Antioxidant capacity, fatty acids profile, and descriptive sensory analysis of table olives as affected by deficit irrigation

preprintThe influence of three irrigation treatments (T0, no stress; T1, soft stress; and, T2, moderate stress) on the key functional properties [fatty acids, sugar alcohols, organic acids, minerals, total polyphenols content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA)], sensory quality, and consumers' acceptance of table olives, cv. ‘Manzanilla’, was evaluated. RESULTS: A soft water stress, T1, led to table olives with the highest oil and dry matter contents, with the highest intensities of key sensory attributes and slightly, although not significant, higher values of consumer satisfaction degree. Besides, RDI in general (T1 and T2) slightly increased green colour, the content of linoleic acid, but decreased the content of phytic acid and some minerals. CONCLUSION: The soft RDI conditions are a good option for the cultivation of olive trees because they are environmentally friendly and simultaneously maintain or even improve the functionality, sensory quality, and consumer acceptance of table olives. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2013-45922-C2-1-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2013-45922-C2-2-

Comparison of root absorption, translocation and tolerance of arsenic in the hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata and the nonhyperaccumulator Pteris tremula

Several fern species can hyperaccumulate arsenic, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we investigate the roles of root absorption, translocation and tolerance in As hyperaccumulation by comparing the hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata and the nonhyperaccumulator Pteris tremula. The two species were grown in a pot experiment with 0-500 mg As kg(-1) added as arsenate, and in a short-term (8 h) uptake experiment with 5 pm arsenate under phosphorus-sufficient conditions. In the pot experiment, P. vittata accumulated up to 2500 mg As kg(-1) frond d. wt and suffered no phytotoxicity. P. tremula accumulated < 100 mg As kg(-1) frond d. wt and suffered severe phytotoxicity with additions of ! 25 mg As kg-1. In the short-term uptake experiment, P. vittata had a 2.2-fold higher rate of arsenate uptake than P. tremula, and distributed more As taken up to the fronds (76%) than did P. tremula (9%). Our results show that enhanced root uptake, efficient root-to-shoot translocation, and a much elevated tolerance through internal detoxification all contribute to As hyperaccumulation in P. vittata

Rapid reduction of arsenate in the medium mediated by plant roots

Microbes detoxify arsenate by reduction and efflux of arsenite. Plants have a high capacity to reduce arsenate, but arsenic efflux has not been reported. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and rice (Oryza sativa) were grown hydroponically and supplied with 10 mu M marsenate or arsenite, with or without phosphate, for 1-3 d. The chemical species of As in nutrient solutions, roots and xylem sap were monitored, roles of microbes and root exudates in As transformation were investigated and efflux of As species from tomato roots was determined. Arsenite remained stable in the nutrient solution, whereas arsenate was rapidly reduced to arsenite. Microbes and root exudates contributed little to the reduction of external arsenate. Arsenite was the predominant species in roots and xylem sap. Phosphate inhibited arsenate uptake and the appearance of arsenite in the nutrient solution, but the reduction was near complete in 24 h in both -P- and +P-treated tomato. Phosphate had a greater effect in rice than tomato. Efflux of both arsenite and arsenate was observed; the former was inhibited and the latter enhanced by the metabolic inhibitor carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Tomato and rice roots rapidly reduce arsenate to arsenite, some of which is actively effluxed to the medium. The study reveals a new aspect of As metabolism in plants

Quality attributes of table olives as affected by regulated deficit irrigation

8 páginas.-- 1 figuras.-- 6 tablas.-- 31 referencias© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) allows us to decrease the amount of water to apply without significantly affecting yield and fruit quality. The influence of 3 irrigation treatments [T0: control (no stress); T1: moderate stress during pit hardening; and, T2: low stress at the end of flowering stage and moderate during pit hardening) on the quality of table olives, cv. '. Manzanilla', was evaluated. The parameters evaluated in table olives (after processing) were: weight, size, texture, color, fatty acids, volatile compounds and sensory quality. T1 olives had the highest weight and size, and were rounded. Color coordinates L* and b* had the highest values in T2 olives. Aldehydes and monounsaturated fatty acids predominated in T0 olive fruits, while terpenes and polyunsaturated fatty acids predominated in T1 fruits, and finally saturated fatty acids were abundant in T2 olives. Finally, the results of sensory studies indicated that global acceptance was higher for T1 olive, obtaining better satisfaction degrees for fresh olive flavor, crunchiness, and global satisfaction. Deficit irrigation is effective and can be a good alternative for this type of crop, '. Manzanilla' table olives.The authors are grateful to the projects AGL2013-45922-C2-1-R yAGL2013-45922-C2-2-R (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain). Besides, Marina Cano-Lamadrid was funded by the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche through an “introduction to research” scholarship.Peer Reviewe

Almond fruit quality can be improved by means of deficit irrigation strategies

7 páginas.- 3 figuras.- 6 tablas- 49 referenciasWater scarcity is considered one of the biggest global risks worldwide, not only because affects every continent but mostly because it can have dramatic impact in a long term. Deficit irrigation strategies can help in coping with this water scarcity and optimizing the water efficiency. Both regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) in moderate and severe levels and sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) were applied in almond nut crop within this study and quality parameters of obtained fruits were analyzed. Almost all morphological and physicochemical parameters were not affected by the water stress. However, statistically significant differences among treatments were observed for the fat content, the highest value being reached by moderate RDI treatment. Besides, differences were also found for total organic acids content, calcium, potassium, manganese and for six fatty acids (myristic, palmitic, margaric, cis-heptadecenoic, cis-vaccenic, and arachidic acids) content. According to experimental findings, it can be concluded that irrigation strategies do not affect almond fruit quality; being possible to increase the final quality of nuts, when moderate RDI is applied.The study has been funded (Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industryand Competitiveness) through a coordinated research project(hydroSOSmark) including the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (AGL2016-75794-C4-1-R,hydroSOSfoods) and the Universidad deSevilla (AGL2016-75794-C4-4-R). Marina Cano-Lamadrid was fundedby a FPU grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU15/02158)Peer reviewe

Effect of cooking method and rice type on arsenic concentration in cooked rice and the estimation of arsenic dietary intake in a rural village in West Bengal, India

International audienceArsenic contamination of rice plants could result in high total arsenic concentrations (t-As) in cooked rice, especially if arsenic-contaminated water is used for cooking. Two variables were studied: a) cooking method (water volume and inclusion of a washing step) and b) rice type (atab and boiled). Cooking water and raw atab and boiled rice contained 40 μg As/l, 185 and 315 μg As/kg, respectively. In general, all cooking methods increased t-As from raw rice; however, raw boiled rice decreased its t-As by 12.7% when cooked by the traditional method but increased by 15.9% or 23.5%, when cooked by the intermediate or contemporary methods, respectively. Considering the best possible scenario (less contaminant cooking method: traditional and the rice type with lowest As content, atab), t-As daily intake was established at 328 μg, which was still about 2 times higher than the tolerable daily intake of 150 μg

Association between heavy metal and metalloid levels in topsoil and cancer mortality in Spain

Spatio-temporal cancer mortality studies in Spain have revealed patterns for some tumours which display a distribution that is similar across the sexes and persists over time. Such characteristics would be common to tumours that shared risk factors, including the geochemical composition of the soil. The aim of this study was to assess the possible association between heavy metal and metalloid levels in topsoil (upper soil horizon) and cancer mortality in mainland Spain. Ecological cancer mortality study at a municipal level, covering 861,440 cancer deaths (27 different tumour locations) in 7917 Spanish mainland towns, from 1999 to 2008. The elements included in this analysis were Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Topsoil levels (partial extraction) were determined by ICP-MS at 13,317 sampling points. For the analysis, the data on the topsoil composition have been transformed by the centred logratio (clr-transformation). Principal factor analysis was performed to obtain independent latent factors for the transformed variables. To estimate the effect of heavy metal levels in topsoil composition on mortality, we fitted Besag, York and Mollié models, which included each town's factor scores as the explanatory variable. Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) was used as a tool for Bayesian inference. All results were adjusted for sociodemographic variables. The results showed an association between trace contents of heavy metals and metalloids in topsoil and mortality due to tumours of the digestive system in mainland Spain. This association was observed in both sexes, something that would support the hypothesis that the incorporation of heavy metals into the trophic chain might be playing a role in the aetiology of some types of cancer. Topsoil composition and the presence of potentially toxic elements in trace concentrations might be an additional component in the aetiology of some types of cancer, and go some way to determine the ensuing geographic differences in mortality in Spain. The results support the interest of inclusion of heavy metal levels in topsoil as a hypothesis in analytical epidemiological studies using biological markers of exposure to heavy metals and metalloids.The study was partially supported by research grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health (PI4CIII/50) and Spanish Health Research Fund (FIS PI11/00871 and FIS CP11/00112). Mortality data were supplied by the Spanish National Statistics Institute in accordance with a specific confidentiality protocol.S