By-products of Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel in adaptogenic functional foods

Physical and psychological stress is part of modern life, which means that consumers need alimentary support to restore their functional reserves. This research aimed to develop a new functional snack bar with reliable adaptogenic properties based on secondary raw materials of dwarf cedar (Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel). The main objects of the study were pine nut cake and microstrobiles – waste products of pine nut oil production and pollen harvesting. Additional components included dried sea buckthorn cake, flaxseed cake, and date paste. The nutritional and bioactive profiles were determined by standardized methods. The adaptogenic properties were studied on azathioprine immunosuppression in laboratory mice (Open Field and Porsolt Forced Swim Tests). The cytomorphological examination relied on standard methods. The snack bar developed had a high content of dietary fiber, essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenolics. When introduced into the diet of mice, it levelled the negative impact of azathioprine and restored the initial indicators of general physical activity, exploratory behavior, endurance, anxiety, and relative weight of the liver. It also helped the laboratory animals to recover the healthy morphofunctional state and weight of the major immune organs, i. e., thymus and spleen. The fact that the mice regained their nonspecific resistance during immunosuppression was apparently associated with the antioxidant activity of the bioactive components in the experimental snack bar. In this research, by-products of pine nut processing and pollen harvesting yielded a new functional product with reliable adaptogenic properties. Natural phytocomponents in mass-market products can facilitate consumers’ adaptability to adverse environment by improving resistance to various stresses.