Incorporating stevia and passion fruit into beverages represents an innovative approach to developing low-calorie, functional drinks with enhanced nutritional value. This study focused on the development, metabolite characterization, and raw material stability of an herbal infusion by using leaf extracts of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) and fruits of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa). Stevia leaves were harvested 108 days after planting, while passion fruits were harvested at approximately 90% maturity from a naturally (without chemical fertilizers or pesticides) grown plantation at Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Córdoba. The stevia leaves were dried, and both the dried leaves and passion fruit pulp were processed into powders. The resulting powders were thoroughly mixed and packaged in white food-grade paper envelopes. An untrained panel used a single-blind procedure to evaluate the herbal infusions under each treatment using organoleptic methods (sensory analysis). Then, an HPLC method was used in order to determine the content of main glycosides in new stevia leaves and in leaves that had been stored for eight years. Antioxidant assays of stevia and passion fruit, using new powder and powder that had been stored for an eight-year period, were performed. From the results of sensorial analysis, the herbal infusion with added passion fruit received the highest scores for acceptability, while the herbal infusion without passion fruit received the highest scores for appearance and texture. The Rebaudioside A content (58.99 ± 4.96 mg/g) in the new stevia powder was not significantly different from that in the old, stored stevia powder (57.52 ± 4.00 mg/g), whereas the results for stevioside content were exactly the opposite. The antioxidant activity in new stevia powder was more significant (p < 0.05) than that found in stored stevia powder, whereas for passion fruit it was exactly the opposite. This study underscores the potential of the developed formulation and the assessment of long-term storage conditions. Finally, this combination offers a promising basis for consuming non-nutritive sweeteners or herbal infusions as an innovative alternative.
The increasing demand for clean-label foods has led to the development of natural preservation strategies based on plant-derived bioactive compounds. Flavomix ACE, a commercial polyphenol-based product, was evaluated as a natural antifungal treatment against spoilage fungi isolated from pullman bread. Two isolates were identified as Penicillium spp. and one as Cladosporium sp. ACE was assessed by surface spraying and agar incorporation under bread-relevant conditions and compared with potassium sorbate (E202) and calcium propionate (E282). ACE showed strong concentration- and inoculum-dependent antifungal activity. When incorporated into agar, complete inhibition was achieved for the liquid (1.7–5.0% v/v) and the powder form (1.3–4.6% w/v). Surface application required higher concentrations, particularly at the level of 105 spores/spot. E202 demonstrated greater antifungal activity than Ε282, which showed no inhibition of fungal growth at almost all tested inoculum levels. In inoculated bread stored at 25 °C, sprays containing 5–10% ACE delayed fungal growth for only 5–10 days. In contrast, 30% v/v ACE completely prevented visible mold growth for 55 days, even at 105 spores/spot. Overall, ACE demonstrated prolonged activity against bakery-associated fungi, outperforming E282 under the tested conditions. ACE shows potential as a clean-label antifungal system for long-shelf-life pullman bread.
Coffee quality results from the interplay between genotype, environment, and cultivation practices, but whether the effect of agricultural management depends on altitude remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that the response of roasted coffee chemistry and cup quality to management would differ among altitudinal zones. Composite samples representative of sustainable and conventional management in three altitudinal zones (low, <900; mid, 900–1100; high, >1100 m.a.s.l.) were obtained from eighteen commercial Coffea arabica L. farms in Veracruz, Mexico (management monitored in 2023–2024 and 2024–2025; cherries sampled in the 2024–2025 harvest), and their physicochemical properties, phenolic compounds, caffeine, in vitro antioxidant capacity, and Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cup quality were evaluated. Altitude was the main source of variation in pH, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and total cup score. In contrast, management mainly affected chlorogenic acids (CGA), caffeine, and hydrolyzable tannins, which were higher under sustainable management (CGA: 22.52 vs. 16.82 mg g−1). The management × altitude interaction was significant (p ≤ 0.017) for all phenolic compounds, caffeine, and antioxidant assays, with the largest differences between systems in the mid zone, where sustainable samples showed the highest CGA (30.27 mg g−1) and FRAP values (675.30 µmol Trolox equivalents g−1). All samples reached specialty grade (82.08–84.75 points); total cup score increased with altitude and did not differ between management systems. These results indicate that management effects on coffee chemistry depend on altitude.
The chemical and quality characteristics of honey vary considerably according to floral source, geographical provenance, environmental conditions, and post-harvest handling, complicating its characterization and authentication. In this study, physicochemical properties, bioactive constituents, enzymatic activity, and exploratory chemometric patterns were evaluated in thirteen honey samples representing different declared botanical types, including sage, meadow, chestnut, acacia, and pine honeys, from different geographical origins. Physicochemical characterization comprised moisture content, refractive index, specific optical rotation, electrical conductivity, pH, free acidity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), reducing sugars, ash content, qualitative mineral composition, and preliminary authenticity-related tests. Total phenolic content determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay (TPC-FC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content determined by the Prussian Blue assay (TPC-PB), proline content, and diastase activity were also evaluated. Statistical analysis included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s HSD test, Pearson correlation analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA). One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test indicated significant differences in the measured analytical responses among the individual honey samples for the evaluated bioactive parameters (p < 0.05); these comparisons were restricted to the investigated samples and were not interpreted as inferential differences among botanical or geographical populations. Pearson correlation analysis revealed several moderate-to-strong associations among the analytical variables; however, none remained statistically significant after Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction for the 91 pairwise comparisons. Given the small number of independent honey samples (n = 13), these correlation patterns were interpreted as exploratory. PCA provided an exploratory representation of the multivariate structure of the dataset, with PC1, PC2, and PC3 explaining 22.51%, 20.88%, and 13.01% of the total variance, respectively, for a cumulative contribution of 56.40%. The principal components reflected contributions from multiple physicochemical, bioactive, and enzymatic variables; however, no clear or consistent grouping according to declared botanical type or geographical origin was observed. Taken together, the results demonstrate substantial compositional heterogeneity among the investigated honey samples and highlight the value of integrating physicochemical, bioactive, enzymatic, and exploratory chemometric information for multidimensional honey characterization. Given the small and unbalanced sample set and the absence of formal melissopalynological authentication, the observed multivariate patterns should be interpreted as exploratory rather than as evidence of definitive botanical or geographical classification.
Non–conventional food plants (NCFPs) have gained attention as sustainable sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds, while their underutilized edible parts may contribute to food diversification and waste reduction. This study performed a descriptive comparative analysis of the nutritional, mineral, lipid, phenolic, antioxidant, oxalate, and acute toxicity profiles of Xanthosoma sagittifolium (Taioba) cultivated in Brazil. Samples were evaluated for proximate composition; minerals by ICP–OES; Folin–Ciocalteu reducing capacity; antioxidant capacity by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP; fatty acid profile by GC–FID; oxalic acid content; and toxicity using the Artemia salina bioassay. The leaf blade showed substantially higher protein, total phenolic equivalents, FRAP capacity, and concentrations of several fatty acids, including α–linolenic and linoleic acids, as well as higher levels of most analyzed minerals. Conversely, the petiole exhibited markedly higher moisture, carbohydrates, and potassium. Both fractions demonstrated high dietary fiber content, a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and low atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices. Although both fractions contained oxalates—with the leaf blade presenting nearly twice the concentration of the petiole—aqueous extracts of both parts showed no detectable acute lethality in the Artemia salina screening. Overall, the results highlight that Taioba represents a highly valuable nutritional resource. Furthermore, the integral utilization of both the leaf blade and the underutilized petiole offers a complementary, sustainable, zero–waste strategy for dietary diversification, provided that appropriate thermal processing is applied to mitigate oxalate concerns.
