Alena Stupar

• Research Associate
• Research Associate at University of Novi Sad

In the present study, the nutritional and sensory properties of spelt cookies without wild garlic, cookies with fresh wild garlic, cookies with osmodehydrated wild garlic in sugar beet molasses, and cookies with osmodehydrated wild garlic in an aqueous solution of sucrose and salt were evaluated and compared. The tested cookie samples were characte...

The objective of this research was to optimize the natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) extraction process from sour cherry kernels (Prunus cerasus L.). For polyphenol isolation, conventional solid–liquid extraction was employed using different concentrations of ethanol (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 96%), as well as the innovative NA...

The research focused on optimizing the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of carotenoids and polyphenols from pumpkin powder. The study optimized accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of carotenoids and polyphenols from pumpkin powder. Using a mix of standard score (SS) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods, the extraction process was fine-t...

Medicinal and aromatic plants, such as wild garlic (Allium ursinum), are valuable sources of bioactive compounds in traditional and modern medicine. However, the challenges in cultivating wild garlic and its seasonality limit its availability primarily to early spring. To maintain the quality of wild garlic, effective postharvest practices are esse...

Utilizing natural plant extracts as food additives represents a promising strategy for enhancing the quality, nutritional value, and safety of food products, benefiting both consumers and the environment. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to develop an environmentally sustainable process for the production of solid powder derived f...

The concepts of "green chemistry" are gaining importance in the agri-food sector due to the need to minimize pollution from toxic chemicals, improve the safety and sustainability of industrial processes, and provide "clean-labeled products" required by consumers. The application of the cloud point extraction (CPE) is considered a promising alternat...

Timely access to topic-relevant datasets is of paramount importance for the development of any successful strategy (food waste reduction strategy), since datasets illuminate opportunities, challenges and development paths. PhInd is the first comprehensive database on polyphenol content in plant-based by-products from the agri-food sector or the was...

The development of active edible coatings with improved mechanical and barrier properties is a huge challenge. In this study, active edible coatings for sliced cheese have been developed using pullulan (Pull) in combination with two different biopolymers, chitosan (CS) and gelatine (Gel), and a combination of hydrolats as a source of active compoun...

Abstract: This study investigated the design of novel pasta enriched with different forms of wild garlic (WG): a powder, an extract and an encapsulated extract applied at three enrichment levels (low/middle/high). The effect of cooking on changes in the content of bioactive compounds, antioxidative activity, cooking behaviour, texture, colour and s...

The plant species Opopanax hispidus is known in traditional Turkish medicine and nutrition. In addition to all the advantages that are known by the traditions of old generations, O. hispidus has been insufficiently examined, and its potential could be used in treatment in modern medicine and diet. In this paper, O. hispidus extracts obtained by con...

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the drugs necessary for the treatment of the 10 most common types of cancer. The leading adverse effect limiting clinical use of DOX is cardiotoxicity. Given that literature data indicate a protective role of carotenoids in doxorubicin-induced toxicity, in our study we compared the cardioprotective effect of a mixture of...

This study aimed to determine the impact of ancient wheat varieties (emmer, spelt and khorasan) and spontaneous sourdough fermentation on the bioaccessibility of total phenolic content (TPC) and the DPPH antioxidant capacity evolution during breadmaking and in vitro digestion. Sourdough and yeast-fermented modern wheat breads were used as controls....

Biopolymer-based films present an ideal matrix for the incorporation of active substances such as antimicrobial agents, giving active packaging a framework of green chemistry and a step forward in food packaging technology. The chitosan-gelatine active coating has been prepared using lemongrass oil as an antimicrobial compound applying a different...

The paper presents the synthesis of hydrogels via free-radical polymerization, based on Chitosan (CS) grafted with Acrylic acid (AA), using a two-step procedure. Free-radical polymerization has given strong hydrogels with compact structure, dominant elastic behavior, and long linear viscoelastic region. The results of rheological studies have shown...

Biodegradable active packaging films based on a cellulose acetate and poly(caprolactone diol) blend with incorporated lemongrass oil were developed. Films were prepared using a novel bio-based plasticizer, glycerol tritartarate, synthesized using the principles of green chemistry. The influence of the plasticizer, as well as the essential oil amoun...

The antimicrobial activity of Allium ursinum aqueous extract prepared using high pressure extraction was evaluated. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of A. ursinum extract for six bacterial pathogens were determined using the broth macrodilution method. Although the A. ursinum extract was shown to...

Functional food is lately an interesting topic from the new product development perspective; complex motivation and expectations of consumers regarding it present a challenge when new products are designed. Co-creation is an interesting alternative to the standard practices by the R & D departments since it directly involves consumers in the variou...

Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) herbal dust has been recognized as a potential underutilized resource for the recovery of antioxidants. The aim of this paper was to optimize natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) extraction of polyphenols to obtain improved antioxidant activity of extracts determined by selected in vitro assays (DPPH, FRAP, and ABT...

Defatted raspberry seeds were used as an alternative source of antioxidants and ellagic acid (EA) extracted using Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). In the preliminary study, the best NADES combination (citric acid-betaine) and the most influential variables (temperature, time, and NADES/plant ratio) were selected for the further optimization...

The paper presents the synthesis of hydrogels via free-radical polymerization, based on Chitosan (CS) grafted with Acrylic acid (AA), using a two-step procedure. Free-radical polymerization has given strong hydrogels with compact structure, dominant elastic behavior and long linear viscoelastic region. The results of rheological studies have shown...

Introduction: Carotenoids are liposoluble plant pigments. The most common in the human diet are a-carotene, b-carotene, b-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Methods: This article provides an overview of the findings on carotenoids to date, their depots in body, recommended daily doses and mechanisms of protective action. We searched P...

The aim of the present research was to develop green and sustainable extraction procedure for β-carotene recovery from pumpkin. A series of hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) based on fatty acids were prepared to establish high extraction efficiency of β-carotene and to increase stability of extracted carotenoids from the pumpkin....

The Balkan Peninsula represents a habitat for more than 10500 plant species whereby many of them represent endemic species. Population of this region has recognized the significance of this natural wealth, and plants from this area have found a wide application in traditional medicine both for therapy and prevention. Among the huge number of plants...

The image designed by Tamara Erceg and colleagues shows the hydrogel sample in swollen state showing how it's whole life cycle, from synthesis to application, fits in green chemistry framework. Hydrogel was synthesized using the carboxymethylcellulose, polycarboxylic acid, and biocompatible poly (acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) copolymer. Regulating th...

The aim of this study was to extract Allium ursinum L. for the first time by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO 2 ) as green sustainable method. The impact of temperature in the range from 40 to 60 °C and pressure between 150 and 400 bar on the quality of the obtained extracts and efficiency of the extraction was investigated. The highest extracti...

The image designed by Tamara Erceg and colleagues shows the hydrogel sample in swollen state showing how it's whole life cycle, from synthesis to application, fits in green chemistry framework. Hydrogel was synthesized using the carboxymethylcellulose, polycarboxylic acid, and biocompatible poly (acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) copolymer. Regulating th...

Hydrophilic polymer networks (hydrogels) based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) and polycarboxylic acids (oxalic, succinic, citric and adipic) as cross‐linking agents are synthesized by esterification reaction; one series of NaCMC hydrogels cross‐linked with citric acid is prepared with acrylamide and acrylic acid (Aam/Aac) copolymers using...

The growing awareness on implications related to the use of harsh chemicals and non-sustainable extraction methods of bioactive compounds from plants is causing a paradigm shift towards a more eco-friendly approach. The present study sets out to investigate the possible variation in the antioxidant, mutagenic/antimutagenic, antimicrobial, and enzym...

In order to produce a high quality plum spread, plum pomace lyophilisate (PPL: 2–10%), sugar (sucrose: 10–15%) and amidated low-metoxyl pectin (LMA: 0–0.2%) were investigated as independent variables in optimization of product formulations. Plum spread was characterized in respect to chemical (total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total...

We endeavoured to probe into and compare the possible effect(s) of different extraction techniques (accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonication-assisted extraction (UAE), maceration, and Soxhlet extraction (SE)) on the bioactivity (antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities) of the aerial parts of He...

The principles of ‘green chemistry’ are gaining importance in agri-food sector due to the need to reduce pollution from toxic chemicals, make industrial processes safer and more sustainable, and to offer ‘clean-labeled products’ required by the consumers. The application of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) – natural product-based green liquid...

Novel active films of polylactide (PLA) containing extract of Allium ursinum L. (AU), also called wild garlic, at 10wt% were succesfully prepared by the electrospinning technology. Electrospinning of the AU-containing PLA solutions yielded fibers in the 1–2μm range with a beaded-like morphology, suggesting that the AU extract was mainly encapsulate...

The phytochemical composition of different extracts obtained from stinking chamomile (Anthemis cotula L.) was investigated. Ethanol was used as solvent and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), microwave assisted extraction (MAE), maceration, soxhlet extraction (SE), and ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) were applied on plant material. Compariso...

Wild garlic extract it is well known due to its antimicrobial activity. However its main active compounds are mostly volatile and easily degraded which may affect and decrease its antimicrobial potential. In this regard wild garlic extract was encapsulated and antimicrobial activity of encapsulated extract was tested against four Gram negative and...

In Serbia, wild garlic is well known as a seasonal spring salad due to its mild garlic taste and its bioactive composition. The most represented compounds in wild garlic are sulfur compounds which contribute to its taste and are mainly responsible for garlics health benefits. Another dominant group of bioactive compounds present in wild garlic are...

Garlic (Allium sativum L. family Liliaceae) has been known as a traditional medicine and spice in different cultures for many centuries. Clinical and experimental trials on garlic and garlic extracts emphasized the medicinal value and pharmacological effects of organosulphur compounds and phenolic components present in this allium vegetable. Harves...

Water and ethanol garlic extracts were prepared for encapsulation into double emulsion carriers. For extracts preparation three varieties of garlic were used: NSPBL-70, Labud and Bosut. Determination of organosulfur compounds was done by HPLC-DAD method. Results indicated the differences in sulphur compounds concentrations depending on garlic varie...

The objective of this study was to incorporate wild garlic (A. ursinum) extract into microparticles (MPs) in order to protect its valuable active compounds and improve its oral bioavailability. For this purpose, spray congealing technology was applied and Gelucire 50/13 (Stearoyl polyoxyl-32 glycerides) was selected as MPs carrier. MPs were charact...

Antimicrobial packaging as active food packaging represents a suitable packaging form for food in products in particular for foods where microbial contamination occurs primarily at the surface. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most frequently used bio-polymers because of its similarities to conventional polymeric materials used in food packag...

Composite films based on poly(lactic acid) filled by 0.5 and 5 wt.% of Allium ursinum extract (wild garlic) for food packaging applications were prepared. Obtained films were examined from the view of characterization material properties and antimicrobial potential. The addition of two different amounts of A. ursinum extract improved thermal and me...

Wild garlic, Allium ursinum, is a rich source of phytonutrients, and recognized to have significant and wide biological activities. The potential health benefits of A. ursinum have been attributed mainly to the sulfur containing compounds like thiosulphinates and (poly) sulfides and phenolics compounds, which are the most important constituents in...

The electrospinning technology has recently drawn a great deal of attention for the preparation of novel antimicrobial food packaging materials, especially by means of natural extracts as active substances. By selecting the adequate polymer materials and controlling the processing parameters, the electrospinning technique offers the possibility to...

Subcritical water extraction (SWE) was employed in order to obtain high valuable extracts from wild garlic (Allium ursinum). The influence of temperature (120–200 °C), extraction time (10–30 min) and added acidifier, HCl (0–1.5%) on extraction process was investigated. Analysis of variance was used to determine the fitness of the model and optimal...

Introduction. Ramsons (Allium ursinum L.) or, as usually called wild garlic, is a leafy wild plant occurring in forest in early spring. A.ursinum is traditionally used for culinary and medicinal purposes due to its distinct garlic-like scent originating from sulfur containing compounds that are the most characteristic constituents in Allium species...

Introduction. As a source of health benefit compounds Allium species have been used in the traditional medicine for many centuries thanks to its wide- spread distribution and popularity as edible and medicinal plant. The majority of the antimicrobial activity of Allium has been recognized for many years. The presence of S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteine sulfo...

Old traditional Serbian pepper landraces (Nizacˇa, Loko�snicˇka and Tur�sijara), grown in South Serbia and produced by seed sowing or transplanting, were evaluated in this study. Besides the basic morphological properties and composition, the features characterizing fruit color and pericarp anatomy were determined in order to analyze and systematiz...

Allium species have been used in the traditional medicine for many centuries as edible and medicinal plant. In past few years interest for Allium ursinum L., (wild garlic) as wild aromatic plant is significantly growing thanks to its high content of specific compounds with health benefits. Broad spectrum of biological activities obtained from A. ur...

Allium species have been used in the traditional medicine for many centuries as edible and medicinal plant with broad spectrum of biological activities mainly attributed to the sulfur containing compounds and phenolic compounds, known for its atioxidant activity. Due to short period of availability of fresh wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) during sp...

Ultrasound-assisted extraction was used for extraction of bioactive compounds and for production of Allium ursinum liquid extract. The experiments were carried out according to tree level, four variables, face-centered cubic experimental design (FDC) combined with response surface methodology (RSM). Temperature (from 40 to 80°C), ethanol concentrat...

Mixtures of polymers and surfactants are commonly found in a range of products of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industry. Interaction between polymers and surfactantsinfluences different properties of these products, e.g. stability, flow properties, phase behavior, etc. It is known from previous work that an interaction in binary mixtures ofhy...