This work aimed to evaluate the nutritional and functional properties of rosehip from Serbia. In respect to that, the content of twenty-three elements in the rosehip along with the soil were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was calculated. The total dry matter, water activity, and the contents of vitamin C, total phenolics and flavonoids were determined. The antioxidant ability of fresh and dried samples was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The obtained extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry techniques. In addition, assessment of the impact of thermal treatment on the chemical composition of rosehip was observed. The study revealed that the most abundant elements in rosehip were K, Ca, Mg, P and S with 2963.0, 1820.0, 709.0, 495.0 and 289.8 mg/kg, respectively. The highest BAF values in the system rosehip/soil were for S, K and P. Contents of ascorbic acid, total phenolics, total flavonoids and the antioxidant activity were reduced after the drying process by 56.3%, 20.4%, 31.3%, 21.9%, respectively. Nevertheless, dried rosehip was still a rich source of bioactive compounds with significant antioxidant activity. The presented results support traditional use of rosehip as food with health and nutritional benefits.

Plum kernels of the “Čačanska rodna” variety, by-products from plum brandy production, were collected before and after fermentation and distillation, and used for cold-pressed oil production. Fatty acid and tocopherol contents were determined by capillary GC and HPLC, while the oxidation stability of the resulting cold-pressed oils was tested by the Rancimat method. The results showed that oleic fatty acid was dominant in the oil samples with a content of 56.6 to 61.8%, regardless of the plum kernels’ origin. The fermentation and distillation processes had a pronounced effect on the tocopherol content and oxidative stability of the resulting kernel oils. Tocopherol contents were 61.8 mg·100g-1, 87.4 mg·100g-1, 79.6 mg·100g-1 of oil, while the induction periods were 38.7, 44.4 and 33.6 hours for samples before fermentation, after fermentation and distillation, respectively. Based on the results, it could be concluded that the fermentation process increased the content of tocopherols in kernel oil whereas the high temperature during the distillation process adversely affected the tocopherol content and oxidative stability of the obtained kernel oil.

Sinalbin degradation products in mild yellow mustard paste were investigated. The analyzed material consisted of a mild yellow mustard paste condiment and ground white mustard seeds which were originally used in the mustard paste production process. The samples were extracted in a Soxhlet extraction system and analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. The only sinalbin degradation product in ground mustard seeds was 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetonitrile. The most abundant sinalbin degradation product in yellow mustard paste was 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol. Other compounds identified in this sample were: 4-methyl phenol, 4-ethyl phenol, 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenol and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethanoic acid.

The olive fruits are rich source of oil, vitamins, minerals, organic acids and pigments. The fruits contain high level of bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of heat treatment on tocopherols, total phenolics and antioxidant activity in green and black olives, as well as their fatty acid composition. The instrumental methods used in this experiment were high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and spectrophotometric methods. The results revealed that the β+γ-tocopherols content after the heat treatment had the biggest reduction, which was 68.4% for green and 80.2% for black olives. Also, a significant loss of total phenolic content was observed after heat treatment in green and black olives by 18.6% and 18.4%, respectively, as well as antioxidant activity (decrease up to 28.1%). The most abundant fatty acids in green and black olives were oleic (C18:1), palmitic (C16:0) and linoleic acid (C18:2). The changes in fatty acids composition during the heat treatment occurred mostly at the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linolenic acid (C18:3) in black olives had the significant reduction (by 57.4%) in relation to the initial quantity.

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana L.) root (HRP) and leaf (HLP) pomaces, by-products of juice production by cold-pressing, were analyzed as a novel potential source of natural antioxidants. Chromatography analysis (UHPLC Q-ToF MS) of the bioactive compounds of pomaces was performed along with spectrophotometric determination of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic acid (hydroxycinnamic) content (TPAC), and antioxidant capacity (via 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic-acid) (ABTS^•+) radicals’ scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)). The concentrations of TPC, TFC, and TPAC differed among the pomaces, significantly favoring HLP. However, both horseradish pomaces (HRP and HLP) contained a considerable amount of various phenolics, with kaempferol and its glucosides dominating. In addition, they exhibit pronounced antioxidant activity, which is confirmed by all three methods used (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP). These results highlight the potential of valorizing horseradish processing waste as a natural, reliable source of health-promoting bioactive compounds and functional ingredients in food products, thereby fortifying food, preventing oxidation, and prolonging shelf-life. In addition, this study supports endeavors to reduce food waste by providing new insights into the valorization of horseradish pomace, thus contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection.