In this study several investigations and tests were performed to determine the antioxidant activity and the acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory potential of Pulmonaria officinalis and Centarium umbellatum aqueous extracts (10% mass) and ethanolic extracts (10% mass and 70% ethanol), respectively. Moreover, for each type of the prepared extracts of P. officinalis and of C. umbellatum the content in the biologically active compounds - polyphenols, flavones and proanthocyanidins was determined. The antioxidant activity was assessed using two methods, namely the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and reducing power assay. The analyzed plant extracts showed a high acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory activity in the range of 72.24-94.24% (at the highest used dose - 3 mg/mL), 66.96% and 94.03% (at 3 mg/mL), respectively correlated with a high DPPH radical inhibition - 70.29-84.9% (at 3 mg/mL). These medicinal plants could provide a potential natural source of bioactive compounds and could be beneficial to the human health, especially in the neurodegenerative disorders and as sources of natural antioxidants in food industry.

In this work a novel sensor array platform based on a dual carbon screen-printed electrode was developed for the simultaneous determination of chlorogenic acid and caffeine. One of the carbon working electrodes was modified with platinum nanoparticles, reduced graphene oxide and laccase (C-SPE/Pt-NPs/RGO/lacc-biosensor) for chlorogenic acid determination and the second carbon working electrodes was modified with reduced graphene oxide and Nafion (C-SPE/RGO/Nafion-sensor) for caffeine determination. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterise and optimise the dual sensor array while chronoamperometry was used to investigate the bioelectrocatalytic response. The C-SPE/Pt-NPs/RGO/lacc for biosensing chlorogenic acid exhibited a sensitivity of 0.02 μA μM⁻¹ and a detection limit of 2.67 μM whereas the C-SPE/RGO/Nafion used for sensing caffeine has showed a sensitivity of 1.38 μA μM⁻¹ and a detection limit of 0.22 μM. The developed sensor array was used to determine these two major coffee bean compounds from real coffee samples. Due to its simplicity, feasibility and accessibility, the developed dual sensor array could represent the basis of a valuable analytical tool able to screen both chlorogenic acid and caffeine content from coffee samples offering important information about the phytochemical composition of the samples.

Cost-effective chemosensors have become an indispensable tool for sustainable monitoring in food safety and processing, where there is an urgent need for affordable, efficient, and real-time analytical solutions. This review discusses recent advances in low-cost chemosensor technologies, highlighting developments in materials, miniaturization, and integration into portable and accessible platforms. The focus is on applications for detecting contaminants, monitoring quality, and ensuring safety in food production and processing. This review also addresses the challenges related to sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and operational stability and provides insights into future directions and the role of low-cost chemosensors in supporting sustainable practices in these important sectors.