Functional foods include cold-pressed oils, which are a rich source of antioxidants and bioactive n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of rapeseed oils supplemented with Spanish sage and cress oils. Seven oil mixtures consisting of 70% of rapeseed oil and 30% of sage and/or cress oil were prepared for the analyses. The oil mixtures were analyzed to determine their acid value, peroxide value, oxidative stability, and fatty acid composition. In terms of the acid value and the peroxide value, all mixtures met the requirements for cold-pressed vegetable oils. The enrichment of the rapeseed oil with α-linolenic acid-rich fats resulted in a substantially lower ratio of n-6 to n-3 acids in the mixtures than in the rapeseed oil. The mixture of the rapeseed oil with the sage and cress oils in a ratio of 70:10:20 exhibited higher oxidative stability than the raw materials used for enrichment and a nearly 20% α-linolenic acid content. The oils proposed in this study can improve the ratio of n-6:n-3 acids in modern diets. Additionally, mixing the cress seed oils with rapeseed oil and chia oil resulted in a reduction in the content of erucic acid in the finished product. This finding indicates that cress seeds, despite their high content of erucic acid, can be used as food components. The production of products with a positive effect on human health is one of the most important factors in the sustainable development of agriculture.

The present research attempts to characterize the effect of low temperatures, and the moisture content of maize (Kosmo 230) meant for sowing on its energy and capacity to germinate. Seeds were moistened to varying degrees and stored under various conditions; then, their germination energy and capacity were assessed. Sowing material with 15% moisture content showed slightly declined germination ability when stored at −25–−20 °C for over three days, while the storage of seeds with a 25 and 30% moisture content at −5–0 °C for 1–3 days had the effect of seed conditioning. Seedlings obtained from conditioned seeds showed sustainability characterized by faster growth, and demonstrated nearly twice the size as other plants. Warehousing and storage of maize grains with a 11.12% moisture content at temperatures up to −25 °C did not significantly affect seed germination capacity or energy, irrespective of storage time.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the addition of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) pressing waste (BCW) and black cumin seeds (BCS) on the properties of starch bread. The control bread was prepared from wheat starch (100%) with a gluten-free certificate, plantain husk (5%), and guar gum (2%). BCS and BCW were added between 0 and 10% of wheat starch. We determined the physicochemical properties, color, texture, and sensory properties of the prepared bread. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was performed to detect the phenolic compounds in the bread. The bread prepared with 6% BCS and 4% BCW had a significantly higher volume than the starch control bread did. Sensory analysis (taste) showed that BCS and BCW could be added up to 4% and 8%, respectively. The addition of BCS and BCW reduced the brightness of the crumb. A significant decrease in the L * index of the crumb was observed from 50.9 for the control bread to 34.1 and 34.0 for bread with 10% BCS and BCW, respectively. The addition of BCS and BCW decreased the hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of the starch bread crumb. Starch bread enriched with BCS and BCW was characterized by a higher content of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, and 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid.

The paper presents the possibility of applying a twin-screw press for juice extraction from apples with different textural properties. The research was carried out with six different varieties; namely, Granny Smith, Modi, Ligol, Lobo, Boscop and Szampion. During the experiment, the following properties were measured: texture properties, pressing yield and polyphenolic content; and ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity both in raw apples and apple juice. Based on the analysis, three hardness levels of apples can be distinguished, impacting the course of juice pressing in a twin-screw press (low hardness below 30 N, medium hardness 30–50 N and high hardness 50 N). The study showed that only high hardness apples are suitable for pressing on a twin-screw press. The mechanism by which texture properties influence the juice pressing process in the studied press was explained. It was further demonstrated that the hardness of apples has a positive impact on the degree of extraction of polyphenols and ascorbic acid into apple juice. This is caused by the different fracture patterns of tissues with different mechanical properties. High hardness apples (Granny Smith and Modi) were characterized by a considerably greater degree of bioactive substance extraction into juice than medium hardness apples.

The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of bagasse from Moldavian dragonhead (D. moldavica L.) seeds as a source of valuable nutrients on the physicochemical properties of rice milk ice cream. The basic composition of the ice cream was modified with a varied proportion of Moldavian dragonhead bagasse (MDB) (1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, and 3.0%). The analysis of fatty acids showed a high proportion of linolenic acid (n-3) in the tested ice cream, especially with 3.0% share of bagasse. The addition of MDB increased dry matter, fat, and protein contents in the ice cream. The increasing share of this additive affected the physical properties of ice cream, increasing hardness, adhesiveness and viscosity, and reducing their melting rate. The study showed a negligible effect of the increasing share of MDB on the thermophysical properties of ice cream. Due to the high nutritional value of the bagasse (with the appropriate refinement of the recipe), it is possible to obtain rice milk ice cream with potential health-promoting properties.

Sprawdzono przydatność nowej metody badania nasion rzepaku, nazwanej wskaźnikiem purpury bromokrezolowej (BCPI), w ocenie skuteczności ich mikrofalowego ogrzewania. Nieogrzewane nasiona rzepaku charakteryzowały się typową aktywnością enzymu mirozynazy (MA = 3,42 U/g; 1 U = 1 nmol/min), zaś ok. dziesięciokrotne obniżenie tej aktywności uzyskano, stosując moc promieniowania mikrofalowego 650 W przez 120 i 180 s oraz 500 W przez 180 s. Wyniki badań aktywności mirozynazy i BCPI okazały się wysoko ujemnie skorelowane, zaś opracowane równania regresji typu MA = f(BCPI) charakteryzują się dużymi wartościami współczynnika determinacji, co wskazuje na przydatność metody BCPI w badaniu ogrzewanych mikrofalowo nasion rzepaku, z ewentualną możliwością przeliczenia uzyskanych wyników.