Spicy and Aromatic Plants.

The purpose of this Special Issue entitled "Spicy and Aromatic Plants" is to expand our knowledge about edible plants, which have been used for thousands of years, by all the peoples of the world, in every household [...

Walnut Oil Oleogels as Milk Fat Replacing System for Commercially Available Chocolate Butter.

A breakfast spread named chocolate butter exists on the market. For economic and technological reasons, cream in the original recipe is replaced with vegetable oils such as palm oil or by partially hydrogenated sunflower oil. The study aims to reformulate chocolate flavor butter, using cold pressed walnut oil (WO) oleogels (OGs) structured with 10% waxes and monoglyceride (MG), as a milk fat replacing system.

Evaluation of Structural Behavior in the Process Dynamics of Oleogel-Based Tender Dough Products.

The current trend is represented by replacing solid fats with structured liquid oil while maintaining the plastic properties of food products. In this study, the behavior of refined sunflower oil structured with various agents (carnauba wax-CRW, -sitosterol:beeswax-BS:BW, -sitosterol:lecithin-BS:LEC, and glycerol monostearate-GM) was evaluated in the process dynamics of oleogel-based tender dough products. The oleogel with the mixture of -sitosterol:beeswax (OG_BS:BW) displayed the highest capacity to retain oil inside the matrix with a percentage of oil loss as low as 0.

Cytotoxicity Evaluation and Antioxidant Activity of a Novel Drink Based on Roasted Avocado Seed Powder.

The avocado seed is an underused waste resulting from the processing of pulp. Polyphenols, fibers, and carotenoids are present in the seed, which also exhibits prophylactic, fungicidal, and larvicidal effects. Developing food products with avocado seed as an ingredient or spice is highly desired for nutritional, environmental, and economic reasons.

Spicy and Aromatic Plants for Meat and Meat Analogues Applications.

Aromatic and spicy plants are an important factor that contributes not only to improving the taste of meat, meat products, and meat analogues, but also to increasing the nutritional value of the products to which they are added. The aim of this paper is to present the latest information on the bioactive antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the most commonly used herbs and spices (parsley, dill, basil, oregano, sage, coriander, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, bay, thyme, and mint) used in the meat and meat analogues industry, or proposed to be used for meat analogues.

Hemp ( L.) Flour-Based Wheat Bread as Fortified Bakery Product.

Hemp flour from Dacia Secuieni and Zenit varieties was added to bread in different proportions (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) to improve its nutritional properties. The purpose of this paper was to present the advanced nutritional characteristics of these bread samples. The selected varieties of hemp, accepted for human consumption, met the requirements for the maximum accepted level of THC in seeds.

Metabolomics as a Tool to Elucidate the Sensory, Nutritional and Safety Quality of Wheat Bread-A Review.

Wheat () is one of the most extensively cultivated and used staple crops in human nutrition, while wheat bread is annually consumed in more than nine billion kilograms over the world. Consumers' purchase decisions on wheat bread are largely influenced by its nutritional and sensorial characteristics. In the last decades, metabolomics is considered an effective tool for elucidating the information on metabolites; however, the deep investigations on metabolites still remain a difficult and longtime action.

The Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of L. and during Growth Phases: From Buds to Ripening.

Elderberry growth phases represent an irreversible process involving a series of biochemical changes that have an extremely important impact on nutritional characteristics. The aim was to assess the impact of genotype and maturity stage on phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and mineral profile in plants harvested during different growth phases, from green elder flower buds to purple-black elderberries, including pollen, peduncles and seeds. Growth phases proved to have a greater influence compared to varieties.

Advanced Characterization of Hemp Flour ( L.) from Dacia Secuieni and Zenit Varieties, Compared to Wheat Flour.

The advanced characterization of flour from hemp seeds (edible fruits of L.) from the Dacia Secuieni and Zenit varieties, compared to wheat flour, was studied in this research. The aim was to present the characterization of 2 varieties, out of the 70 accepted in Europe, for human consumption.

Changes in Physicochemical and Microbiological Properties, Fatty Acid and Volatile Compound Profiles of Apuseni Cheese during Ripening.

The evolution during ripening on the quality of Apuseni cheese was studied in this research. The cheese samples were controlled and evaluated periodically (at 4 months) during 16 months of storage (at 2-8 °C) for physicochemical parameters (pH, moisture, fat, fat in dry matter, total protein, ash, NaCl), microbiological (total combined yeasts and molds count (TYMC), total viable count (TVC), , , , lactic acid bacteria (LAB)), fatty acids (FA) and volatile compounds. For better control of the quality of the cheese, the storage space was evaluated for TYMC and TVC.

Folic acid, minerals, amino-acids, fatty acids and volatile compounds of green and red lentils. Folic acid content optimization in wheat-lentils composite flours.

The advanced biochemical characterisation of green, red lentil and wheat flours was performed by assessing their folic acid content as well as individual minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and volatile compounds. Moreover, a nutritionally improved wheat-lentil composite flour, with a content of 133.33 μg of folic acid/100 g, was proposed in order to assure the folic acid daily intake (200 μg) for an adult person.

In situ analysis of lipid oxidation in oilseed-based food products using near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics: The sunflower kernel paste (tahini) example.

A new near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic method was developed for the analytical measurement of lipid oxidation in sunflower kernel paste (tahini), which was chosen as an example of a complex oilseed-based food product. The NIR spectra of sunflower tahini were acquired for the extracted fat phase (EFP) and for the intact sunflower tahini (IST) samples during controlled storage. The best peroxide value (PV) calibration models were considered suitable for quality control (ratio of performance of deviation [RPD]>5).