The effect of short term feeding with organic and conventional diets on selected immune parameters in rat

There is currently no evidence for beneficial health impacts being associated with the consumption of organic rather than conventional foods. This preliminary study was therefore aimed at using haematological parameters, white blood cell (WBC) number and splenocyte proliferation as sensitive assays to evaluate influence of the organic, low input and conventional components in the diet on rats’ immune system function. The results of a short term feeding trial with two rat generations indicates a potential effect on immune system function, which has to be confirmed by longer-term exposure studies

Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95 % CI 11, 35) % and 47 (95 % CI 10, 84) % higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed

Selected nutrient content in red onions from organic and conventional production

Ekologiczne metody uprawy są gwarancją pozyskania bezpiecznej żywności o wysokich walorach jakościowych, pozbawionej szkodliwych związków chemicznych, jakimi są pozostałości pestycydów oraz mineralnych nawozów stosowanych w rolnictwie konwencjonalnym. Wartościowym surowcem pozyskiwanym metodą ekologiczną może być cebula czerwona. Jest ona bogata w związki flawonowe w postaci kwercetyny i jej pochodnych. Związki te zlokalizowane są w mięsistych łuskach wewnętrznych. Cebula czerwona zawiera też liczne związki z grupy antocyjanów, umiejscowionych w łuskach suchych okrywających oraz częściowo w zewnętrznej warstwie łusek mięsistych. W pracy porównano zawartość cukrów oraz wybranych składników bioaktywnych cebuli uzyskanej z uprawy konwencjonalnej oraz ekologicznej. Stwierdzono, że cebula z poletek ekologicznych zawierała więcej cukrów ogółem i redukujących, flawonoidów w przeliczeniu na kwercetynę, witaminy C oraz antocyjanów w przeliczeniu na delfinidynę w porównaniu z cebulą uzyskaną konwencjonalnymi metodami uprawy.Organic production methods are perceived by the consumers as a guarantee of safety and good taste. Organic products are considered as of high quality, they also contain less harmful pesticides residues and minerals fertilizers which are used in conventional farming. The comparison of sugars and selected bioactive compounds content in onion from organic and conventional cultivations is shown in this study. Result obtained showed that organic onions contained more total sugar, flavonoids, vitamin C and anthocyanins then conventional ones

The content of bioactive compounds in carrots from organic and conventional production in the context of health prevention

Korzenie marchwi są dobrym źródłem błonnika, kwasów fenolowych oraz karotenoidów, z których najliczniej występują beta – karoten oraz luteina. Dlatego marchew jest tak ważna w promocji zdrowia. Istnieją podstawy naukowe pozwalające przypuszczać, że warzywa z produkcji ekologicznej oraz wykonane z nich przetwory zawierają więcej składników odżywczych. Jednakże wyniki badań są zmienne. Dlatego uznano za celowe podjęcie prezentowanych badań. Celem pracy była ocena zawartości związków bioaktywnych w korzeniach marchwi uprawianej w systemie ekologicznym oraz konwencjonalnym. Do doświadczenia wybrano dwie odmiany marchwi: Flacoro i Perfekcja, pochodzące z produkcji ekologicznej i konwencjonalnej. Próbki korzeni marchwi zostały zebrane w tym samym czasie we wszystkich gospodarstwach i przekazane do wykonania badań. Wyniki analiz wskazują, że marchew uprawiana w systemie ekologicznym zawierała istotnie więcej suchej masy, witaminy C, kwasów fenolowych oraz karotenoidów w porównaniu do marchwi konwencjonalnej.Carrot roots are good source of diet fiber, phenolic acids and also carotenoids, in that beta-carotene and lutein. Therefore carrot is an important in a preventive nutrition. According to many researchers vegetables from organic production and their products contain more beneficial nutrients than conventional vegetables. However the results in this field are not fully consistent. The research has been established to solve the rising doubts. The aim of work was to evaluate the level of bioactive compounds in organic and conventional carrot roots. Two varieties of carrots from organic and conventional system have been chosen to study: Flacoro and Perfekcja. The samples of the roots have been selected in the same time and passed on to the chemical analyzis. The results obtained showed that organic carrots contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic acids and carotenoids in comparison to the conventional ones

Estimation of antioxidant activity and bioactive substances contest in apple mousse prepared from the old and new apple cultivars

Intensywny rozwój sadownictwa wielkotowarowego przyczynił się do istotnych zmian w doborze odmian uprawianych jabłoni. Stare odmiany jabłoni nie tylko mogą być cenne ze względu na liczne cechy hodowlane, ale również ich owoce cechują się cennymi walorami smakowymi i odżywczymi w porównaniu z nowymi, towarowymi odmianami jabłek. Przetwory wykonane z owoców starych odmian jabłoni mogą stanowić alternatywę w diecie, ponieważ istnieje pogląd, że owoce te mogą zawierać więcej związków o charakterze przeciwutleniającym niż owoce nowych odmian i wobec tego mogą istotnie przyczynić się do promocji zdrowia. Do doświadczenia wybrano trzy stare odmiany jabłek: Antonówka Śmietankowa (syn. Półtorafuntowa), Kronselka oraz Grafsztynek Inflandzki. Odmiany te pochodziły z małych przydomowych sadów. Nowe, towarowe odmiany jabłek były reprezentowane przez: Lobo, Idared oraz Jonagold. Wyniki wskazują, że kremogeny wykonane z jabłek starych odmian charakteryzowały się wyższą zawartością witaminy C oraz polifenoli ogółem, w tym flawonoli oraz wykazały wyższą wartość przeciwutleniającą w porównaniu z kremogenami wykonanymi z odmian nowych. Proces pasteryzacji wpłynął niekorzystnie na zawartość związków bioaktywnych oraz aktywność przeciwutleniającą badanych przetworów owocowych.The present intensive orchard development caused the essential changes in apple cultivars’ selection. Old apple cultivars can remain the perfect source of genes for breeding process. They are more tasty and of high nutritive quality in comparison to the new ones. The preserves prepared of the old apples cultivars can be beneficial for human health because of their higher level of bioactive substances content. Therefore it was appropriate to conduct studies on antioxidant activity and bioactive substances content in apple preserves prepared of the old vs. new apples cultivars. Three old apples cultivars: Antonówka Śmietankowa (Półtorafuntowa), Kronselka and Grafsztynek Inflandzki have been used in the experiment. These cultivars have been produced in small, local orchards in Mazovia region. The new apples cultivars were represented by Lobo, Idared and Jonagold cultivars from large orchard in Mazovia region too. Results obtained showed that the pomace prepared of the old apples cultivars contained significantly more total polyphenols, flavonoids and also vitamin C. Moreover they showed higher antioxidant capacity than preserves prepared of the new apple cultivars. The pasteurization process has contributed to the significant decrease of the bioactive substances content and antioxidant capacity of apple pomace

The effect of medium term feeding with organic, low input and conventional diet on selected immune parameters in rat

There is currently limited evidence for differences in nutritional value and ‘healthiness’ between organic and conventional foods. While organic standards aim at minimizing antibiotic and/or pesticide residues they have been described as a potential source of high mycotoxin levels, and bacterial diseases or parasites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of rat feeds based on the organic, low input and conventional crops on the rats’ immune system function. Preliminary results obtained indicate a potential immunomodulatory effect of ‘low input’ foods that is not observed in rats fed conventional and organic diets

Étude anthropologique et spatiale du dolmen des Abrits n°2 (Beaulieu, Ardèche) : recrutement funéraire et modalités de gestion d'une sépulture collective du Néolithique final

a framework for estimating the scientific impact of these studies. Furthermore, the problems connected with the different research approaches are being discussed. A number of comparative studies showed lower nitrate contents and less pesticide residues, but usually higher levels of vitamin C and phenolic compounds in organic plant products, as well as higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid in milk from organically raised animals. However, the variation in outcomes of comparative studies is very high, depending on plant fertilization, ripening stage and plant age at harvest, and weather conditions. Moreover, there appeared no simple relationship between nutritional value and health effects. It is difficult therefore to draw conclusions from analytical data about the health effects of organic foods. Some in vitro studies comparing health-related properties of organic vs conventional foods showed higher antioxidative and antimutagenic activity as well as better inhibition of cancer cell proliferation of organically produced food. If ‘health effects’ are defined as effects on defined diseases in humans, evidence for such effects is presently lacking. Animal studies carried out so far have emonstrated positive effects of an organic diet on weight, growth, fertility indices and immune system. Recent human epidemiological studies associated consumption of organic foods with lower risks of allergies, whereas findings of human intervention studies were still ambiguous. The hypothesis might be that organic food increases the capacity of living organisms towards resilience. To confirm this, effect studies on specific markers for health are necessary