Ryszard Amarowicz

Polish Academy of Sciences | PAN · Department of Chemical and Physical Properties of Food

Chia seed oil (CSO) has been recently gaining tremendous interest as a functional Q2 food. The oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), tocopherols, phenolic acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. Extracting CSO through green technologies has been highly efficient, cost-effective, a...

Morus alba L. (White mulberry), is an important and popular herbal plant of the Moraceae family. It has been widely used due to its therapeutic properties, which include antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and hypolpidemic activity. The present study evaluates the effects of aqueous white mulberry leaf extract on the tra...

The importance of medicinal plants in traditional health care practices has long been recognized as a source of biodiversity conservation and research. However, many remote areas of Himachal Pradesh lack information upon the usage of plants for medicinal purposes. The current study was conducted in Kangra Valley (district Kangra, Himachal Pradesh,...

Anthocyanin-rich extracts from black carrots are being considered as a candidate replacer for the red colour in processed foods. The present investigation optimizes the extraction of anthocyanins with high phenolic content and low degradation parameters from black carrots using a cellulolytic multi-enzyme preparation known as ‎‎Viscozyme. The optim...

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) consumed in several tropical and subtropical countries is a highly valued multi-purpose herbal plant with numerous medicinal properties and high nutritional value. Moringa seeds contain high protein content (~ 52%) with all the essential amino acids and could act as a potential source of functional protein isolat...

The upsurging global population, along with the increasing cost of traditional sources of food proteins, provides an opportunity to directly utilize plant-derived proteins in human diets. Recently, the utilization of agro-industrial-generated raw byproducts has attracted the attention of modern food industries toward the production of sustainable,...

Periodontal diseases are caused mainly by inflammation of the gums and bones surrounding the teeth or by dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, and the Global Burden of Disease study (2019) reported that periodontal disease affects 20 to 50% of the global population. In recent years, more preference has been given to natural therapies compared to synthe...

Synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are abundantly used in agriculture to enhance soil fertility and prevent the occurrence of diseases, respectively. Many studies have reported a negative influence of these chemicals on the soil environment. Natural sources from earthworms and their products, as a result of vermicomposting, ma...

Synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are abundantly used in agriculture to enhance soil fertility and prevent the occurrence of diseases, respectively. Many studies have reported a negative influence of these chemicals on the soil environment. Natural sources from earthworms and their products, as a result of vermicomposting, ma...

Owing to numerous biological activities of different parts of Moringa oleifera Lam., various studies have been carried out to isolate and explore the activities of its various bioactive compounds including polysaccharides. Polysaccharides of M. oleifera have been reported to possess a variety of biofunctionalities including antihyperlipidemic, anti...

The phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of different Vicia species, which are cultivated in different areas of Turkey, and the diversity between analysed characters were investigated. For this purpose, 9 genotypes from three Vicia species: common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), Hungarian vetch (Vicia pannonica Crantz.) and Narbon vetch (Vicia narb...

Tomato is a member of the Solanaceae family and is a crop that is widely cultivated around the world due to its sweet, sour, salty, juicy, and nutritious berries. The processing of tomato generates a significant amount of waste in the form of tomato pomace, which includes seeds and skin. Tomato seeds are reservoirs of various nutrients, such as pro...

Guava processing industries generate peel and seeds as primary waste fractions. Guava seeds obtained after fruit processing possess untapped potential in the field of food science due to the presence of a diversity of nutritional and bioactive compounds. Along with offering a detailed understanding of the nutritional attributes of guava seeds, the...

Protein plays a role as an indispensable macronutrient in human nutrition. The utilization of new protein sources from plants requires a thorough investigation for application in foods. Functional characterization is the most important step for the quality assessment of protein along with annotating the protein with a specific application in food s...

Fifteen alfalfa varieties cultivated in Turkey were researched to compare the antioxidant potential of their seeds and find differences between the varieties. The total phenolic (TP) content, DPPH•, and ABTS•+ scavenging activities, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of alfalfa seed methanol extracts were determined. TP contents of extrac...

Huge quantities of byproducts/wastes generated in onion processing are usually discarded, but they are excellent sources of bioactive compounds and phytochemicals. However, with growing interest in the sustainable use of resources and the circular economy to reduce adverse impacts on the environment, food processing wastes such as onion peel/skin c...

Carissa, a genus of the Apocynaceae family, consists of evergreen species, such as shrubs as well as small trees that are native to Asia, Africa, and Oceania’s subtropical and tropical regions. Most of the Carissa species are traditionally used to treat various diseases, such as chest pain, headaches, gonorrhoea, rheumatism, syphilis, oedema, rabie...

Carbohydrates are the major storage reserves in seeds, and they are produced and accumulated in specific tissues during the growth and development of a plant. The storage products are hydrolyzed into a mobile form, and they are then translocated to the developing tissue following seed germination, thereby ensuring new plant formation and seedling v...

Proteins serve as an imperative macronutrient in human nutrition and well-being. Their nutritional quality substantially varies with their digestibility, amino acid profile, bioavailability, processing and purity. From a nutritional viewpoint, the ideal integration of proteins from diverse plant sources can supply an adequate amount of essential am...

The study was performed in the mid hills of the Dharampur region in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. At the study site, a total of 115 medicinal plants were documented (38 trees, 37 herbs, 34 shrubs, 5 climbers, 1 fern, and 1 grass). In the study region, extensive field surveys were performed between March 2020 and August 2021. Indigenous...

Bioactive peptides are short peptide fragments formed by amino acids joined by peptide bonds, can employ health enhancing effects in addition to main nutrition effect. In the native proteins generally these peptides are inactive; they can release by proteolysis to attain their bioactivity. Pulse derived bioactive peptides are isolated from proteoly...

Oral cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, and its prevalence is particularly high in developing countries, where people chew tobacco and betel nut on a regular basis. Radiation-, chemo-, targeted-, immuno-, and hormone-based therapies along with surgery are commonly used as part of a treatment plan. However, these treatments f...

The processing of tomato fruit into puree, juices, ketchup, sauces, and dried powders generates a significant amount of waste in the form of tomato pomace, which includes seeds and skin. Tomato processing by-products, particularly seeds, are reservoirs of health-promoting macromolecules, such as proteins (bioactive peptides), carotenoids (lycopene)...

Date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) has traditionally been grown in South-West Asia and North Africa, principally for date fruit consumption. Nevertheless, its cultivation has recently spread to other areas of America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and Southern Europe. During date fruit processing, several by-products are generated, like low-quality...

Pectin is a plant-based heteropolysaccharide macromolecule predominantly found in the cell wall of plants. Pectin is commercially extracted from apple pomace, citrus peels and sugar beet pulp and is widely used in food industry as a stabilizer, emulsifier, encapsulant, and gelling agent. This review highlights various parameters considered importan...

Annona squamosa L. (custard apple) belongs to the family Annonaceae and is an important tropical fruit cultivated in the West Indies, South and Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, India, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda and Egypt. Leaves of custard apple plants have been studied for their health benefits, which are attributed to a considerable dive...

Natural products are gaining clinical significance in modern day health care systems to prevent diseases. Bitter melon, a health promoting vegetable, is traditionally used for medical nutrition therapy to cure diabetes but to reap maximum health claims, vigilant control of its substances in diet is crucial as part of curative action for effective d...

Psidium guajava (L.) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and it is an important fruit in tropical areas like India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South America. The leaves of the guava plant have been studied for their health benefits which are attributed to their plethora of phytochemicals, such as quercetin, avicularin, apigenin, guaijaverin,...

Nowadays, viral infection is considered a major cause of mortality all over the world such as covid-19 pandemic. In this context, searching for antiviral agents are major researchers interests. In this study, essential oils (EO) of Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) and Salvia officinalis (salvia) were subjected to combat avian influenza H5N1 virus....

Ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy along with molecular docking were used to explore the interaction between human serum albumin (HSA) and caffeic acid (CA). CA is one of the major representatives of hydroxycinnamic acids in plants and is commonly present in plant-based foods. The mechanism by which CA quenched HSA fluoresce...

Background: Cottonseed is a sustainable source of plant protein, producing ~10 million metric tons of protein globally. This protein has the potential to fulfil the annual protein requirement of more than half a billion people globally. Its functional properties have established the potential of cottonseed protein (CSP) as a candidate for alleviati...

Phenolic compounds from plant sources have significant health-promoting properties and are known to be an integral part of folk and herbal medicines. Consumption of phenolics is known to alleviate the risk of various lifestyle diseases including cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. In this context, numerous plant crops have been explo...

The development and spread of resistance to antimicrobial drugs is hampering the management of microbial infectious and wound healing processes. Curcumin is the most active and effective constituent of Curcuma longa L., also known as turmeric, and has a very long and strong history of medicinal value for human health and skincare. Curcumin has been...

Mangifera indica L. belongs to the family of Anacardiaceae and it is an important fruit from South and Southeast Asia. India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Philippines are among the top mango producer countries. The leaves of the mango plant have been studied for their health benefits which are attri...

Adequate nourishment and sustenance of human body rely on the intake and absorption of sufficient dietary nutrients.Proteins derived from plant source are recently gaining popularity due to its increased popularity among vegetarian diet. Moreover, the negative impact of animal protein production on the environment and awareness to produce protein t...

This study evaluated the effect of biopolishing using cellulase enzymes on the low stress mechanical properties, microstructure, and dye uptake of different cellulosic fabrics (cotton, modal, and cotton denim). The tactile features were studied via the Kawabata evaluation system (KES) and showed increments in tensile elongation, tensile resilience...

BACKGROUND The fortification of wheat based staple foods, such as pasta, with pseudocereal and legume flours has received growing research interest in recent years. While it is associated with many challenges regarding technological and sensory quality of the products, it promises a substantial improvement of the nutritional value of pasta. However...

Legumes are an important source of nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, water soluble vitamins, minerals) for human nutrition [...]

Background The fortification of cereal foods, like pasta, with pseudocereal and legume ingredients promises a substantial improvement of their nutritional quality. However, partial replacement of wheat by pseudocereals and legumes in pasta formulations bears challenges regarding the products’ technological and sensory quality. This study investigat...

Conventional techniques for phenolics extraction from pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel (PP) have several insufficiencies like longer time duration, bioactive degradation, excess use of harmful chemicals and solvents. In the present study, we established the synergistic use of two non-conventional extraction strategies i.e., enzyme-assisted extrac...

Background From ancient times, some plants have been used in folk medicine due to their natural origin and their recognized health benefits. Fruits, leaves, pits and pollen from Phoenix dactylifera have been included for the treatment of different health diseases and disorders, since they are an important source of bioactive compounds that are main...

There is a growing interest in the production and identification of bioactive peptides as health-promoting agents. A relevant method to produce biopeptides is enzymatic hydrolysis from protein-rich meat by-products. Pork liver proved to be a good source of protein (18.54%) with a low-fat content (3.38%). After hydrolysis at different times (4,6,8 a...

Grass pea seeds of 30 varieties from Poland, Slovakia, Czech, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, India, Iran, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Canada, and Chile were investigated. Phenolic compounds were extracted from seeds into 80% (v/v) methanol. The total phenolics compounds content of the extracts was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu’s phenol reagent. The...

In recent years, dietary products with quinoa and buckwheat have attracted attention mostly due to the high nutritive value of their protein fraction. However, their dietary effect on intestinal microbiota activity and related systemic responses are still poorly understood. Therefore, a 2 week study of twenty-eight growing male Wistar rats was cond...

The effect of processing such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (400-600 MPa/15 min) or low pasteurization temperature (LPT) (74°C/2 min) or high pasteurization temperature (HPT) (90°C/1 min) on selected quality parameters of juice obtained from hydroponically cultivated beef tomatoes was investigated. The total polyphenols content (TPC), total ph...

Three cultivars of Jerusalem artichoke Albik, Rubik and Gute Gelbe were grown under different nitrogen fertilization regimens: 0, 80 and 120 kg N·ha−1. Phenolic compounds were extracted from tubers using 80% (v/v) methanol. The total phenolics were determined with the Folin–Ciocâlteu reagent and antioxidant activity was assessed using the ABTS (2,2...

Metallo-drugs have gained a huge attention among scientific community in the couple years. These drugs types have become important compounds in cancer therapy, where, for instance, platinum complexes are being used against many tumors worldwide. Nonetheless, to p-cymene metallo-derivatives a promising anticancer potential has also been increasingly...

Sinularin ((9E)-13-hydroxy-4,9,13-trimethyl-17-methylidene-5,15-dioxatricyclo[12.3.1.0(4,6)] octadec-9-en-16-one) is the soft coral-derived hopeful biologically active lead compound. In this review sinularin biological activities are summarized. For that, an up-to-date (from 1980 to Mar 2020) search was made in the PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Sc...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the antioxidant activity and phenolic profile of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) extracts obtained from the aerial parts of plants harvested at five growth stages. In vitro assays were used to determine the antioxidant activity, i.e., ABTS •+ and DPPH • scavenging activity, the ferric-reduci...

Seaweeds have been used since ancient times as food, mainly by Asian countries, while in Western countries, their main application has been as gelling agents and colloids for the food, pharmaceuticals, and the cosmetic industry. Seaweeds are a good source of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Polyphenols, polysacchar...

Hertia cheirifolia is one of the endemic Mediterranean medicinal plants, belonging to the Asteraceae family. This plant is traditionally used for its therapeutic effects on digestive disorders and wound healing. In the present study, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of methanolic extracts from leaves, stems, flowers and roots of Hertia che...

Plant proteins, and legume proteins in particular, have become the centre of attention moving towards a more sustainable and, therefore, more plant-based human diet. Especially hybrid products, containing wheat and legume proteins, promise a balanced amino acid composition and an upgraded nutritional value of both protein sources. This study invest...

This chapter reports essential information about the protective action of antioxidants against LDL oxidation. The activity of individual compounds (tocopherols, vitamin C, phenolic compounds) as well as extracts obtained from plant material (cereals, fruits, legumes, nuts, mushrooms, by-products of food industry) is reported. The structure-antioxid...

In this work, the binding of polyphenols isolated from coffee (PIC) with milk protein fractions was investigated by using different spectroscopic techniques as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic technique, high-performance liquid chromatography, and fluorescence quenching emission method. The polyphenols fraction was isolated from coffee powd...

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MJ) on the content and composition of flavonoids (isoflavones) in extracts from hypocotyls (with cotyledons) and radicles of yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) var. Polo and in extracts from radicles of narrow-leafed lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) var. Graf. Lupine s...

Tree nuts and peanuts are healthful foods with a track record of helping to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, most notably cardiovascular disease. At the point of consumption, all nuts contain low moisture and ≥ 50% lipid contents, but this is where similarities end. The levels of key nutrients and bioactives including vitamin C, vitamin E,...

The effective use of agricultural by-products is definitely a major challenge in waste management. In the walnut fruit processing industry, large amounts of shells are produced as agricultural by-products and discarded or burned produced as fuel. Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is a valuable tree nut in the Juglandaceae family. The fruit is composed of f...

Preterm and low birth weight infants require specific nutrition to overcome the accumulated growth deficit, and to prevent morbidities related to postnatal growth failure. In order to guarantee an adequate nutrient-intake, mother’s own milk, when available, or donor human milk, are usually fortified with additional nutrients, in particular proteins...

Recently, enormous attention has been focused on the development of protein-molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). In this sense, bovine serum albumin (BSA) is well regarded as a favorite template in various MIPs-based biochemical/analytical assays mainly due to its low price, easy availability, and high structural homology to human serum albumin (...

The walnut (Juglans spp.) is an appreciated nut that belongs to the Juglandaceae family. The fruit includes four main parts: the kernel, the skin, the shell, and the green husk. It is widely cultivated due to its edible kernel. In walnut production centers, high amounts of the husk as an agro-forest waste product are produced and discarded away. Re...

Albumin is a globular protein which plays a pivotal role in maintaining plasma pressure and the nutritional balance. Different compounds are transported by binding to albumin in the blood. Also, human health is closely related to the serum albumin concentration in blood plasma or other biological fluids. Due to the high structural similarity with h...

The antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of the aerial part of Amaranthus caudatus at seven stages of development were investigated. Total phenolic content, ABTS•+, DPPH•, and O2•− scavenging activity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and Fe2+ chelating ability were evaluated. The phenolic profile was characterized by 17 compounds...

The aim was to evaluate the effects of hazelnut skin (HS) addition on the oxidation and sensorial properties of chicken burgers during storage and after cooking. Burgers were prepared and divided in five groups: [C] control without HS addition, [CAA] control with ascorbic acid, and [HS1] 1%, [HS2] 2% and [HS3] 3% HS addition. Burgers for each batch...