The extraction yield, total phenols, caffeic acid derivatives (CAD), and antioxidant properties of 50% ethanolic Echinacea purpurea flower extract were determined. The in vitro inhibitory effects of 50% ethanolic extract and CAD on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) linked with type 2 diabetes were also investigated. The extraction yield, total phenols, and total CAD of the extract were 27.04%, 195.69 mg CAE/g and 78.42 mg/g, respectively. Cichoric acid (56.03 mg/g) was the predominant CAD compound in the extract. The extract exhibited good antioxidant properties. The extract and CAD inhibited α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE activities in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the tested samples, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid (IC of 1.71-1.81 mg/mL) had the highest α-amylase inhibitory activity, cichoric acid (IC of 0.28 mg/mL) showed higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Both chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid (IC of 0.11-0.14 mg/mL) demonstrated higher ACE-inhibitory activity. The in vitro results suggest that E. purpurea extract and CAD have good potential for managing hyperglycemia and hypertension. Overall, the data suggest it is a choice for developing antihyperglycemia and antihypertension compounds from field-grown E. purpurea.

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The effects of erythritol on the quality characteristics of Danish cookies were studied. Danish cookies were formulated using erythritol as a sweetener to replace 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% sucrose. The results showed that Hunter L-values and erythritol contents of cookies increased with increasing erythritol level whereas there was no difference in the moisture, protein, fat, ash and hardness of cookies prepared with sucrose or erythritol. The erythritol was stable during baking. In descriptive analysis, the surface color of cookies became lighter, and the sweetness of cookies became less sweet as erythritol level increased and sucrose decreased. The 50, 75 and 100% erythritol cookies had a cooling sensation. The moistness and hardness of cookies showed no difference among all samples. In hedonic test, the degree of surface color, sweetness, hardness, flavor and overall liking of cookies prepared with 0, 25 and 50% replacement of sucrose with erythritol revealed no difference. However, lower degree of sensory qualities (except hardness) liking of 75 and 100% erythritol cookies was observed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Sucrose is one of the principal ingredients of cookies. But a sucrose-rich diet had been proven to be associated with lipogenesis and obesity. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol and has a good tolerance by humans. It is a noncariogenic, nonglycemic and low-calorie sweetener that is safe for diabetics. In addition, it possesses antioxidant properties. The study explores the possibility of utilizing erythritol to produce acceptable cookies

Background and objectives: Freeze-dried aqueous and various ethanolic (25%,