Ioannis Mourtzinos

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Associate) at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

The aim of this work was to study a novel method for utilizing peach peels in the food industry through ultrasound-assisted extraction of carotenoids, after phenolics extraction, employing various vegetable oils as solvents. This approach results in the production of an oil enriched with antioxidants. Soybean oil and rice bran oil were selected as...

Salinity stress is a major abiotic factor limiting tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Utilizing genetic resources from wild tomato relatives, such as Solanum pennellii, through the exploitation of introgression lines (ILs) provides a promising strategy to enhance salt tolerance. This study evaluate...

Coffee is one of the most marketable products worldwide but throughout the production chain, many by-products and waste are generated, e.g., spent coffee grounds (SCG). SCG are considered a promising source of polysaccharides. In the present study, the polysaccharides from SCG were recovered through microwave-assisted extraction. Detailed structura...

In the present study, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) was employed as a pretreatment method for the extraction of phenolic compounds from spent coffee grounds (SCGs). The impact of CAP treatment conditions, i.e., thickness of the SCGs layer (mm), distance between the plasma source and the SCGs layer (mm) and duration of CAP treatment (min), on the to...

An eco-friendly extraction process of polyphenols from conventional dried rosemary tissues and post-distillation waste residues was applied using β-cyclodextrin as a co-solvent. The aqueous extracts were characterized by measuring the total phenolic content, and their phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by LC-MS. Sodium alginate solut...

Fluid flow at the micro- and nanoscale exhibits unique phenomena that can be used to create components suitable for conducting biological studies. This chapter provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art microfluidic technology applications in food and nutrition. The chapter also presents studies on the nano-encapsulation of antimicrobial...

The present work examined the production of single-cell protein (SCP) by a newly isolated strain of Kluyveromyces marxianus EXF-5288 under increased lactose concentration of deproteinized cheese whey (DCW) and different temperatures (in °C: 20.0, 25.0, 30.0 and 35.0). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report examining the abi...

Introduction Winegrape varieties Kotsifali, Limnio, and Vradiano Objective The aim of this study was to develop a liquid chromatographic quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometric (LC‐QTOF‐MS/MS) method for the investigation of the anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin content of Greek grape varieties employing target and suspect screening str...

An eco-friendly approach towards the recovery of value-added extracts from olive tree leaves with the aid of supercritical CO2 at 30 MPa was carried out. The impact of extraction temperature (35-90 °C) and presence of co-solvents (ethanol, water, and aqueous ethanol) on the total phenolic, flavonoid, and pigment content, as well as oleuropein, hydr...

The pomegranate processing industry generates worldwide enormous amounts of by-products, such as pomegranate peels (PPs), which constitute a rich source of phenolic compounds. In this view, PPs could be exploited as a sustainable source of ellagic acid, which is a compound that possesses various biological actions. The present study aimed at the li...

The steadily increasing interest of food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries for bioactive compounds of natural origin has resulted in a growing demand for the development of novel and effective approaches for their isolation from various plant matrices. In this view, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) constitute an alternative to conventional orga...

Introduction Plants of the Rosa genus are renowned for their pronounced and pleasant aroma and colors. Objective The aim of this work was to develop a novel liquid chromatographic triple quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometric (LC‐QTOF‐MS/MS) method for the investigation of the bioactive fingerprint of petals of different genotypes bel...

Chitin is among the most abundant natural biopolymers in the world and a major constituent of various aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including crustaceans, insects, fungi, and algae. Chitin and chitosan are widely used in various applications due to their interesting biological and physicochemical characteristics such as being non-toxic, biodeg...

Peach processing generates significant amounts of by-products including peels, pomace, and seeds that are often discarded as waste, despite their rich content of bioactive components. Various methods, such as solvent extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and alkaline and acid hydrolysis, have been employed to recover valuable components from...

: Peach processing generates significant amounts of by-products including peels, pomace, and seeds that are often discarded as waste, despite their rich content of bioactive components. Various extraction methods, such as solvent extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and alkaline and acid hydrolysis, have been employed to recover valuable com...

Concerns and potential health risks related to the use of synthetic food additives have renewed the interest of the scientific community, food industry, and consumers toward replacing them with natural alternatives. Plant extracts represent an interesting approach based on their natural origin. Different plant materials as well as by-products and w...

Crackers are popular snacks that can include functional ingredients in order to make products of higher nutritional value. The effect of partial replacement of wheat flour with barley, grape seed, olive stone, lupin and chickpea flour (10–50%) on the physicochemical (texture, color, and moisture) and sensory aspects of crackers was studied. Texture...

Cyclodextrins have gained significant and established attention as versatile carriers for the delivery of bioactive compounds derived from natural sources in various applications, including medicine, food and cosmetics. Their toroidal structure and hydrophobic cavity render them ideal candidates for encapsulating and solubilizing hydrophobic and po...

Figs are a valuable source of nutrients including polyphenols, dietary fiber, and minerals. Cultivation and consumption of figs generates a considerable amount of by‐products and waste which are also nutrient‐rich. Fig unexploited mass can efficiently be valorized in the frame of circular bioeconomy for the development of functional foods, food sup...

In the present study, the formation of molecular inclusion complexes of Salvia officinalis (sage) bioactive compounds with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was evaluated. Sage essential oil (SEO)/β-CD inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by co-precipitation at iso-molecular concentrations, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was applied for...

The current examination dealt with the development of a methodology to produce quercetin, a multifunctional bio‐flavonoid, by designing task‐specific, highly acidic deep eutectic solvents, based on glycerol and natural organic acids. The purpose was to achieve a simultaneous hydrolysis of spiraeoside, the major quercetin glycoconjugate occurring in...

Nowadays, essential oils (EOs) have a wide use in many applications such as in food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and animal feed products. Consumers’ preferences concerning healthier and safer foodstuffs lead to an increased demand for natural products, in replacement of synthetic substances, used as preservatives, flavourings etc. EOs, besides being...

The present study aimed to optimize the recovery of bound phenolic antioxidants from rice hulls via microwave-assisted alkaline hydrolysis using response surface methodology. The microwave treatment duration, temperature, and solvent:solid ratio were the independent variables selected; whereas total phenol content, antioxidant activity (DPPH●, ABTS...

Freshwater crayfish are considered as aquatic products of high quality and high nutritional value. The increasing demand has led to populations reduction in several locations throughout their range. Thus, the development of appropriate rearing conditions is considered necessary, among which, optimization of their diet is a basic part. Towards this...

Background: Medicinal plants exhibit significant effects on broiler physiology and production. This trial aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with an aqueous or cyclodextrin extract derived from a mixture of Origanum vulgare L., Camelina sativa L. Crantz , Crithmum maritimum L., and Allium sativum L. at the level of 0.1% per kg...

A rapid and simple HPLC-DAD analytical method was developed and optimized for the determination of anthocynanins in three red Greek winegrape varieties (Kotsifali, Limnio, and Vradiano). The critical parameters, such as the acidifying solvent and the extraction temperature, which affect the extraction of anthocyanins from the grapes, were studied t...

Edible coatings provide an alternative way to reduce packaging requirements and extend the shelf life of foods by delaying oxidation and microbial spoilage. Hydrogels, oleogels and bigels were applied as coatings on fresh sardine fillets. The effectiveness of these coatings as delivery systems of rosemary extract (RE) was also evaluated. Three grou...

The present study proposes a green extraction approach for the recovery of lycopene from tomato fruits. Different hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (HNADESs) based on terpenes (i.e., menthol and thymol) and fatty acids (i.e., decanoic acid and dodecanoic acid) were prepared at different molar ratios, characterised in terms of density, rheo...

Extraction of polyphenolic compounds from lemon peels using deep eutectic solvents (DES) was investigated. A choline chloride-based DES paired with glycerol was used as the extraction solvent, alternative to conventional ones. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the extraction parameters, namely, the water concentration (CW)...

The objective of this study was the production of green extracts from Cornelian cherry pomace and the valorization of their anthocyanin content for their potential use as food colorants. Aqueous solutions of β-cyclodextrin were used both as green extraction solvents as well as means of anthocyanins’ stabilization. The extracts were analyzed by a no...

Extracts with emulsifying capacity have been extracted from split peas (Pisum sativum). At pH 7 and extract concentrations above 0.75 g L⁻¹ s, stable emulsions were produced, with droplets of tens μm. At higher concentrations (2 g L⁻¹ s) bridging flocculation occurs, with the flocs breaking up into μm-sized particles upon SDS addition, reaching siz...

The objective of this work was the development of a green extraction method based on the use of a deep eutectic solvent (DES) to extract caffeine from coffee pulp (CP). Choline chloride and glycerol were used as hydrogen bond acceptor and hydrogen bond donor, respectively. ATR-FTIR and viscosity measurements were conducted for the characterization...

The aim of the present study was the selection of an appropriate system for the delivery of bioactive compounds from oregano essential oil and extracts and their incorporation in two whey cheeses. For this purpose, oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions were prepared by ultrasonication as delivery systems. The droplet size distribution and the microstruc...

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effects of Punica granatum L. and Allium cepa L. peels aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts on broiler chicks’ performance and welfare status, as well as on the meat chemical composition and oxidative stability. A total of 120 one-day-old male Ross-308 chicks were randomly allocated to three treatments wit...

This study provides the first assessment of the volatile metabolome map of Tuber Aestivum and Tuber Borchii originating from Greece using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the extraction of the volatile fraction, the SPME protocol was optimized after examining the effects o...

The development of environmentally friendly approaches to produce high-added value compounds is a field of research that has attracted the interest of the scientific community and several industries such as the food and cosmetic industry [...]

The aim of the present study was to compare novel methods and technologies of phenolics extraction from spent coffee grounds, as “green” alternative techniques of the conventional ethanol extraction. Three extraction techniques, ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction, along with the use of β-cyclodextrin as a solvent have been studied and op...

An inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometric (ICP-OES) method was employed to assess the elemental composition of the wild mushrooms belonging to the species of Craterellus cornucopioides, Boletus aereus, and Cantharellus cibarius. The ICP-OES method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, limits of detection (LO...

The composition of walnut oils is affected by multiple factors including their variety, their geographical location, and the environmental factors. In this study, the fatty acid composition of walnut oils from Greece and Bulgaria was assessed by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The derivatization process involved...

Industrial production of Tenebrio molitor larvae (TML), a promising source of protein for food, requires safety, fast growth, maturation, and high survival. Probiotics, enhance host growth and protect against pathogens and diseases. This study evaluates the effects of three probiotic bacteria immobilized on the diet of mealworms, on growth performa...

Plant anthocyanins have widely been employed as natural food colorants. However, their instability restricts many of their applications in food industry. In this study, anthocyanins were extracted from onion outer scales, using aqueous solutions with or without added cyclodextrins (CDs). The results indicated that when cyclodextrins were included i...

Aim The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the inflammatory potential of diet with prodromal Parkinson's disease (pPD) probability and incidence among community-dwelling older individuals without clinical features of parkinsonism at baseline. Methods The sample consisted of 1,030 participants 65 years old or older, draw...

This review provides an overview of the emerging trends regarding the use of guar gum in the food industry with a focus on its induced sensory perception and oral texture modification. The first part presents an overview of the texture modification by food hydrocolloids and their oral processing; it then discusses the particular attributes that giv...

Background and objectives Aging is characterized by a functional shift of the immune system towards a proinflammatory phenotype. This derangement has been associated with cognitive decline and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia. Diet can modulate systemic inflammation; thus, it may be a valuable tool to counteract the associated ri...

The present study investigated the aroma profile and antimicrobial properties of Origanum vulgare L. essential oils collected from four districts of Greece. The essential oil composition was analysed by GC-MS, and aroma attributes were determined by a panel of sensory specialists using quantitative descriptive analysis. Eighteen monoterpenes and se...

Background During the last years, there has been a continuously growing demand from the food industry for additives from natural sources (e.g. plant materials) as an alternative to synthetic ones that have been associated with toxic effects. Moreover, the fact that the consumption of functional foods could boost the immune system and resistance of...

Peach (Prunus persica) fruit is widely consumed, both as fresh or as processed (mostly by canning) product. Despite its economic importance, a limited number of studies have dealt with quality assessment of clingstone peach cultivars after thermal processing. Thus, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of canning process on compos...

Background Cheese is one of the most widely consumed dairy products worldwide with high commercial value. As cheese consumption and distribution have increased over the years, the cheese industry had to address the issues of safety and preservation of cheese products as well as cheese whey utilization-management. Although not frequently used, prese...

Plants constitute a rich source of diverse classes of valuable phytochemicals (e.g., phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids) with proven biological activity (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, etc.). However, factors such as low stability, poor solubility and bioavailability limit their food, cosmetics and pharmaceutic...

The consumers’ demand for clean-label food products, lead to the replacement of conventional additives and redesign of the production methods in order to adopt green processes. Many researchers have focused on the identification and isolation of naturally occurring taste and flavor enhancers. The term “taste enhancer” and “flavor enhancer” refer to...

A sustainable process for valorization of onion waste would need to entail preliminary sorting out of exhausted or suboptimal material as part of decision-making. In the present study, an approach for monitoring red onion skin (OS) phenolic composition was investigated through Visible Near-Short-Wave infrared (VNIR-SWIR) (350–2500 nm) and Fourier-T...

Pomegranate peel is a byproduct of pomegranate juice production, and is rich in polyphenol compounds. The objective of this study was to investigate the incorporation of pomegranate peel extract in chitosan films. Green deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used as extraction solvents. Choline chloride (ChCl) and glycerol (Gly) were used as the hydrog...

The effect of a diet supplemented with a novel cornus extract, enriched with essential oils of oregano and thyme, on the performance of Chios cross-bred dairy sheep was investigated during the summer period. The plant extracts were prepared using a “green” method based on aqueous extraction. A total of 45 lactating ewes were allocated into three eq...

The cover image is based on the Research Article Elaboration of novel and comprehensive protocols toward determination of textural properties and other sensorial attributes of canning peach fruit, by Marina Christofi et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12577.

Propolis is a resinous substance produced by bees that exhibits antimicrobial, immunostimulatory and antioxidant activity. Its use is common in functional foods, cosmetics and traditional medicine despite the fact that it demonstrates low extraction yields and inconsistency in non-toxic solvents. In this work, a new encapsulation and delivery syste...

Τhe aim of this Special Issue is to highlight state-of-the-art processes and applications of sustainable solutions in the food industry. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: Waste and by-product bioconversion to added-value chemicals that can be incorporated in food matrices; Extraction of substances using green chemistry princip...

Peach (Prunus persica) products are destined for fresh consumption or are being consumed after processing in various forms. Despite its huge economic importance, no standardized protocols to define sensorial attributes and mechanical properties of canned peaches exist. Thus, the aim of the current study was dual and included the setting up of a lis...

Coffee pulp, a by-product of coffee production, contains valuable compounds such as caffeine and chlorogenic acid with high antiradical activity. In this study, aqueous solutions of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were used as a non-conventional solvent for the extraction of targeted compounds from coffee pulp. The parameters of β-CD concentration (Cβcd), li...

There is a growing demand for the development of healthier meat products with reduced fat and salts. The present study was carried out to develop low fat - low salt processed meat products in a type of fermented sausages. Products were formulated with different fat contents (10 g/100g - 20 g/100g) and levels of sodium chloride (0-2 g/100g) and pota...

Orange juice by-products are proposed as a "green" wall material for the encapsulation of pomegranate peel extract. Stability of crude and encapsulated peel extract was studied under accelerated storage conditions, in terms of phenolic content, antiradical activity, and color. The obtained extracts were used as biofunctional components in cookies,...

Purification of extracts is an essential procedure in order to remove wax and other undesirable ingredients while retaining the polyphenolic fraction which contains most of bioactive components. This study investigates how different purification methods affect the qualitative characteristics of propolis extracts. Five different purification methods...

Propolis extract was investigated as potential substitute for sorbate in orangeade. Extract was prepared by using aqueous solution of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrins. Propolis extract was incorporated in non-carbonated orange soft drinks and its antioxidant activity, microbiological stability and color changes were estimated and compared to those...

Propolis presents notable and variable antioxidant activity depending on the territory and the local flora. As a result, propolis collected from areas presenting botanical diversity can become an intriguing research field. In the present study, we examined propolis from different areas of Samothraki, a small Greek island in the north‐eastern Aegean...

The valorization of onion (Allium cepa) solid wastes, a 450,000 tonnes/year waste in Europe, by a green extraction method is presented. Polyphenols of onion solid wastes were extracted using eco‐friendly solvents, such as water and glycerol. The 2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin was also used as a co‐solvent for the augmentation of the extraction yiel...

The valorization of solid waste hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) by a non-conventional method is presented in this article. Hemp polyphenols were extracted using aqueous solutions of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as an eco-friendly extraction solvent. Cyclodextrins (CD’s) are known to enhance the extraction of polyphenols in water by forming water solubl...

A novel LTTM composed of glycerol and sodium acetate was used to assess the effect of 2-hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (CD) on the effectiveness of polyphenol extraction from M. oleifera leaves (MoL). The extraction process was based on a 2³-full factorial design and response surface methodology, to evaluate simultaneously the effect of CD concentrat...

Sideritis spp. (also known as Mountain tea), is a very common herb in Mediterranean basin, rich in bioactive polyphenolic ingredients. In this study, extraction from Sideritis scardica (SS) and concomitant inclusion complex formation of polyphenols in aqueous solutions of cyclodextrins (CDs) was investigated, by estimating the total phenolic conten...

Olive leaf, an agricultural by-product, was studied for the valorization of its biophenols using green extraction techniques; i.e. non-toxic and eco-friendly extraction solvents were used, involving water and glycerol. 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD), was also employed as an enhancer of the extraction, since cyclodextrins (CD’s) are known to im...

Aqueous mixtures of glycerol and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD), two non-toxic eco-friendly substances, were used as a means of extracting antioxidant polyphenols from oak acorn (Quercur robur) husks. The process was optimized by implementing a central composite (Box-Behnken) experimental design and response surface methodology, taking into co...

Grape pomace is a food industry waste containing a high burden of antioxidant polyphenols and several methodologies have been developed for their efficient extraction. However, a sustainable and environmentally friendly process should involve recovery means composed of benign, non-toxic solvents, such as tartaric acid and glycerol, which are natura...