Typical beer contains significant amount of gluten, and being the third most popular beverage worldwide, the commercial production of its gluten-free form is of rising interest. This research aimed to prepare bottom-fermented beverages from buckwheat and quinoa and to explore their physical, chemical and sensory properties. Compared with barley, the analysis of brewing attributes of buckwheat and quinoa showed a lower malt extracts, longer saccharification times, higher total protein and fermentable amino nitrogen content and higher values of the iodine test and colour. Fermentability values, the wort pH and the soluble protein content were similar for barley and buckwheat, but different for quinoa, whereas only values of viscosity and beverage pH were similar between barley and quinoa. Both beverages, especially the quinoa beverage, contained a superior level of metal cations. The fermentable carbohydrate content in the buckwheat wort was comparable to barley but lower in quinoa; however, worts derived from both pseudocereals contained predominantly glucose. The amino acid content of the buckwheat wort was similar to barley, whereas the content in the quinoa beverage was almost twice as high. The content of volatile compounds commonly associated with beer aroma was comparable between the barley and buckwheat beverage but significantly lower in the quinoa; however, the latter contained some distinctive volatile substances not found in the other beverages. The organoleptic perception of the buckwheat beverage was better than that of the quinoa, although both showed a good general acceptance. In general, buckwheat appears quite similar to barley, whereas quinoa shows many unique properties.

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Objectives. Obesity and overweight are chronic disorders of multifactorial origin that are characterized by high oxidative status and by chronic activation of macrophages in peripheral tissues. Effective therapeutic approaches to lower inflammation and oxidative stress are currently of general interest. Royal jelly (RJ) is a functional food with a broad range of pharmacological activities, mainly used by healthy individuals or borderline patients to protect themselves against disease onset. The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to investigate the effects of RJ supplementation on metabolic profile and oxidative and inflammatory parameters in asymptomatic overweight adults, considered at an early stage of developing metabolic syndrome. Material and Methods. The experimental group (n=30) was given RJ and the control group (n=30) was provided with a placebo for eight weeks. Anthropometric, biochemical parameters, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and inflammation were assessed at baseline, after 4 and 8 weeks of the intervention, and after additional 2 weeks of follow up. Results and Conclusion. Compared with the placebo, RJ supplementation demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in total cholesterol (6.7%; p=0.041) and inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (19%; p=0.027), whereas significant increases were observed in anti-inflammatory marker adiponectin (34%; p=0.011), endogenous antioxidants bilirubin (35%; p=0.002) and uric acid (5%; p=0.018), total antioxidant capacity in serum (54%; p=0.005), and leptin (17%; p=0.025). The present study demonstrated positive effects of RJ administration on lipid profile, satiety, inflammation, and antioxidant capacity in overweight adults. Therefore, our study supports the benefits of RJ supplementation for the improvement of human health.

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