ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Food Science Technology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1558597
This article is part of the Research TopicAntioxidants and Antimicrobials in Food ProductionView all articles
Synergistic effects produced by certain antioxidants in valuable functional foods from the Romanian markets
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
- 2Research infrastructure in applied sciences, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
- 3RENAR - Romanian National Body of Accreditation, Bucuresti, Romania
- 4Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
- 5Universitatea Din Petrosani, Petrosani, Hunedoara, Romania
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Today, people should change their lifestyle and nutrition to prevent metabolic diseases characteristic of our century. Functional foods, rich in antioxidants, greatly help combat everyday stress and ensure optimal nutritional density. The study is part of an applied research and experimental development program for valuable functional foods that are promoted on the Romanian market. In this research-developed (2020÷present) at the INCESA Institute for Applied Science Research at the University of Craiova, Romania-the occurrence and optimization of redox processes and synergistic effects in organic carrot juices were tested. These effects occur as a result of the interaction between certain antioxidants (beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamin A) in the raw organic juice and the food additives used in the manufacturing recipes. Optical analysis methods (UV-Vis molecular absorption spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) were used to monitor the technological processes, while Supercritical Fluid Extraction with activated bio-membranes and combined field induction technology (plasmatic, magnetic, gravitational) were used to optimize certain operations and activate valuable biocomponents. The study confirmed the tested research hypothesis (that the proposed new activation technology optimized the reaction mechanisms and synergistic and antagonistic effects that occur in the processing of organic carrots). This resulted in new functional food variants (much richer in valuable activated bio-compounds and compositionally stable during long-term storage). Furthermore, the application of new technologies and the optimization of synergistic effects led to the emergence of protective mechanisms against Escherichia coli-type microorganisms in the final juice products. The study provides novel and valuable insights into the design and development of organic juices with optimized nutritional density (functional foods). This is of extreme importance to consumers and for the shelf life of the product.
Keywords: Carrots, Natural preservatives, NAD, FMN, Antioxidants, Antimicrobial activity
Received: 10 Jan 2025; Accepted: 20 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 SAVESCU, OVIDIU, Poenaru and Nistor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Petre M SAVESCU, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
Catalin Nistor, Universitatea Din Petrosani, Petrosani, 332006, Hunedoara, Romania
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.