A review of phenolic compounds, or phenolics, found in nature, their classification and sources, content, biological functions and importance for food industry and in nutrition will be presented. We will point to some phenolics which can act as antimicrobials and/or antioxidants important in prolonging stability of food and in preventing chronic diseases in humans. A brief summary on the methods of their isolation, antioxidant activity and bioavailability will be also given.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 4170104Terminological Committee at the Slovenian Biochemical Society prepared an English-Slovenian dictionary of selected words, abbreviations and terms known and used in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. In the introduction to the dictionary they wrote a general section with recommendations on the nomenclature of enzymes, acids, levels of protein structure, antibodies and antiserums, receptors, organic dyes and advices on some special points in order to help researchers, professionals, students and others interested in the use of proper Slovenian terminology.
C.07 Other editorial board
COBISS.SI-ID: 258088960Member of the research program took part and helped to create the documentary »Ugriznimo znanost: z vitamini v pomlad«. Some properties of vitamin C related to its content in foods and influence of food processing on its stability were presented. These topics are closely related to the research that is a part of the program.
B.06 Other
COBISS.SI-ID: 3220337In the framework of bilaterally project between Slovenia and Serbia I presented our research results at Prirodno-matematičnom fakultetu in NIš.
B.05 Guest lecturer at an institute/university
COBISS.SI-ID: 4158072The doctoral thesis, that consists of four SCI articles, was designed to determine the phenolic compounds in camelina seed, cake and oil, to examine their distribution after the oil pressing process and to investigate the antioxidant activity of camelina extracts using different antioxidant assays based on different reaction mechanisms. Besides sinapine and 4-vinyl derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids, some important phenolic acids and flavonoids were successfully identified by liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The results revealed that almost all phenolic compounds remain in the seed residues, i.e. the cake. Camelina cake was found to have the best reducing power and radical scavenging activity, whereas camelina oil with a relatively low phenolic content exhibited the highest iron-chelating capacity and the best inhibitory action in an emulsified system. Phenolics in camelina seeds exist in bound rather than in free form, while heat treatment of camelina seeds significantly increases the free phenolic content and affects the antioxidant properties of the extracts obtained. Heat treatment increased the reducing power and radical scavenging ability of the extracts, but negatively affected iron chelating ability and their activity in an emulsion. It was shown that the antioxidant effectiveness of camelina cake extract is comparable to that of other cakes from selected oilseed crops. The total phenolic content and the antioxidant properties of the isolated compounds are quite dependent on the extraction solvent used. Methanolic extracts exhibited higher reducing power, radical scavenging activity and chelating ability, while ethanolic extracts more efficiently inhibited oxidation in emulsion. First systematic comparative research of antioxidant activity of hydroxycinnamic acids and their 4-vinyl derivatives was performed. It revealed that compound’s antioxidant activity in the emulsion more than on its antiradical effectiveness depends on its partition properties. For research purposes sinapine was isolated from kale extract, and 4-vinyl derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids were synthesized by thermal decarboxylation of these acids. These methods of preparation were successfully optimized to give products of high purity. The purity of products was confirmed by LC-DAD, identification by LC-MDS and NMR.
D.09 Tutoring for postgraduate students
COBISS.SI-ID: 4084344