Teodora Emilia Coldea

Effect of processing variables on the physico-chemical characteristics and aroma of borş, a traditional beverage derived from wheat bran

Borş is a traditional Romanian beverage obtained by naturally fermenting an aqueous suspension of wheat bran and corn flour, used as flavoring enhancer in local gastronomy since ancient times, and more recently consumed as refreshing drink. To investigate the changes in sensory, physico-chemical, phenolic and aroma composition resulted after two successive fermentations, borș samples were subjected to standard, sensory, HPLC and GC/MS analysis. Total phenolic compounds and ferulic acid, the most abundant phenolic compound, were positively influenced by natural starter addition, increase of fermentation temperature, and thermal treatment, whereas the effect on less abundant phenolic acids was not univocal. The variables had the same effect on antioxidant activity and brown index. Volatiles (alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters), pungent-sour and goat milk-cheese odor notes increased at higher fermentation temperature, whereas bran and yogurt odor notes decreased. The addition of a natural starter at 4 °C allowed balancing odor intensity and antioxidant activity.

Risk Factors Associated with Alcohol Consumption Among Romanian University Students- Preliminary Research

Young people’s consumption of alcohol is an ongoing problem. Many young adults binge-drink alcohol excessively, with serious negative consequences thereafter. This preliminary research assessed risk factors associated with alcohol consumption, drinking problems and related consequences among university students. The study was carried out on a total of 1056 students from UASVM Cluj-Napoca, Romania. University students claimed altered states of health after drinking episodes: vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness (43.1%), forgetfulness after drinking (3.1%). Furthermore, students who drank over the limit reported physical and violence-related problems (2.7%) and were more likely to develop risky behaviors, like driving under the influence of alcohol (13.9%) or car accidents (0.2%). The participants in the study were not heavy social drinkers, 50.9% of the respondents reported no consequences after drinking alcohol.