Hemijski sastav, biološke i funkcionalne karakteristike novih proizvoda od zove

The main goal of this doctoral dissertation is to determine the chemical composition, biological and functional characteristics of new elderberry products. Elderberry products were obtained via traditional and modern technological processes. The exploitation of the natural potential of the elderberry started with the application of traditional and modern (lyophilization) drying techniques. To obtain high-value extracts of fruits and flowers, traditional (maceration) and modern (ultrasonic and microwave) extraction techniques with two solvents (50% ethanol and water) were applied. Obtaining the juice from the elderberry fruits implied the application of the traditional cold pressing method, whereas wine from the elderberry fruits was obtained in accordance with the standard procedure of wine production. The wine was exposed to different temperature treatments in different periods (60°C for 5 minutes, 60°C for 10 minutes, 70°C for 5 minutes and without heat treatment) to evaluate the biological activity of the product. The essential oil of the fruit and flower was obtained by hydrodistillation. The examination of the efficiency of the applied technological procedures of drying and extraction is based on observing the biological and functional characteristics of the obtained extracts of the said fruits and flowers. In the examined fruit and flower extracts, the dominant phenolic acids are chlorogenic and protocatechuic acid, while rutin and quercetin-3-O-hexoside are the dominant flavonoid compounds. Biological and functional characteristics were examined using various in vitro antioxidant, neuroprotective, antityrosinase, and antidiabetic tests. The application of lyophilization and microwave extraction (as modern drying and extraction techniques) increased the biopotential of the analyzed extracts. Elderberry juice, a potentially new functional product, was analyzed to define the chemical, phytochemical and nutritional composition, biological potential, and sensory characteristics. The wine was tested in order to determine the optimal conditions for the production of fruit wine. By defining the chemical and phytochemical composition and evaluating the biopotential of wine, the optimal temperature profile for obtaining one of the new functional products was determined. Based on the obtained chemical composition, it is determined that the essential oil of fruits and flowers is a potentially new natural agent for maintaining freshness and extending the shelf life of food products. Without a doubt, elderberry is a wild plant species that could be used in the future as the starting material for creating and obtaining new food products on the domestic and foreign markets.