Comparison of Sugar Profile between Leaves and Fruits of Blueberry and Strawberry Cultivars Grown in Organic and Integrated Production System

The objective of this study was to determine and compare the sugar profile, distribution in fruits and leaves and sink-source relationship in three strawberry ('Favette', 'Alba' and 'Clery') and three blueberry cultivars ('Bluecrop', 'Duke' and 'Nui') grown in organic (OP) and integrated production systems (IP). Sugar analysis was done using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD). The results showed that monosaccharide glucose and fructose and disaccharide sucrose were the most important sugars in strawberry, while monosaccharide glucose, fructose, and galactose were the most important in blueberry. Source-sink relationship was different in strawberry compared to blueberry, having a much higher quantity of sugars in its fruits in relation to leaves. According to principal component analysis (PCA), galactose, arabinose, and melibiose were the most important sugars in separating the fruits of strawberries from blueberries, while panose, ribose, stachyose, galactose, maltose, rhamnose, and raffinose were the most important sugar component in leaves recognition. Galactitol, melibiose, and gentiobiose were the key sugars that split out strawberry fruits and leaves, while galactose, maltotriose, raffinose, fructose, and glucose divided blueberry fruits and leaves in two groups. PCA was difficult to distinguish between OP and IP, because the stress-specific responses of the studied plants were highly variable due to the different sensitivity levels and defense strategies of each cultivar, which directly affected the sugar distribution. Due to its high content of sugars, especially fructose, the strawberry cultivar 'Clery' and the blueberry cultivars 'Bluecrop' and 'Nui' could be singled out in this study as being the most suitable cultivars for OP

Rapid Method for Differentiation of Extracts of Wood Used in Balkan Cooperage

The ageing process of alcoholic beverages in presence of wood is asignificant label of their quality, in which important changes in aroma, color,taste and astringency occur due to the interaction between compoundspresent in the wood and beverages. In Balkan countries, several woodspecies such as oak, cherry, black locust, and mulberry can be used in thatprocess.Cyclic voltammetry is simple, rapid and inexpensive method that could beused for measurement of antioxidant capacity. To our knowledge, cyclicvoltammetry has not been implemented in characterization of woodextracts before. Therefore, the aim of our work was to characterize the 60%ethanolic extracts of different wood species commonly used in Balkancooperage (reproducing the condition of ageing process) by cyclicvoltammetry and to investigate differences among wood species.Our results showed that cyclic voltammetry can distinguish investigatedwood species, which points to the phenolic profile unique for the woodspecie. The same class of wood extract shows similar behavior (based onthe peaks position) indicating the presence of the same phenoliccompounds. Also, differences based on the current areas are stronglycorrelated with the geographical origin of the wood. Present study allowsapplication of the rapid, reagentless and sensitive method for themonitoring of the phenolic profiles of the wood, and determination ofgeographical and botanical origin. Additionally, proposed approach, offersfast and reliable determination of the quality of the used wood barrel, as animportant and beneficial fact for the producers of alcoholic beverages.Poster: [https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5295

Poster: "Elemental composition of non-oak wood extracts commonly used in Balkan cooperage"

In the production of some alcoholic beverages one of the most important practices is theageing process in a presence of wood. This process contributes to improved sensorycharacteristics such as aroma, color, taste and astringency. Although oak heartwood isthe most used material in cooperage, other species such as chestnut, cherry, and mulberrycan be also considered. Currently, limited published data are available on the mineralcontent of the wood extract from cooperage industry, although some research was doneto investigate the content of heavy metals in alcoholic beverages1, especially in wine2.Daily consumption of the wine and brandy with an elevated content of heavy metalsmight cause chronical poisoning. To avoid this issue, the maximum allowableconcentration (MAC, mg L–1) in fruit brandies were established for lead, zinc, arsenium,and copper.1The aim of this research was to investigate elemental composition of ethanolic extracts,obtained from alternative wood species used in Balkan cooperage, such as mulberry(Morus alba L.), Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia L.), and wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.). Elements were determined byinductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Results indicatedthat the elemental composition of wild cherry extract was much lower than in other nonoakwood extracts, and all investigated wood extracts have lower content of traceelements than maximum allowable concentration in fruit brandies.Abstract: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/7543]Poster presented at Seventh Conference of the Young Chemists of Serbi

Intrinsic Fluorescence Markers for Food Characteristics, Shelf Life, and Safety Estimation: Advanced Analytical Approach

Food is a complex matrix of proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and other components. Various analytical methods are currently used for food testing. However, most of the used methods require sample preprocessing and expensive chemicals. New analytical methods are needed for quick and economic measurement of food quality and safety. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a simple and quick method to measure food quality, without sample preprocessing. This technique has been developed for food samples due to the application of a front-face measuring setup. Fluorescent compounds–fluorophores in the food samples are highly sensitive to their environment. Information about molecular structure and changes in food samples is obtained by the measurement of excitation–emission matrices of the endogenous fluorophores and by applying multivariate chemometric tools. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy is an advantageous screening mode used in food analysis. The fluorescent markers in food are amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine; the structural proteins collagen and elastin; the enzymes and co-enzymes NADH and FAD; vitamins; lipids; porphyrins; and mycotoxins in certain food types. The review provides information on the principles of the fluorescence measurements of food samples and the advantages of this method over the others. An analysis of the fluorescence spectroscopy applications in screening the various food types is provided

Fruits under the spotlight of analytical chemists

Many problems on which analytical chemists work originate in other fields, and agriculture is one of them. Analytical chemistry brings a unique perspective to the study of natural products and plant-based food. It is important to highlight the nutritional aspects and phytochemical compounds of fruits that confer human health benefits when they are consumed regularly, preventing development of several diseases. These diverse compounds include dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and primary and secondary metabolites that occur naturally in plants. Various fruits, especially wild and indigenous, are recognized as an excellent source of phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. Our research group mainly focuses on polyphenolic compounds, and so far, we have established profiles of wild Serbian fruits, such as elderberry (Sambucus nigra), hawthorn (Crataegusmonogyna), cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), and five different Rosa species (R. canina, R. glutinosa, R. rubiginosa, R. multiflora, and R. spinosissima). Results show classification of the fruit samples on the basis of variations in the content of individual flavonoids, phenolic acids and antioxidant capacity and pointed to some unfairly forgotten wild fruits as a great source of bioactive natural compounds. Similarly, we have studied chemical composition of mulberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. According to the health promoted compounds some genotypes were recommended for clonal propagation and commercialization. Aside from quality and nutritional value, data gathered from the analysis of carbohydrates, minerals, trace elements and polyphenols could be valuable when questions regarding the differences in the type of the production regime (organic or integrated) should be answered. According to our results, some quantitative variations in individual phenolic compounds and their distribution in fruits and leaves was evident in organic and integrated farming of blueberry and strawberry cultivars. To conclude, this work proved wild fruits to be an interesting field in the search for compounds with potential bioactivity. Due to uniqueness in terms of its phytonutrient content, some of investigated fruits were identified as "super-food", and may be considered particularly useful in food supplement production, particularly as a source of natural antioxidants. Furthermore, some of these species could be used in blood sugar regulation and skin protection, or to extend the shelf life of food products and replace synthetic antioxidants, avoiding potential health risks and toxicity. However, additional bioactivity testing is needed, especially bearing in mind the synergistic effect among polyphenols as an important factor determining the functional properties

Rapid Method for Differentiation of Extracts of Wood Used in Balkan Cooperage

The ageing process of alcoholic beverages in presence of wood is a significant label of their quality, in which important changes in aroma, color, taste and astringency occur due to the interaction between compounds present in the wood and beverages. In Balkan countries, several wood species such as oak, cherry, black locust, and mulberry can be used in that process. Cyclic voltammetry is simple, rapid and inexpensive method that could be used for measurement of antioxidant capacity. To our knowledge, cyclic voltammetry has not been implemented in characterization of wood extracts before. Therefore, the aim of our work was to characterize the 60% ethanolic extracts of different wood species commonly used in Balkan cooperage (reproducing the condition of ageing process) by cyclic voltammetry and to investigate differences among wood species. Our results showed that cyclic voltammetry can distinguish investigated wood species, which points to the phenolic profile unique for the wood specie. The same class of wood extract shows similar behavior (based on the peaks position) indicating the presence of the same phenolic compounds. Also, differences based on the current areas are strongly correlated with the geographical origin of the wood. Present study allows application of the rapid, reagentless and sensitive method for the monitoring of the phenolic profiles of the wood, and determination of geographical and botanical origin. Additionally, proposed approach, offers fast and reliable determination of the quality of the used wood barrel, as an important and beneficial fact for the producers of alcoholic beverages.Abstract: [https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5304

Phenolic compounds evaluation in wines of Serbian autochthonous and local grapevine varieties

Qualitative and quantitative content of phenolic compounds in monovarietal wines of seven Serbian and two international varieties was determined and compared. The results showed that the variety influences the composition and content for most phenolic components determined in wines. The largest number of phenolic compounds (15) was detected in ‘Prokupac’ wine, while the smallest number (10) was found in ‘Smederevka’ wine. Hidroxybenzoic and hidroxycinnamic acids had the strongest discriminating effect. PCA indicated that phenolic composition depends on both the variety and the vintage, while in some cases their interaction was also manifested. From Serbian variety ‘Prokupac’ wine had the most specific phenolic profile

Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of Norwegian plums

European plum (Prunus domestica L.) is a very adaptable fruit species with a large spreading area, but it is mostly grown under the temperate climatic conditions. Plum production has a very long tradition in Norway, which dates back from the Middle Ages. In addition, plum is the second most produced fruit in Norway.1 European plum fruits are a healthy food rich in nutrients and phenolics. They are a good source of flavonoids and phenolic acids, as well as vitamins and carotenoids.2 Six plum cultivars (Opal, Mallard, Reeves, Jubileum, Avalon and Valon) grown in Norway were used in this study. In total, 56 samples of plum fruits were gathered from two locations and dried after harvest. The total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were investigated by spectrophotometric tests (Folin-Ciocalteau test and DPPH· test, respectively). The content of individual phenolic compounds was analyzed by HPLC. The total phenolic content was in the range 4,43–30,75 g GAE (gallic acid equivalents) per kilogram, while antioxidant capacity was in the range 35,42–262,91 mmol TE (Trolox equivalents) per kilogram dry weight. The results show that all the samples were rich in phenolic compounds and showed high antioxidant capacity.Poster: [https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/6308

Poster presentation: "Volatile profiles of seasoned staves used in Balkan cooperage"

The ageing in contact with wood is an important process for improving the aroma, color, taste and astringency of some high-quality alcoholic beverages. One of the important changes is extraction of volatile compounds (i.e. extractable compounds and gradually transformed wooden constituents) as a result of the interaction between compounds present in wood and alcoholic beverages.The aim of this study was to obtain volatile profiles of seasoned wood stave extracts and find potential markers for wood species. The following species were investigated: mulberry (Morus alba L.), Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.) and oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., and Q. robur L.). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used for qualitative and quantitative analyzes of the wood extracts, respectively.The volatile profiles of oak and other wood species were significantly different. Some of the identified compounds were proposed as potential markers for the identification of the specific wood. Oak samples were characterized by presence of many compounds, such as oak lactones, vinylguaiacol, eugenol, vanillin, propiovanillone, homovanillic acid, methyl homovanillate, syringyl propan-2-one, butyrosyringone and dihydrosynapil alcohol. In addition, isoeugenol was characteristic for pedunculate oak from Gornji Radan. On the other hand, the following compounds were characteristic of other wood samples: methylresorcinol and coumaran (mulberry); resacetophenone and o-acetyl-p-cresol (black locust); benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid and scopoletin (Myrobalan plum); sakuranin, chrysin, tectochrysin, naringenin, pinocembrin and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoquinone and acetophenone (wild cherry). Sakuranin could be considered as potential marker for wild cherry. Our findings could be used for authenticity of wood species used for cooperage, as well as for reducing fraudulent production.Abstract: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/7285]Poster presentation at: FoodEnTwin Symposium “Novel analytical approaches in food and environmental sciences

Volatile profiles of seasoned staves used in Balkan cooperage

The ageing in contact with wood is an important process for improving the aroma, color, taste and astringency of some high-quality alcoholic beverages. One of the important changes is extraction of volatile compounds (i.e. extractable compounds and gradually transformed wooden constituents) as a result of the interaction between compounds present in wood and alcoholic beverages.The aim of this study was to obtain volatile profiles of seasoned wood stave extracts and find potential markers for wood species. The following species were investigated: mulberry (Morus alba L.), Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.) and oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., and Q. robur L.). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used for qualitative and quantitative analyzes of the wood extracts, respectively.The volatile profiles of oak and other wood species were significantly different. Some of the identified compounds were proposed as potential markers for the identification of the specific wood. Oak samples were characterized by presence of many compounds, such as oak lactones, vinylguaiacol, eugenol, vanillin, propiovanillone, homovanillic acid, methyl homovanillate, syringyl propan-2-one, butyrosyringone and dihydrosynapil alcohol. In addition, isoeugenol was characteristic for pedunculate oak from Gornji Radan. On the other hand, the following compounds were characteristic of other wood samples: methylresorcinol and coumaran (mulberry); resacetophenone and o-acetyl-p-cresol (black locust); benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid and scopoletin (Myrobalan plum); sakuranin, chrysin, tectochrysin, naringenin, pinocembrin and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoquinone and acetophenone (wild cherry). Sakuranin could be considered as potential marker for wild cherry. Our findings could be used for authenticity of wood species used for cooperage, as well as for reducing fraudulent production.Poster: [https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5299