water-ethanolic extract of medicinal plants.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of partial rye flour (RF) replacement with white bean malt (WBM) and red bean malt (RBM) on the baking and the nutritional quality of bread. The addition of white and red bean malts to the rye flour reduced the falling number and the maximum viscosity of the paste. Significant differences in the color of the crust and crumb of baked bread were shown. The addition of malt from bean seeds did not cause significant changes in the consumer assessment of bread. In some cases, a 30% increase in the polyphenols content was observed and an improvement in the antioxidant properties of bread with WBM and RBM was noted. Also, the overall protein and essential amino acids content in the bread was significantly increased. Due to WBM and RBM addition, the quantity of volatile compounds was higher than it was in the control sample, and in specific instances, it had doubled compared to the control sample.

Sourdough production is an important technological process in bakeries. An increasing number of artisan bakeries choose to store their sourdough starters under refrigerated conditions. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the properties of bakery sourdoughs produced from rye sourdough starters stored at 4 °C for 48, 96, and 144 h, and to determine the effect of sourdough starter storage on the quality of the resulting bread. Refrigerated storage of sourdough starter for 48, 96 and 144 h affected the pH and acidity of the sourdough starters but did not influence these parameters in the mature sourdoughs. The concentrations of fermentation products, such as acetic acid, ethanol, glycerol, and lactic acid, changed during storage, and it was found that ethanol increased with longer storage time in sourdough starters. Refrigerated storage did not affect key bread quality characteristics, including crumb moisture, bread yield, baking loss, or loaf volume. Sensory evaluation showed that bread made from a starter stored for 144 h was the least acceptable in terms of taste. Overall, these findings establish a clear operational guideline, demonstrating that rye sourdough starters can be safely stored under refrigerated conditions for up to 96 h without compromising bread quality.