Food waste, such as eggshell, can be an environmental problem if it is not properly managed. One of the ways to solve this is by using the eggshell as the cheap calcium source in food products. Polish gingerbread fortified with chicken eggshell powder (ESP) calcium was developed to solve the eggshell waste problem and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This study focused on the effect of ESP addition on basic composition, sensory evaluation, and antioxidative activity of gingerbread. Two samples of gingerbread without and with 3% (w/w of wheat flour) ESP, with controlled green tea powder (4% w/w of white chocolate) were analyzed. Results of the research showed that the addition of 3% ESP significantly increased the ash and calcium content (p < 0.05) without changing the appearance, aroma, texture, taste profiles, and the hedonic score of gingerbread. The gingerbread samples were then stored for 2 months and were analyzed every month. The hedonic evaluation of the aroma of both gingerbread samples decreased significantly (p < 0.05) during storage. During 2 months of storage, the antioxidative activity of gingerbread fortified with 3% ESP was not significantly different compared to the control (p > 0.05), particularly in ABTS and ORACFL assay. The ABTS, DPPH, and ORACFL assays showed decreasing antioxidative activity during storage, which was also in accordance with decreasing total phenolic content of both gingerbread samples. In PCL assay, the lipid-soluble antioxidant activity in gingerbread with 3% ESP was significantly higher during 2 months of storage, compared to the control (p < 0.05). The developed product might be a potential alternative to improve the calcium (26% daily value (DV) recommendation per 100 g) and antioxidant intake in order to prevent calcium deficiency. Gingerbread enriched with an organic source of calcium may become an innovative product to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis in the elderly population, having potential health and economic significance, given the incidence of osteoporosis and the costs of treating this disease.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is a fruit with increasing popularity in consumption and processing. Recent research has strengthened the position of chokeberry as a source of phenolic compounds, antioxidants with high pro-health values, therefore it is important to investigate other substances protecting biologically active compounds during juice processing. This study was an attempt to reduce the loss of polyphenol in cloudy and clarified chokeberry juice by adding aqueous cinnamon and clove extracts. The results showed that the clarification of juices did not cause significant changes in the concentration of polyphenols. However, the addition of plant extracts prior to pasteurisation process influenced the content of phenolic compounds in the chokeberry juices. The main change in the composition of the chokeberry juices observed during storage was a result of the degradation process of anthocyanins. The research showed that, despite the common view about the beneficial effects of polyphenols and other compounds exhibiting mutual antioxidative potential, it is very difficult to inhibit the degradation process.

Pulse-based snack bars incorporated with probiotics were developed to provide an overview for the preparation of simple functional food concerning the antioxidant load and iron status improvement. The study focused on the application of microencapsulated probiotics in dry matrices, such as chickpeas and green lentils, in snack bars. The study aims to analyse the products’ antioxidative activities, chemical and sensory properties, as well as the probiotic survivability in the dry matrices. The basic chemical composition showed that 100 g of product can fulfil up to 4.4% and 3.3% of the daily iron value from chickpeas and green lentils, respectively (assuming the iron bioavailability is 23%). Sensory evaluation and hedonic analysis of the fresh pulse snack bar showed that panelists preferred the chickpea snack bar over the green lentil snack bar. For storage analysis, snack bars were stored at 20 °C and were vacuum packaged in sealed low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches with no light exposure for two months. Hedonic analysis during storage showed significant differences in the aroma of the snack bars (p < 0.05). Generally, the antioxidant activities decreased during the two months of storage. A strong correlation was observed between total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity assays: ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt), PCL (Photochemiluminescence). Moreover, after two months of storage, a 1-log decrease of probiotic viable cells was observed in both snack bars. To meet the dietary requirement of probiotics, it is suggested that people consume five portions and 9.4 portions of the chickpea and green lentil snack bars, respectively. The resulting products have promising properties with respect to probiotics and antioxidant potential in an unconventional way.

The purpose of this study was to design the formula and antioxidant potential of gluten-free oat drinks fortifi ed with bioactive plant components. The paper describes the use of three preparations of plant origin: yellow tea leaf extract, mulberry extract and steviol glycosides from stevia leaves. Analyses of the oat drinks basic composition-including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, dietary fi ber fractions and antioxidant properties with DPPH, ABTS, ORAC and FRAP assays were conducted. Tea extract with steviosides oat drink showed the highest total phenolic concentration and the highest antioxidant activity followed by stevia and mulberry oat drink, whereas stevia oat drink showed the lowest phenolics level and weakest antioxidant activity. Moreover, the applied plant components showed moderate ability to infl uence the sensory values of the fortifi ed oat drinks. The results demonstrate that tea, stevia and mulberry preparations applied in oat drinks enhanced antioxidant potential and might be a natural source of antioxidant components.

Chokeberry fruit exhibits a high level of pro-health potential, associated with a significant amount of polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. The fruit is easily perishable and therefore needs to be processed in short order to ensure its availability throughout the year. For this purpose, the fruit is dried, which has an impact on the preservation of bioactive components such as polyphenols. In the study, chokeberry fruit was influenced by a suspension of spices, including clove and cinnamon, and subsequently dried using the freeze-drying, convection, and microwave radiation methods. Freeze-drying was concluded to be the most desirable method of drying, which preserves the largest amount of polyphenols while soaking fruit in a suspension of cinnamon or cloves accelerated the loss of anthocyanins during the storage period. The obtained test results may constitute a valuable source of information for manufacturers in designing new products with increased pro-health potential, whose properties result from the high content of polyphenols and other plant additives.