Kristian Pastor

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bio-based and biodegradable polyesters whose wider use is constrained by production costs, downstream recovery challenges and material limitations. This review critically examines deep eutectic solvents (DESs) across four stages of the PHA value chain: feedstock pretreatment, intracellular polymer recovery, material modification, and end-of-life valorization. Available evidence shows that DES-assisted pretreatment can improve delignification and saccharification, although direct integration with PHA fermentation remains limited. Hydrophobic DESs (HDESs), including natural formulations (NADESs), have yielded high-purity PHA, but recovery efficiency, solvent residues, antisolvent requirements and preservation of molecular weight remain challenges. In PHA-based materials, DESs can function as compatibilizers, plasticizers, fiber-treatment media and carriers of functional compounds, with effects depending strongly on DES composition and processing conditions. Direct DES-mediated PHA recycling remains largely unexplored, whereas PHA-derived hydroxyalkanoic acids have been used to prepare new eutectic systems. Most studies have examined individual applications at laboratory scale, and the benefits of integrating DESs across successive PHA processing stages remain to be demonstrated. Future research should prioritize process integration, solvent recovery and reuse, polymer quality and scale-up. Comparative techno-economic and life-cycle assessments are also needed to establish whether these approaches offer environmental and economic advantages over conventional technologies.

Background/Objectives: Glutamine supplementation has been investigated across nutritional, clinical and preclinical settings, but the development and thematic structure of this literature have not been comprehensively mapped. This bibliometric study examined publication trends, leading contributors, citation patterns, international collaboration and thematic evolution. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was searched on 20 August 2026 using a title-based strategy targeting intervention-oriented glutamine research. The corpus comprised 1321 articles and reviews published during 1943–2025. Analyses were conducted in Python, including country co-authorship networks and author–keyword mapping. Co-occurrence and temporal analyses used author keywords from 925 publications (70.0%), with a 15-occurrence threshold for co-occurrence mapping and six thematic domains examined across four periods (1991–2025). Results: Publication output increased from the 1990s and peaked in 2014. The corpus spanned 512 sources and accumulated 42,356 citations (h-index 87). The United States, China and Brazil contributed the most publications, while the University of São Paulo was the leading institution. Clinical nutrition and critical illness, amino-acid metabolism, oxidative and inflammatory responses, intestinal function, exercise and oncology-related applications were represented. Clinical nutrition and critical illness decreased from 34.0% to 10.6% of keyword-bearing publications between the earliest and latest periods, while oxidative, inflammatory and immune responses increased from 16.0% to 21.1%. International co-authorship occurred in 17.3% of publications. Conclusions: The results demonstrate changing thematic representation and identify major contributors and collaboration patterns within intervention-oriented glutamine research. These descriptive findings do not establish clinical efficacy or the presence of substantive evidence gaps.

Growing demand for caffeine-free beverages and the valorization of fruit-processing residues has increased interest in roasted fruit seeds as coffee alternatives. This review evaluates seed composition, processing-induced transformations, antioxidant-assay responses, gastrointestinal bioaccessibility, biological evidence, sensory performance, and safety of beverages derived from date, açaí, baobab, avocado, tamarind, durian, snake fruit, papaya, ampalaya, and talisay. Fruit seeds contain diverse phenolic acids, flavonoids, procyanidins, tannins, tocopherols, phytosterols, lipids, and polysaccharides. However, their profiles vary markedly with species, cultivar, maturity, anatomical seed component (e.g., whole seed, seed coat, or kernel), and processing history. Roasting exerts bidirectional effects: it can degrade native phenolics and lipophilic antioxidants while enhancing the release of bound compounds and generating Maillard reaction products with antioxidant activity, including melanoidins. Simulated digestion and selected cell-based studies provide preliminary evidence of phytochemical release during digestion and cytoprotection, but efficacy in humans and long-term beverage safety remain insufficiently established. Future studies should quantify compounds and contaminants in standardized brews, report exposure per serving, distinguish chemical from biological endpoints, and integrate sensory acceptance with safety.

Frankincense is an aromatic oleo-gum resin obtained from Boswellia species and is widely used in traditional medicine, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, perfumery, and incense products. Its expanding trade has intensified concerns over species substitution, geographical mislabeling, adulteration, compositional variability, and inconsistent product quality. Authentication is complicated by an extensive overlap in volatile and non-volatile metabolites among commercially important species and by variation arising from provenance, environment, harvesting, storage, processing, and extraction. This review examines chemical profiling and authentication strategies for Boswellia resins and frankincense-derived products, focusing on volatile terpenes, diterpenoids, boswellic acids, methoxyalkanes, stereochemical signatures, and multivariate quality markers. The available evidence shows that single markers and nonspecific total-acid assays are insufficient for robust authentication, whereas orthogonal workflows integrating targeted quantification, chemical fingerprints, stereochemical information, and validated multivariate models provide substantially greater confidence. Future progress depends on authenticated reference collections, standardized sampling and analytical protocols, certified reference materials, expanded spectral libraries, interlaboratory validation, explainable machine learning, and traceable supply-chain metadata.

Background/Objectives: Glutamine has been proposed as a nutritional modulator of intestinal epithelial integrity, but its effects on intestinal barrier function in children remain uncertain. This scoping review mapped the available human evidence on glutamine in relation to pediatric intestinal permeability, mucosal injury, microbial translocation, and intestinal adaptation. Methods: The review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidance. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched. Eligible studies included participants aged <18 years and assessed glutamine supplementation or endogenous glutamine status in relation to predefined barrier-related outcomes. Data were charted using a standardized form and synthesized descriptively according to clinical population, study design, glutamine exposure, and barrier domain. Results: Of 598 records identified, 434 unique records were screened. Eighteen publications representing 15 distinct or partially overlapping studies/cohorts were included. Functional intestinal permeability was the most frequently investigated domain. Findings were heterogeneous, with favorable, partial, transient, and null effects reported across different pediatric populations. Evidence for microbial translocation was limited and showed no clear benefit. Positive findings related to intestinal adaptation were mainly derived from uncontrolled or combined interventions, limiting attribution to glutamine. Direct mechanistic evidence in children was sparse, and no consistent major safety signal emerged, although the available safety evidence was limited. Conclusions: Current evidence does not support a uniform beneficial effect of glutamine on pediatric intestinal barrier function. Observed effects vary across populations, intervention characteristics, and outcome assessment methods.

Background and Objectives: Hemolysis is one of the most frequent preanalytical interferences in clinical laboratory practice. This laboratory-based experimental study evaluated the effect of different degrees of hemolysis on plasma enzyme activities in pediatric blood samples. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six venous blood samples collected in lithium-heparin tubes were gently homogenized and divided into four equal whole-blood aliquots. One aliquot served as the untreated reference, while the remaining three aliquots were subjected to two, four, or eight aspiration–reinjection cycles through an 18-gauge needle to induce increasing degrees of erythrocyte lysis. All four aliquots were subsequently centrifuged under identical conditions and classified according to the semiquantitative hemolysis component of the analyzer-generated LIH index as non-hemolyzed, H1, H2, H3, H4, or H5. Activities of alpha-amylase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as potassium concentration, were measured using the same DxC 700 AU automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Statistical analysis included 26 samples and was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Hemolysis caused a progressive increase in lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, alanine aminotransferase, and potassium, with the strongest effects observed for lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase. Alpha-amylase and alkaline phosphatase showed a decreasing trend, while gamma-glutamyl transferase showed variable behavior across hemolysis groups. Conclusions: The findings confirm that even low degrees of hemolysis can substantially alter selected biochemical results, especially lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatine kinase. Laboratory reports from hemolyzed pediatric samples should therefore be interpreted with caution to reduce the risk of clinically misleading results.

Propolis is an apicultural product known for its antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its composition varies with botanical sources, geography, season and bee species, complicating quality control and creating opportunities for adulteration, such as the addition of poplar bud extracts or non-propolis resins. This review synthesizes the latest primary studies and reviews addressing chemical markers identified through analytical platforms, such as TLC, HPTLC, HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, NMR, FTIR and ICP, often integrated with chemometrics and machine learning for authentication and standardization. Marker panels are linked to regional chemotypes, including poplar-type, Brazilian green, red and brown, Cuban variants, and stingless bee propolis. Fraud detection strategies using marker-based screening and spectral pattern recognition are also summarized. Multi-marker and chemometric approaches consistently differentiate botanical types, origins and commercial extracts. Common marker families include flavonoids (pinocembrin, chrysin, galangin), phenolic esters (CAPE, benzyl/allyl caffeates), prenylated cinnamates like artepillin C, lignans, and volatile terpenoids or benzenoids. Rapid screening by ATR-FTIR and NMR is often complemented with LC-MS for confirmatory quantitation. Propolis quality control is moving toward harmonized workflows combining FTIR/NMR/HPTLC screening with LC-MS verification and optional elemental or volatile profiling, paving the way for shared marker sets and international standards similar to those for honey.

This study investigated the potential of high-voltage electrical discharge (HVED), as a green, non-thermal extraction technology, for recovering polyphenols from winter savory (Satureja montana L.). Key process parameters, including frequency (40, 70, 100 Hz) and extraction time (1, 5, 15, 30, 45 min), were optimized, using water as a solvent and maintaining a constant solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:100 g/mL. The extracts were characterized for total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP), while individual phenolics were quantified via HPLC-DAD. Multivariate chemometric analyses, including Pearson correlation, heatmap clustering, and principal component analysis (PCA), were employed to reveal relationships between extraction conditions, polyphenolic profiles, and antioxidant activities. The results showed strong correlations between TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity, with compounds such as quercetin-3-D-galactoside, procyanidin A2, and rutin identified as key contributors. Among the tested conditions, extraction at 70 Hz for 45 min provided the highest polyphenol yield and bioactivity. The application of HVED demonstrated its potential as an efficient and environmentally friendly technique for obtaining phenolic-rich extracts. In addition, the use of chemometric tools provided useful insights for optimizing extraction conditions and understanding the contributions of specific compounds to bioactivity. These results support future applications in clean-label product development and contribute to broader efforts in sustainable ingredient production for the food, cosmetic, and nutraceutical sectors.

This study presents a tentative analysis of the lipid composition of 47 legume samples, encompassing species such as Phaseolus spp., Vicia spp., Pisum spp., and Lathyrus spp. Lipid extraction and GC/MS (gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection) analysis were conducted, followed by multivariate statistical methods for data interpretation. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) revealed two major clusters, distinguishing beans and snap beans (Phaseolus spp.) from faba beans (Vicia faba), peas (Pisum sativum), and grass peas (Lathyrus sativus). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) yielded 2D and 3D score plots, effectively discriminating legume species. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) achieved a 100% accurate classification of the training set and a 90% accuracy of the test set. The lipid-based fingerprinting elucidated compounds crucial for discrimination. Both PCA and LDA biplots highlighted squalene and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid (C18:3) and 5,11,14,17-eicosatetraenoic acid (C20:4) as influential in the clustering of beans and snap beans. Unique compounds, including 13-docosenoic acid (C22:1) and γ-tocopherol, O-methyl-, characterized grass pea samples. Faba bean samples were discriminated by FAMEs of heneicosanoic acid (C21:0) and oxiraneoctanoic acid, 3-octyl- (C18-ox). However, C18-ox was also found in pea samples, but in significantly lower amounts. This research demonstrates the efficacy of lipid analysis coupled with multivariate statistics for accurate differentiation and classification of legumes, according to their botanical origins.