Volume 54, Issue 3, 2024

Confectionary products must retain their freshness during the entire shelf-life period, and this quality should be considered at the stage of formulation design. As a result, moisture binding capacity of food products is an important research area. This research featured the average integral moisture binding capacity of sugar-containing materials to be used in confectionery products.
The research featured two groups of products. The first included thick syrups of sugar, molasse, glucose, fructose, glucose+fructose, and isomalt with a moisture content of 17.2–19.8%. The second included starch hydrolysates, i.e., various starch molasses and glucose+fructose syrup with a humidity of 17.0–22.4%. To assess the water binding capacity, the authors appealed to the method developed by Prof. V.M. Arapov.
A higher total relative equivalent of free water ω_total(U₁,U₂) increased the water retention capacity. A lower value of ω_total(U₁,U₂) correlated with a higher water activity A_w. In sugar syrup, A_w was 0.830 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 13; in sugar+molasse syrup, A_w was 0.701 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 14.5; in low-sugar molasse, A_w was 0.745 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 16.5; in caramel acid molasse, A_w equaled 0.727 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 27.5; in isomalt syrup, A_w was 0.623 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 44.5; in high-sugar molasse, A_w was 0.680 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 46; in glucose syrup, A_w reached 0.548 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 48.5; in glucose+fructose syrup, A_w was 0.583 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 53; in fructose syrup, A_w was 0.499 at ω_total(U₁,U₂) = 61.5. The values of ω_total(U₁,U₂) of fructose syrup were 4.7...1.2 times higher than in other products.
Prof. V.M. Arapov’s method rendered both qualitative and quantitative analysis of moisture in a food product. Sugar, sugar+molasse, and low-sugar molasse syrups with ω_total(U₁,U₂) as low as 16.5…13 had the best results in protecting confectionery products from water absorption. Fructose, glucose+fructose, glucose, and high-sugar molasse syrups with the value of ω_total(U₁,U₂) as high as 61.5…46 could prolong the shelf-life of the finished product. The method demonstrated a good industrial and commercial potential.

Consumer properties of chocolate depend largely on the quality of cocoa butter, which affects the technological processes of chocolate production. This article introduces a new method of calorimetry-based mathematical modeling applied to polymorphic forms of cocoa butter.
The authors studied various samples of cocoa butter from different manufacturers using the method of differential scanning calorimetry. The results of experimental studies were processed as a Gaussian distribution.
The new method of cocoa butter quality assessment relied on experimental data processed as distribution dependencies of polymorphic cocoa butter forms. The latter were identified as follows: 1) a low-melting form (10–18 °C); 2) polymorphic form α (17–24 °C); 3) metastable form β' (27–29 °C); 4) polymorphic form β (28–30 °C). The authors also calculated the proportion of polymorphic forms of cocoa butter according to their melting point.
The method facilitated the quality assessment of cocoa butter, which renders good prospects for the chocolate industry.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of dairy proteins increases their nutritional and biological value while reducing their allergenic potential. The subsequent complexation of peptides with cyclodextrins (CDs) reduces the bitterness of the hydrolyzed proteins. The research objective was to obtain hydrolysates of whey proteins and their cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with peptides, as well as to describe the peptide composition of the cleaved dairy proteins, biological activity, and sensory profile of the hydrolysates and inclusion complexes.
The research featured enzymatic whey protein hydrolysates with an extensive hydrolysis degree and their inclusion complexes with β- and γ-CDs. Dairy proteins were hydrolyzed with alcalase, and the hydrolysates obtained were subjected to micro- and ultrafiltration (cut-off limit – 10 kDa). The peptide composition of the hydrolyzed proteins was determined by the methods of high-performance liquid chromatography and chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antimutagenic activity was evaluated using the Ames test whereas the antibacterial effect was studied with the impedimetric method. The antioxidant activity was detected with fluorimetry and spectrophotometry. The method of competitive enzyme immunoassay was applied to reveal the antigenic properties. The bitterness of the experimental sample s was determined by a sensory evaluation.
The research delivered the optimal modes for whey protein cleavage with alcalase that made it possible to achieve efficient micro- and ultrafiltration. The resulting hypoallergenic peptide fractions and their inclusion complexes with β- and γ-CDs possessed antioxidant, antibacterial, and antimutagenic properties. The whey proteolysis and subsequent filtration with/without tindalization demonstrated a 265/589-fold decrease in the residual antigenicity. The fluorimetric method showed a 1.79/1.90-fold increase in the antioxidant activity of the hydrolysate in complexes with β- and γ-CDs. Binding of β-CDs to peptides enhanced their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. The hydrolysate samples with β-CDs showed less bitterness.
Whey proteolysis with alcalase under optimized conditions and subsequent fractionation resulted in a product with high consumer qualities. Enzymatic hydrolysates of dairy proteins and their CD inclusion complexes were able to substitute native protein components. Their bioactive properties, good taste, and low allergenic potential mean good prospects for the functional food industry.

Green technologies are gaining popularity in agriculture and the food industry, including such areas as disinfection and detoxification of grain and its products. Ozonation is an effective disinfection procedure. However, scientific data on grain ozonation are scattered and incomplete. The article offers a review and a critical analysis of scientific publications that feature ozonation in grain processing and storage.
The keyword search covered publications indexed in eLIBRARY.RU, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, MDPI, and Springer Link in 2013–2023.
In grain storage and processing, ozonation serves as a green technology of disinfection and detoxification of raw materials and finished products. It increases storage life but does not affect human or animal health. Ozone proved to possess antimicrobial, fungicidal, and insecticidal properties. It was able to degrade mycotoxins and pesticides. The publications reviewed did not report any evidence that ozone reduces the quality of grain or bakery products. On the contrary, it disintegrated quickly, without
developing any toxic compounds. Ozone treatment depends on many factors, e.g., raw material humidity, ozone concentration, treatment time, environmental pH and temperature, form of application, etc. In general, ozonation was reported to improve
the quality of wheat flour and its products. However, rational variables require additional research. Ozonation of grain and its products was often described as cost-effective.
Ozonation has the potential to find extensive application as a green technology that ensures disinfection and detoxification of grain raw materials and finished products, which also means good prospects for grain storage and processing.

To keep up with the growing demand, producers of frozen plant products have to develop new freezing technologies that would preserve the sensory and biological properties of fruits and vegetables. Pectins are important structural and moisturebinding components of plant cells that improve their stability at high and low temperatures. The research objective was to study the effect of blanching and various freezing methods on the composition of pectin substances during long-term storage of fruits and vegetables.
The research featured scorzonera, salsify, kohlrabi, apples, and plums. The freezing modes included two temperature modes (–24 and –35°C) and three freezing methods, i.e., blanching, air-freezing represented by natural air-freezing, artificial convection, and fluidization, and immersion in a mix of water, ethyl alcohol, sucrose, and sodium chloride. The frozen samples were stored in sealed bags at –18°C for 7–12 months. The water-soluble pectin, intermediate fraction, and protopectin obtained by extraction were determined using the colorimetric carbazole method. The qu alitative analysis relied on infrared spectroscopy.
Blanching reduced the pectin content by 2–10% in vegetables and by 18–21% in apples. Fluidization and immersion freezing had the least damaging effect on pectins. Air-freezing with natural convection caused the greatest damage to protopectin. During storage, the maximal loss of pectins (66%) occurred in the salsify sample subjected to natural air convection at –24°C. The least damage (9%) was detected in the kohlrabi sample frozen at –24°C in ice environment. A higher moisture content in the native state correlated with minimal losses of pectins by the end of refrigerated storage. The research also included identification of absorption bands for pectic substances in fro zen scorzonera and salsify.
In this study, pectin content depended on moisture content in tissues, blanching process, and freezing method. All frozen samples demonstrated losses of protopectin and an increase in the intermediate fraction. An intense freezing process had a positive effect on the pectin content during long-term storage. However, after six months of storage, the samples demonstrated significant fractional changes and pectin losses.

Natural preservatives are a global trend in the food industry. As a rule, they are traditional herbs or spices. Flavonoids inhibit microbial activity. However, they are effective only when their distribution in the food matrix is uniform. This uniformity is achieved by increasing their solubility, e.g., by micronization. The research assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of micronization of a plant preservative using a purified flavonoi d fraction obtained from defatted sea-buckthorn meal.
The study featured samples of purified flavonoid fraction of sea-buckthorn meal with different dispersions. Their solubility, antioxidant properties, antimicrobial activity, and fungicidal effect were assessed by standard methods.
Micronization under ultrasonic conditions and cryogenic grinding increased the solubility in water, ethyl, and oil. Ultrasonic micronization proved efficient as it produced particles of 1,400 nm under rational conditions, i.e., 50 W ultrasonic vibration in a 0.5% suspension for 10 min. The sample obtained in this way increased the rate of catalase reaction by 19% relative to the control sample while maintaining a constant rate of glutathione reduction. Its antioxidant activity increased fourfold. The samples demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as fungistatic activity against Candida albicans.
Purified flavonoid fraction of sea-buckthorn meal micronized under ultrasonic conditions can be recommended as a natural preservative in various food systems.

Honey possesses excellent sensory and nutritional properties, which makes it a valuable food ingredient. However, the same qualities make it one of the most often adulterated products in the world. Constant violations of processing technology threaten the beekeeping industry. In this regard, new authenticity criteria are a popular area of honey studies. The article introduces a method for establishing ratios of light stable isotopes in honey.
The study featured 36 samples of honey of various geographical origins and botanical profiles, as well as five samples of sugar syrups from various raw materials. The quantitative profiles were obtained using a Delta Advantage V isotope mass spectrometer (USA – Germany) with additional Flash IRMS and Conflo IV modules.
The experiment involved the ratios of stable carbon isotopes in honey δ¹³C (gross) and nitrogen δ¹⁵N in its protein fraction, as well as the values of δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, and δ²H of ethanol isolated from fermented honey. The values of δ¹³C (gross) and δ¹³C of honey proteins made it possible to calculate the amount of added sugar of corn and cane origin. Exogenous sugars in the amounts of 6.5% and 18% cane sugar were detected in two samples.
Isotope mass spectrometry was able to identify honey samples with exogenous sugars of C4-plant origin. However, the method failed to detect sugar-containing substances from C3-type plants. The δ¹⁸O index demonstrated some prospects as an identification criterion for sugars from C3-plants in honey. Nitrogen isotope ratios in honey proteins proved to be an efficient tool for determining honey authenticity and an additional criterion for identifying bee products. The research resulted in a patent (RU2809285C1) for a new method of determining exogenous sugar-containing substances in honey

Linseeds are a promising source of biologically valuable substances, essential amino acids, dietary fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. The article describes the biochemical, mineral, and vitamin composition of Belarusian flax varieties. The research objective was to select cultivars for functional food production.
The study featured ten linseed cultivars, i.e., Ilim, Opus, Brestskiy, Salut, Fokus, Allyans, Dar, Vizir, Slavyanin, and Bonus. In 2020–2021, the authors planted plots of 1 m² in triplicate for each cultivar. The experimental field belonged to the Institute of Flax, Ustye, Republic of Belarus. The study followed standar d methods to determine the content of micronutrients.
All flax varieties proved to be a reliable source of vegetable fat (≤44.8%), protein (≤25.1%), and fiber (≤26.0%). The maximal content of α-linolenic acid belonged to Salut (63.0%), Vizir (61.4%), and Bonus (61.8%). The average mineral content was as follows: 7,500.0–10,625.0 mg/kg potassium, 5,700.0–7,522.5 mg/kg phosphorus, 2,300.0–2,605.0 mg/kg magnesium, 1,200.0–1,922.5 mg/kg calcium, 45.0–56.0 mg/kg iron, and 124.5–190.0 mg/kg sodium. The maximal content of vitamin B₁ was registered in the samples of Salut (0.91 mg/100 g) and Brestskiy (1.08 mg/100 g); the maximal content of vitamin B₂ belonged to the samples of Dar (0.058 mg/100 g), Ilim (0.057 mg/100 g), and Brestskiy (0.056 mg/100 g); the maximal content of vitamin E (tocopherol) was found in the samples of Salut (12.6 mg/100 g), Dar (12.07 mg/100 g), and Opus (12.35 mg/100 g). The linseeds were not suitable for high-quality food flour production after room temperature storage because the acid number increased by 64–73%.
The excellent biological value of Belarusian flax cultivars demonstrated good prospects as highly active functional ingredients in new functional foods.

Biodegradable plastic from banana peel is durable and transparent. It breaks down naturally in the environment and can substitute traditional petroleum plastic, which is a source of pollution due to its slow degradation. This research is intended to improve the physical properties of biodegradable film obtained by the casting solution method from an Aceh variety of wak banana peel starch with glycerol as a plasticizer.
The authors relied on a factorial completely randomized design with two replications. The variables included the concentrations of wak banana peel starch (6, 8, and 10%) and glycerol (2, 5, and 8%). The data were subjected to the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The physical tests covered tensile strength, elongation, water absorption, and biodegradation. The functional groups of biodegradable films were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphological structure was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The biodegradation test lasted for two and four days. The sample with less banana peel starch (6–8%) degraded faster. Higher glycerol concentrations (5–15%) affected the weight of the samples. The plastic samples with 15% glycerol degraded faster than the samples with minimal glycerol amount. A greater concentration of wak banana peel starch significantly affected tensile strength and elongation while the effect on water content and water absorption capacity was insignificant. Glycerol concentration affected water content and tensile strength, but had no significant effect on water absorption capacity and elongation. The ratio between the concentrations of wak banana peel starch and glycerol had a significant effect on tensile strength and water absorption capacity.
The best results belonged to the sample with 8% wak banana peel starch and 2% glycerol. The research provided new options for utilizing banana peels as biodegradable packaging and an alternative to traditional plastic. The commercialization and scalability of this ecologically friendly plastic require furth er research.

Cerastoderma glaucum is a bivalve mollusk that inhabits the supralittoral zone of the Black Sea. It is a potential object of commercial aquaculture, which makes its lipid profile and adaptation mechanisms a prospective research topic. The authors analyzed the annual patterns in total lipids, phospholipids, polyglycerides, diglycerides, sterols, free fatty acids, and triacylglycerides to obtain the fatty acid profile of C. glaucum, harvested from the supralittoral zone of the upper Kazachya Bay, Sevastopol, Russia.
The mollusks were collected in the winter, spring, and autumn of 2021–2022. This research featured their gills, foot, and hepatopancreas. An integrated methodological approach was used to d etermine total lipids, classify them, and study fatty acids.
The total lipid level was 2.4–15.1 g/100 g raw weight. During the year, the dynamics of total lipids in the tissues of foot and gills varied from the highest values in the spring (9.6 ± 1.6 and 4.9 ± 1.9 g/100 g raw weight, respectively) to the lowest in the autumn (5.5 ± 0.5 and 2.5 ± 0.4 g/100 g raw weight, respectively). In the hepatopancreas, it peaked the winter and dropped in the autumn (19.4 ± 1.9 and 2.9 ± 0.4 g/100 g raw weight, respectively). In the winter, all tissue samples demonstrated a significant decrease in triacylglycerides. The composition of fatty acids and total lipids in all tissues included 23 types, i.e., nine saturated (35–40%), eight monounsaturated (15–34%), and six polyunsaturated (5.8–29%) from the families of omega-3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Palmitic and oleic acids were among the dominant fatty acids.
Seasonal dynamics of lipids in the samples of foot, gills, and hepatopancreas of C. glaucum revealed some general patterns. In the spring, total lipids peaked while structural and storage lipids had a uniform distribution. In the autumn and winter, total lipids went down whereas structural lipids increased. The fatty acid profile of C. glaucum from the supralittoral zone of the Black Sea differed from those of the same species from o ther regions.

Modern medicine strives to prevent age-related diseases. Oxidative stress is associated with development and progression of various diseases. Reactive oxygen species are part of vital physiological processes. High levels of reactive oxygen lead to stress and pathology whereas low ones are associated with healthy physiology. Plant-derived adaptogens demonstrate good results in stress tolerance and homeostasis. Plant materials are a pharmacologically optimal source of chemical compounds to treat various diseases, including those caused by oxidative stress.
The research featured biologically active substances isolated from extracts of callus, suspension, and root cultures of medicinal plants. Baicalin and trans-cinnamic acid were obtained from Scutellaria baicalensis while ursolic acid came from Thymus vulgaris. The biologically active substances were tested for neuroprotective properties, as well as for the impact on the expression of SOD-3 and HSP-16.2. Caenorhabditis elegans served as a model to study the accumulation of carbonylated proteins and lipofuscin.
The neuroprotective activity of all tested substances decreased as their concentration fell from 200 to 10 μmol/L. C. elegans proved more resistant to thermal stress if pretreated with the biologically active substances. In response to thermal stress, nematodes expressed SOD-3 more actively than HSP-16.2. At 100 μmol/L, the biologically active substances could reduce the level of carbonylated proteins. Ursolic acid was especially effective against protein carbonylation and lipofuscin accumulation in all concentrations.
Baicalin, trans-cinnamic acid, and ursolic acid made it possible to reduce oxidative and thermal stress, thus demonstrating good prospects for further studies as part of adaptogenic prepa rations.

Vegetable oils are susceptible to oxidation during storage, which is a serious problem for shelf-life and food safety. The article describes the antioxidant properties of supercritical extracts from brown algae (Undaria pinnatifida and Costaria costata), Russian Far East. It also explains their prospects as stabilizers that preserve the quality and safety of vegetable oils by affecting the kinetics of oxidation and hydrolysis.
The study featured supercritical extracts of marine brown algae Undaria pinnatifida and Costaria costata from Russian Far East. The methods involved spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.
Supercritical extracts of marine brown algae proved to be reliable sources of bioactive substances, e.g., phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and mannitol. They also possessed antioxidant properties in terms of antiradical activity, hydroxyl ion binding, superoxide radical absorption, and Fe⁺² chelating. The experiments revealed nine phenolic compounds responsible for antioxidant properties. The supercritical extract of Costaria costata demonstrated a greater antioxidant effect on lipid oxidation in vegetable oils than Undaria pinnatifida. Both algae proved effective in stabilizing hydrolysis and were able to increase the shelf-life of soy and sunflower oils by three months.
Supercritical extracts of Undaria pinnatifida and Costaria costata served as antioxidants to stabilize lipid oxidation in refined and unrefined soy and sunflower oils. The research revealed high approximation coefficients for regression equations describing the patterns of changes in the peroxide and acid numbers of vegetable oils stabilized with supercritical extracts of these marine brown algae.

Spelt flour is rich in protein and adds nutritional value to bakery products, thus rendering them qualities of functional foods. The article introduces a new technology for preparing functional puff pastry with whole-grain spelt flour.
The research featured yeast and yeast-free puff pastries made of whole-grain spelt flour. The samples obtained were analyzed with standard methods of sensory and physicochemical research and covered such variables as moisture content, acidity, quantity and quality of gluten, and falling number.
The optimal share of whole-grain spelt flour amounted to 30% of total flour. The quality indicators met State Standard GOST 9511-80. The experiments made it possible to obtain the optimal formulations and technologies for yeast and yeastfree whole-grain spelt puff pastries with added nutritional value. The chemical composition and energy value per 100 g of finished product were determined by calculation. In the yeast puff pastry, adding 30% whole-grain spelt flour raised the protein content by 32.3%, carbohydrates by 31.7%, dietary fiber by 63.0%, and minerals by 43.2%. The fat increased only slightly, i.e., by 1.6%. In the yeast-free puff pastry, adding 30% whole-grain spelt flour raised the protein content by 13.5%, carbohydrates by 23.3%, dietary fiber by 3.6%, and minerals by 21.6%. The fat increase was also insignificant (2.5%).
Whole-grain spelt flour proved able to expand the range of fortified puff pastries. The new yeast-free functional puff pastry demonstrated better consumer characteristics than the experimental sample with yeast.

Small and private subsidiary farms are important members of agricultural community. However, they still lack good infrastructure to market their products because they remain beyond the scope of state interest. The agricultural infrastructure in its present condition neither gives farmers access to co-financing nor allows them to shape the list of services they need.
The research featured program documents issued by the Government of the Russian Federation that determine the development of wholesale food markets and aggregators of farm produce. The author generalized the experience of retail chains and agricultural consumer marketing cooperatives, as well as studied the cases of small rural businesses merging into marketing cooperatives in agricultural regions. The bibliographic study covered best foreign practices in shaping infrastructure for small farm produce, which were compared with Russian experience. The author also developed an abstract-logical method of establishing the interaction between stakeholders in a new system of farm produce aggregators.
In this research, agricultural regions demonstrated the most acute problems in small business marketing. A good system of agricultural infrastructure supports production in all sectors of small business with growth potential. Today, small businesses are alone in organizing their own sales as wholesale distribution centers are not available to them. These centers work with small suppliers through intermediaries, i.e., aggregators. In the Kemerovo Region, an example of such aggregators is the one created on corporate principles between the Magnit retail chain and the Kalina-Malina agricultural consumer marketing cooperative. The experience demonstrated some advantages and disadvantages.
The article introduces conditions for successful financial relations in commodity circulation chains in different distribution systems, including farmers, aggregators, and wholesale distribution centers. This approach reduces prices on consumer markets while increasing the efficiency of small farms.

Black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) is one of the most popular berries in Russia. Its biochemical properties make it part of a healthy diet. This review describes the role of black currant and its by-products in the food industry and defines its nutritional value, i.e., vitamin C, anthocyanins, and dietary fiber. It covered original Russian and English research articles and reviews published in 2015–2023 and indexed in the Russian Research Citation Index or Pubmed databases. The keywords were black currant in Russian and English.
Black currant berries are rich in dietary fiber, polyphenolic compounds, anthocyanins, vitamin C, and potassium. They cover human needs for these nutrients. Added to fermented dairy and grain foods at 5–20%, fresh or processed berries fortify them with dietary fiber, vitamin C, and anthocyanins while reducing energy value. As ingredients with color, taste, and aromatic compounds, black currant berries and their secondary products can be introduced into the formulations of various alcoholic beverages. Berry pomace is a technologically functional ingredient with a moisture-retaining ability that increases the antioxidant capacity of the final product. Juice and aqueous extracts of black currant pomace are used as picklers for fish and meat products to increase their microbiological safety and shelf-life.
Complex processing of black currant berries is feasible as they are a valuable source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and anthocyanins. Products of their processing provide a concentrate of dietary fiber with natural antioxidants. However, functional foods as sources of biologically active substances need to follow special criteria for fortified products. Black currant and its by-products are a potential source of valuable biologically active substances. In small quantities, they can expand the range of food products but fail to satisfy human diet with biologically active substances or reduce the overall energy value.

Due to its natural chemical composition, whey can have both a positive effect on the human body and cause significant harm to the environment. It is rich in organic substances, which creates an additional organic burden on nature. However, whey has good prospects for the food industry as an extractant for the production of plant extracts and biologically active substances. The present research objective was to select optimal parameters for obtaining flavonoids from plant extracts using an unconventional type of extractant, i.e., whey.
The study featured whey as an extractant and mixes of medicinal herbs. The resulting extracts were tested for the content of flavonoid compounds by thin-layer chromatography. The antioxidant activity was assessed using the spectrophotometric method. The extraction variables included temperature, extraction time, material-to-extractant ratio, and composition of herbal mixes.
The extraction time ranged from 1 to 5 h at 90 ± 1℃. The maximal antioxidant activity belonged to the samples containing 7.5–12.5 g herbal mix and 450 ml whey. The optimal extraction time was 3 h. The content of flavonoids in the plant extracts was comparable and did not depend on the extraction time.
Extraction time proved to be the key parameter to intensify the process of flavonoid extraction from plant raw materials. Therefore, the choice was made according to the shortest time with comparable values of flavonoids and the maximal level of antioxidant activity.