This study investigated properties of starch-based edible films with oregano and black cumin essential oil addition. Essential oils addition positively affected film swelling (decreased due to essential oil addition), mechanical properties (tensile strength decreased while elongation at break increased), and water vapor barrier properties (decreased along with essential oils addition). Control film did not have any biological activity, which proves the need for essential oils addition in order to obtain active packaging. Oregano oil was more effective in terms of biological activity. Endothermal peak, above 200°C, represents total thermal degradation of edible films. Diffraction pattern of control film showed significant destruction of A-type crystal structure. Addition of essential oils resulted in peak shape change: diffraction peaks became narrower. Principal Component Analysis has been used to assess the effect of essential oils addition on final starch-based edible films characteristics with the aim to reveal directions for the film characteristics improvement, since the next phase will be optimal film application for food packaging

Apple pomace flour (APF) with high content of dietary fibers (DF), total polyphenolics (TPCs) and flavonoids (TFCs) was produced at the industrial scale. Bulk and tapped density, swelling, water and oil holding capacity, solubility and hydration density of fine and coarse APF with average particle size 0.16 and 0.50 mm were compared. The effect of wheat flour substitution with 25%, 50% and 75% of fine and coarse APF was studied upon cookies production at the industrial scale and after one year of storage. Coarse APF performed better in respect to sensorial properties, content and retention of dietary compounds and antioxidant (AO) activity. The cookies with optimal share of coarse APF (50%) contained 21 g/100 g of DF and several times higher TPC, TFC as well as AO activity than control cookies, retained well health promoting compounds and maintained an intensely fruity aroma and crispy texture. They were acceptable for consumers according to the hedonic test.

Apple pomace flour (APF) obtained at industrial scale level by the application of innovative technological process (dehydration (5 h, T ≤ 55 °C), grinding (300 µm)) was evaluated as a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidative, antiobesity and antidiabetic effects. Proximate composition, individual (HPLC–DAD–MS/MS) and total phenols (TPC) as well as flavonoids content (TFC), antioxidant (AO) activity (DPPH, ABTS, HPMC), water and oil holding capacity (WHC and OHC) of APFs obtained from apple pomace from mixed and individual apple cultivars grown conventionally and organically were compared. The effect of APF supplementation on the glycaemic status and glucose tolerance (oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)) of C57BL/6J mice exposed to high-fat and sucrose diet was examined. High K content (4.2–6.4 g/kg), dietary fibres (35–45 g/100 g), TPC (4.6–8.1 mg GAE/g), TFC (18.6–34.6 mg QE/g), high water and oil holding capacity (4.7–6.4 and 1.3–1.6 g/g) were observed in the APFs. Content of major phenols (phlorizin, chlorogenic acid, quercetin), TPC and TFC correlated highly with prominent AO activity. APF supplementation lowered the increase of body weight gain and blood glucose, and improved glucose tolerance significantly. Health-promoting biomolecules, AO activity, functional properties and prevention of diet-driven glucose metabolism disorders pave the way to APF exploitation in human nutrition.

To meet the demand for new functional foods in line with the trend of sustainable development, a novel probiotic yogurt fortified with 1%, 3%, and 5% apple pomace flour (APF) added immediately after inoculation with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum was developed. Upon fermentation in the presence of APF, a number of probiotic strains remained within the required range, while the syneresis of enriched yogurts was reduced up to 1.8 times in comparison to the control. Supernatants (i.e., extracted whey) obtained from yogurts with 1%, 3%, and 5% APF respectively had 1.4-, 1.8-, and 2.3-fold higher total phenolic content (TPC) than the control, 3.3-, 4.7-, and 8.0-fold higher radical scavenging (DPPH), and 1.3-, 1.6-, and 1.7-fold higher reducing activity (FRAP). Also, probiotic yogurt supernatants (3% and 5%) inhibited colon cancer cells’ viability (HCT 116, 12% and 17%; SW-620, 13% and 19%, respectively). The highest firmness, cohesiveness, and viscosity index values, and the highest scores for color and taste, were obtained for yogurt with 3% APF, indicating that this is the optimal APF amount for the production of novel yogurt with functional properties.

The demand for ready-to-use functional foods is high, which encourages manufacturers to develop new, nutritionally valuable products. As an excellent source of biologically active compounds, beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is considered to have highly beneficial effects on health. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of replacing spelt flour (SF) with 15%, 20% and 25% beetroot powder (BP). The physicochemical and functional properties of biscuits baked at different temperatures (150 and 170 °C) were followed at the beginning, and after 3 and 6 months of storage as standard conditions. Moisture content and water activity (aw) gave insight into the biscuits’ shelf life. The value of aw from 0.35 to 0.56 indicated appropriate storability. Dietary fiber content in fresh biscuits ranged from 6.1% to 7.6%, protein from 9.2% to 8.9% and sugar from 30.6% to 35.9%. The content of betalain, total polyphenols and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP) increased with beetroot powder content incorporated. A slight decrease of all the mentioned parameters during the storage indicated satisfied retention of bioactive molecules. The content of prevalent phenolic compounds gallic and protocatechuic acid, identified by HPLC, decreased from 22.2–32.0 and 21.1–24.9 in fresh biscuits to 18.3–23.4 and 17.3–20.3 mg/100 g upon six months of storage, respectively. An increase of the L* and a* and a decrease of the b* coordinate values, compared with the control sample without beetroot values, was noticed as well as the expected level of their change during the storage. The obtained results indicated that biscuits enriched with beetroot powder showed a significantly improved functional, nutritional and antioxidant potential during storage.