Ciabatta Bread Incorporating Goji (Lycium barbarum L.): A New Potential Functional Product with Impact on Human Health.

This work investigated the phytochemical content and bioactivity of Lycium barbarum collected in Calabria and evaluated, for the first time, the possibility of enriching traditional ciabatta bread with goji fresh flesh puree. For this purpose, goji flesh puree, bread, and bread enriched with 20% and 40% goji flesh puree (G20 and G40 samples, respectively) were subjected to several analyses. Selected compounds were quantified by UHPLC analysis in both goji fresh flesh puree and after simulation of the cooking process. The impact of the addition on key enzymes (lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) related to metabolic syndrome was assessed together with the antioxidant properties. Texture, colourimetric, and sensory analyses on enriched bread were performed to evaluate consumer acceptance. Despite cooking, the enriched bread maintained good levels of bioactive compounds compared to the berry pulp alone (p < 0.01). The enriched bread showed the ability to protect against lipid peroxidation, with IC50 values of 6.88 and 6.52 µg/mL for samples G20 and G40, respectively, after incubation for 30 min (p < 0.01). Although less active than the control, the enriched bread showed inhibitory activities against the enzymes involved in the digestion of carbohydrates. From a sensory point of view, the addition of goji fresh pulp puree slightly modified the appearance but not the flavour and taste of the bread. Collectively, our results support the potential healthy function of this baked product.

Characterization of Olive Oils Obtained from Minor Accessions in Calabria (Southern Italy).

The valorization of minor accessions of olive is potentially a good way to improve the qualitative production of a specific territory. Olive oils of four minor accessions (Ciciarello, Tonda di Filogaso, and Ottobratica Calipa and Ottobratica Cannavà clones) produced in the same area of the Calabria region were characterized for the principal qualitative analyses at two drupe harvesting periods (October and November). Good quality in terms of free acidity, peroxides, spectrophotometric indexes, and fatty acid composition was observed in olive oils produced at both drupe harvesting times, with the exception of those of Tonda di Filogaso, which showed a free acidity level over the legal limit for extra virgin olive oil in the second harvesting time. All of the olive oils possessed at both production periods averagely abundant total polyphenols (460-778 mg/kg) and tocopherols (224-595 mg/kg), and the amounts changed in the experimental years for expected different environmental variations. Ottobratica Cannavà and Ottobratica Calipa clones showed some peculiar qualitative characteristics (free acidity, peroxides, fatty acid composition, and total polyphenols), distancing themselves from the principal variety of reference, Ottobratica.