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-

Optimization of harvest date according to the volatile composition of Mediterranean aromatic herbs at different vegetative stages

Most of the studies concerning the optimal harvest date of aromatic herbs have dealt with different parts of plant such as flowers, leaves, stems, roots and seeds, but none have evaluated the effect of different harvest date at different vegetative stages on shoots (leaves and stems). Therefore, the main objective was to investigate the effects of harvest date of two consecutive seasons on the volatile composition of shoots of 4 aromatic herbs (dill, parsley, coriander and mint) widely cultivated worldwide. The impact of harvest date during the evolution of vegetative part of four aromatic herbs (parsley, dill, coriander and mint) was investigated. Volatile compounds of shoots of the four herbs were identified by GC–MS. The main compounds were 1,3,8-p-menthatriene, betaphellandrene, myristicin and myrcene for parsley, alpha-phellandrene, dillether and beta-phellandrene for dill, decanal, E-2-dodecenal, 1-decanol and dodecanal for coriander, and carvone and limonene in case of mint. There was a significant effect of harvest date on the content of volatile compounds of the four species. The results showed that highest total concentration of volatiles and therefore the optimal harvest date of parsley was found 9 weeks after planting date with a total concentration of 2543 mg kg−1, for dill was 2619 mg kg−1 14 weeks after planting date, for coriander was 2191 mg kg−1 3 weeks after planting date, and 23329 mg kg−1 for mint 6 weeks after planting dat

Quality Parameters, Volatile Composition, and Sensory Profiles of Highly Endangered Spanish Citrus Fruits

There is very little information available on the chemical composition and the quality attributes of the citrus species studied which are truly endangered in Spain. None of the fruits studied is available for commercial purposes, which is the main interest and novelty of this study. The aim of this work was to fully describe the morphology, volatile composition, and sensory profile of traditional citrus fruits: sour lime (SoLi), sweet lime (SwLi), and sweet lemon (SwLe), to have the information to convince farmers and growers to cultivate these fruits again. The predominant sugar was fructose while citric acid prevails in SoLi and SwLe. Regarding volatiles compounds, monoterpenes, monoterpenoids, and esters predominated in the juices, and these three families plus sesquiterpenes in the peels. The juice of SoLi presented the highest content of esters (14.8%), SwLi juice presented similar values of both monoterpenes and monoterpenoids (46.1 and 46.0%, resp.), and SwLe juice had the highest content of monoterpenes (72.2%). The results demonstrated the high potential of these citrus materials for the agrofood industry. Therefore, it will be possible to recover these vegetal materials at risk of disappearing for potential uses by the food industry and simultaneously help maintaining the biodiversity

Effect of preharvest fruit bagging on fruit quality characteristics and incidence of fruit physiopathies in fully irrigated and water stressed pomegranated trees

BACKGROUND: This report studied the response of pomegranate fruit under full irrigation (FI) and water stress (WS) conditions to bagging with externally glossy single layer cellulosic paper bags open at the bottom from the end of fruit thinning to harvest time. RESULTS: Bagging decreased fruit size and the maturity index, and increased antioxidant activity in FI conditions. Moreover, fruit bagging substantially reduced the incidence of peel sunburn in both irrigation conditions. CONCLUSION: The delay in fruit growth and ripening as a result of pomegranate fruit bagging is outweighed by the very important commercial benefit in terms of the reduced incidence of peel sunburn and the increase in fruit antioxidant activity

Valorization of Prickly Pear [<em>Opuntia ficus-indica</em> (L.) Mill]: Nutritional Composition, Functional Properties and Economic Aspects

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill, usually named prickly pear or nopal cactus, is the Cactaceae plant with the greatest economic relevance in the world. It is a tropical or subtropical plant, native to tropical and subtropical America, which can grow in arid and semiarid climates. Prickly pear is mainly known by its fruits, popularly named “tunas” or “figs,” but their cladodes are also consumed, principally in Mexico, which is the country with the largest cultivated area and the largest producer. There is ample evidence of the health benefits of prickly pear: it shows high antioxidant activity, it is a source of nutrients and vitamins and it presents medicinal uses, among others. Furthermore, prickly pear presents other uses, including cosmetics, biofuel production, animal nutrition and soil phytoremediation

Food Leftover Practices among Consumers in Selected Countries in Europe, South and North America

Citation: Koppel, K., Higa, F., Godwin, S., Gutierrez, N., Shalimov, R., Cardinal, P., . . . Chambers, E. (2016). Food Leftover Practices among Consumers in Selected Countries in Europe, South and North America. Foods, 5(3), 14. doi:10.3390/foods5030066Foodborne illnesses may be related to many food production factors with home practices of consumers playing an important role in food safety. Consumer behavior for handling food leftovers has been studied, however little work on comparisons among countries has been published. The objective of this study was to investigate home food leftover practices of people from North American, South American, and European countries. Surveys were conducted with approximately 100 or more consumers in Argentina, Colombia, the United States, Estonia, Italy, Russia, and Spain. The participants responded to questions related to the length of time different types of food leftovers; such as meat, fresh salads, or restaurant dishes would be kept refrigerated or would be left at room temperature before refrigeration. Researchers also investigated how consumers would determine if the food was still safe for consumption. Potentially risky behaviors were observed in all seven countries. For instance, 55.8% of Estonians, 25% of Russians and 25.8% of Argentinean participants left food out at room temperature for several hours before storing in the refrigerator. Furthermore, 25%-29% of Colombian, Estonian, and Spanish consumers would look, smell, and taste leftovers to determine its probable safety. Correct handling of leftovers is an important aspect of consumer food safety. Although the surveys cannot be representative of all consumers in each country, they do provide an initial overview of comparative practices for handling leftovers among different countries. This provides government and educators with information on potential universal and unique consumer food safety issues related to handling leftover foods among various countries

Can Sustained Deficit Irrigation Save Water and Meet the Quality Characteristics of Mango?

Mango is one of the most cultivated tropical fruits worldwide and one of few drought-tolerant plants. Thus, in this study the effect of a sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) strategy on mango yield and quality was assessed with the aim of reducing irrigation water in mango crop. A randomized block design with four treatments was developed: (i) full irrigation (FI), assuring the crop’s water needs, and three levels of SDI receiving 75%, 50%, and 33% of irrigation water (SDI75, SDI50, and SDI33). Yield, morphology, color, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), organic acids (OA), sugars, minerals, fiber, antioxidant activity (AA), and total phenolic content (TPC) were analyzed. The yield was reduced in SDI conditions (8%, 11%, and 20% for SDI75, SDI50, and SDI33, respectively), but the irrigation water productivity was higher in all SDI regimes. SDI significantly reduced the mango size, with SDI33 generating the smallest mangoes. Peel color significantly changed after 13 days of ripening, with SDI75 being the least ripe. The TA, AA, and citric acid were higher in SDI75, while the TPC and fiber increased in all SDI levels. Consequently, SDI reduced the mango size but increased the functionality of samples, without a severe detrimental effect on the yield

Food Leftover Practices among Consumers in Selected Countries in Europe, South and North America

Foodborne illnesses may be related to many food production factors with home practices of consumers playing an important role in food safety. Consumer behavior for handling food leftovers has been studied, however little work on comparisons among countries has been published. The objective of this study was to investigate home food leftover practices of people from North American, South American, and European countries. Surveys were conducted with approximately 100 or more consumers in Argentina, Colombia, the United States, Estonia, Italy, Russia, and Spain. The participants responded to questions related to the length of time different types of food leftovers; such as meat, fresh salads, or restaurant dishes would be kept refrigerated or would be left at room temperature before refrigeration. Researchers also investigated how consumers would determine if the food was still safe for consumption. Potentially risky behaviors were observed in all seven countries. For instance, 55.8% of Estonians, 25% of Russians and 25.8% of Argentinean participants left food out at room temperature for several hours before storing in the refrigerator. Furthermore, 25%–29% of Colombian, Estonian, and Spanish consumers would look, smell, and taste leftovers to determine its probable safety. Correct handling of leftovers is an important aspect of consumer food safety. Although the surveys cannot be representative of all consumers in each country, they do provide an initial overview of comparative practices for handling leftovers among different countries. This provides government and educators with information on potential universal and unique consumer food safety issues related to handling leftover foods among various countries

Saving irrigation water as a tool to increase pomegranate fruit price and enhance the bioactive compound content

The non-climateric character of pomegranate (P. granatum) fruit underlines the importance of determining the optimum harvest time to improve fruit quality. The effect of irrigation withholding during 6, 15, 25 and 36 d before harvest was evaluated in order to clarify whether fruit ripening is critical or non-critical from the yield, fruit characteristics and composition point of view. The results indicated that this phenological period is critical because irrigation is essential during most of this phenological period to achieve maximum yield. However, a 6 d of irrigation restriction at the end of ripening period can be used as a tool to come early harvest time, saves irrigation water, enhances the bioactive compounds (anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, punicalagin and ellagic acid) and increases the price of the fruit without affecting marketable yield and fruit size