Synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobials can cause many unwanted side effects that attract the interest of food producers and consumers in their search for ingredients of natural origin. The evaluation of natural products as safe and effective antimicrobials is one of the scientific strategies to lessen the threat of drug-resistant pathogens. In recent years, the interest in natural plant raw materials is being intensified, as they have created an impressive number of modern medicines [1]. Bee pollen, Salvia hispanica L. (chia) and Anethum graveolens L. (dill) seeds may be among the plant raw materials that can be further investigated, as these plant products contain high levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, as well as have significant antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory or other positive effects on human health.
Research on bee pollen included the determination of their detailed composition, especially regarding biologically active compounds, such as quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, as well as rutin and 3-O-glucosides [2]. In addition to this, bee pollen helps to overcome metabolic problems and reduces the activity of harmful bacteria [3]. Nevertheless, Salvia hispanica seeds can be very important for health due to containing high percentage of fatty acids, which are also significant for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity [4]. Moreover, Anethum graveolens contains significant bioactive compounds too, such as phenolic acids (vanillic, caffeic, ferulic and others) [5].
On the other hand, it is known that these raw plant materials are surrounded by a wall which may prevent the human body from absorbing the biologically valuable substances. Therefore, it is very important to perform studies of extracts treated and non-treated with enzymatic and bacterial hydrolysis. Such studies will help to reveal whether the bioavailability of products can be increased. The aim of this work is to study the plant products of interest, to find out the composition and properties of their compounds. Also, to compare the effects of enzymatic and bacterial hydrolysis treatments on increasing the bioavailability of bee pollen, dill seeds, and chia seeds to the human digestive system. According to our data, the combined enzymatic and bacterial hydrolysis has not been applied to any product.