Sensory analysis of nougat: methodology, training, and validation of a panel for protected geographical indication Torró d'Agramunt

Nougat-type confections, made with nuts, honey or sugar, and/or egg whites, are consumed in many countries. Torró d'Agramunt is a nougat produced in northeast Spain that has been awarded the European quality label Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). When sensory descriptors are included in the PGI's operating regulations, the sensory quality of products with the label must be guaranteed. The current study established eight descriptors and reference ranges for Torró d'Agramunt, differentiating between products labeled “supreme category” (containing =60% nuts) from those labeled “extra category” (containing =46% nuts), and developed a method to train a panel of tasters to evaluate this product. Applying the method also showed that sensory analysis is useful for identifying products that are nearing their expiry date. The work conducted within this study represents a step toward the standardization of the approach to the sensory analysis of nougats and similar products.The authors thank the members of the tasting panel, the RegulatingBoard of PGITorr o d'Agramunt, and the Government of CataloniaPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Análisis sensorial de judías secas

Las judías secas son el cultivo de leguminosas más importante para la alimentación humana y la primera fuente proteica de gran parte de su población. Además, su inclusión en la dieta tiene claros beneficios para la salud, pero su consolidación como pieza clave en la dieta dependerá de su valor sensorial. El objetivo de esta tesis es desarrollar herramientas que permitan evaluar sensorialmente muestras de judía y aplicarlas para explorar la variabilidad en las características organolépticas, discriminando los efectos genéticos, ambientales y de uso culinario. Para ello se desarrolló un protocolo de preparación de las judías útil tanto para el análisis químico como sensorial, basado en los métodos tradicionales que usan los consumidores y que permite mostrar el potencial sensorial y nutritivo de las mismas. El panel de cata, entrenado como parte de la tesis, eligió como atributos de textura más relevantes la rugosidad y percepción de la piel, la dureza y la cremosidad/harinosidad, demostrando su capacidad para discriminar efectos genéticos, ambientales y de interacción para estos atributos. Una vez desarrolladas las herramientas se aplicaron a tres casos distintos de estudio. En el primer trabajo se determinaron las diferencias genéticas en caracteres sensoriales y químicos entre las variedades Genoll de Crist, Canela, Castellfollit del Boix y Ganxet, y dentro de Ganxet. Entre variedades se registró un amplio rango de variación para los atributos sensoriales y para los parámetros químicos estudiados. El panel no fue capaz de percibir diferencias significativas para los caracteres sensoriales entre las 7 líneas puras Ganxet que se eligieron para estudiar la variabilidad intravarietal. En cambio si que se encontraron diferencias en diversos analitos, tanto de la piel como del cotiledón, entre estas líneas. Considerando la diferente capacidad discriminativa de las aproximaciones sensorial y química se optó por una aproximación únicamente sensorial en los dos casos restantes. En segundo lugar se abordó la comparación de la DOP Mongetes del Ganxet (DOPMG) y la DOP (en trámite) Fesols de Santa Pau (DOPFSP), empleando caracteres agromorfologicos, sensoriales y culinarios. Los productos que ofrecen ambas DOP pudieron separarse por la forma de la semilla, por las características culinarias (56,3 % de semillas enteras en DOPMG frente al 42 % en DOPFSP), y por el valor sensorial (rugosidad de la piel 5,8 en DOPMG y 2,1 en DOPFSP; perceptibilidad de la piel 2,2 en DOPMG y 3,6 en DOPFSP; harinosidad 2,3 en DOPMG y 4,3 en DOPFSP). Las diferencias se atribuyeron al germoplasma, al menor contenido de Ca y mayor capacidad de intercambio catiónico en los suelos de la DOPFSP y al cultivo en secano de la DOPFSP. En el último trabajo que compone la tesis se efectúa la descripción sensorial y culinaria de las judías cosechadas con el grano inmaduro, en comparación con las cosechadas maduras, en las zonas de producción protegida Faba Asturiana (IGPFA), Mongeta del Ganxet y Fesols de Santa Pau. Para ello se evaluaron judías de diversas entradas aceptadas por los consejos reguladores, cultivadas en dos años consecutivos, en diversas localidades de las zonas protegidas. Los resultados mostraron que las judías inmaduras son significativamente diferentes de las maduras para los parámetros culinarios tiempo de cocción y porcentaje de semillas enteras y también para los atributos sensoriales rugosidad de la piel y percepción de la piel. Sin embargo las diferencias observadas no fueron siempre en el mismo sentido: la percepción de la piel fue más alta en las semillas inmaduras en las DOPMG (3,51 vs 2,59) y DOPFSP (5,08 vs 4,20) y más baja en la IGPFA (3,28 vs 4,13). Ello, junto con las diferencias que se observaron entre localidades y años, pone de manifiesto que las diferencias culinarias y gastronómicas entre las semillas maduras e inmaduras dependen del genotipo y del ambiente, por lo que para cada área y genotipo deben hacerse pruebas para determinar su valor gastronómico potencial.Les mongetes seques són el cultiu de lleguminoses més important per a l’alimentació humana i la primera font de proteïna de gran part de la població mundial. Més a més, la seva inclusió a la dieta te beneficis clars per la salut, però la seva consolidació com a peça clau a la dieta dependrà del seu valor sensorial. L’objectiu d’aquesta tesi es desenvolupar eines que permetin avaluar sensorialment mostres de mongeta i aplicar-les per explorar la variabilitat en les característiques organolèptiques, discriminant els efectes genètics, ambientals i de ús culinari. Per això s’ha desenvolupat un protocol de preparació de les mongetes útil tant per l’anàlisi química com sensorial, basat en els mètodes tradicionals que utilitzen els consumidors i que permet mostrar el potencial sensorial i nutritiu de les mateixes. El panel de tast, entrenat com a part de la tesi, va escollir com atributs de textura més rellevants la rugositat, la percepció de la pell, la duresa i la cremositat/farinositat, demostrant la seva capacitat per discriminar efectes genètics, ambientals i de interacció per aquests atributs. Les eines desenvolupades es van aplicar a tres casos diferents d’estudi. En el primer treball es varen determinar les diferencies genètiques, en Caràcters sensorials i químics, entre les varietats Genoll de Crist, Canela, Castellfollit del Boix, Ganxet i, també, entre genotips diferents de Ganxet. Entre les varietats es va registrà un ampli rang de variació pels atributs sensorials i pels paràmetres químics estudiats. En canvi el panel no va ser capaç de percebre diferències significatives entre las 7 línies pures Ganxet escollides per estudiar la variabilitat intravarietal. Si que es van trobar diferències en diversos analits, tant de la pell com del cotiledó, entre aquestes línies. Considerant la diferent capacitat discriminativa de les aproximacions sensorial i química es va optar per una aproximació únicament sensorial en els dos casos restants. En segon lloc es va abordar la comparació de la Denominació d’Origen Protegida Mongetes del Ganxet (DOPMG) i la Denominació d’Origen Protegida (en tràmit) Fesols de Santa Pau (DOPFSP), emprant caràcters agromorfològics, sensorials i culinaris. Els productes de les dues DOPs es van poder separar per la forma de la llavor, per les característiques culinàries (56,3 % de llavors senceres en DOPMG en front al 42 % en DOPFSP) i pel valor sensorial (rugositat de la pell 5,8 en DOPMG i 2,1 en DOPFSP; percepció de la pell 2,2 en DOPMG i 3,6 en DOPFSP; farinositat 2,3 en DOPMG i 4,3 en DOPFSP). Les diferencies es van atribuir al germoplasma, al contingut mes baix de Ca i a la capacitat de bescanvi catiònic mes alta en els sols de la DOPFSP i al cultiu en secà de la DOPFSP. En el darrer treball s’efectua la descripció sensorial i culinària de mongetes collides amb el gra immadur, en comparació amb les collides madures, en les zones de producció Indicació Geogràfica Protegida Faba Asturiana (IGPFA), DOPMG i DOPFSP. Es van emprar mongetes de varietats acceptades pels consells reguladors, cultivades en dos anys consecutius, en diverses localitats de les zones protegides. Les mongetes immadures son van resultar ser significativament diferents de les madures pels paràmetres culinaris temps de cocció i percentatge de llavors senceres, i també pels atributs sensorials rugositat de la pell i percepció de la pell. No obstant les diferencies observades no varen ser sempre en el mateix sentit: la percepció de la pell va ser més alta en las llavors immadures que en les madures en les DOPMG (3,51 vs 2,59) i DOPFSP (5,08 vs 4,20), i més baixa en la IGPFA (3,28 vs 4,13). Això, junt a les diferencies que es van observar entre localitats i anys, posa de manifest que les diferències culinàries i gastronòmiques entre les llavors madures i immadures depenen del genotip i de l’ambient, pel que per cada àrea i genotip s’han de fer proves per determinar el seu valor gastronòmic potencial.Dry beans represent the most important bean crop for human consumption and the primary source of protein for much of the world’s population. Furthermore, including dry beans in the diet has clear benefits for health. In the near future, the degree to which beans are consolidated as a key part of the diet in the developed world will depend largely on their sensory value. The objective of this thesis is to develop tools to allow the sensory analysis of beans and to use these tools to explore the variability in sensory traits to ascertain to what extent variations depend on genetic, environmental, and culinary effects. To this end, we developed a protocol for the preparation of beans that would be useful both for chemical and sensory analyses. Based on the traditional methods consumers use to prepare beans, this protocol makes it possible to describe the sensory and nutritional properties of the beans. The sensory panel, trained as part of the thesis, determined that the most relevant attributes related to texture were seed coat roughness, seed coat perceptibility, hardness, and creaminess/mealiness. The panel demonstrated its ability to discriminate among genetic and environmental effects as well as among effects due to the interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The tools developed were applied in three different studies. In the first study, we determined the genetic differences in sensory and chemical traits among the landraces “Genoll de Crist”, “Canela”, “Castellfollit del Boix”, and “Ganxet” as well as among different entries of “Ganxet”. We found a wide range of intervarietal variation in the sensory attributes and chemical parameters studied. The panel was unable to perceive significant differences in the sensory attributes between the seven “Ganxet” inbreds chosen to study the variability within the landrace. However, the chemical analysis did find differences between these inbreds in diverse parameters for both the skin and cotyledon. In light of the differences in the discriminative capacity of the sensory and chemical approaches, we decided to use only the sensory approach in the remaining two studies that form the basis of this thesis. The second study compared beans from the Protected Denomination of Origin “Mongetes del Ganxet” (PDOMG) and from the Protected Denomination of Origin (pending) “Fesols de Santa Pau” (PDOFSP) on agricultural, morphological, sensory, and culinary traits. It was possible to distinguish between products included in the two PDOs by the shape of the seed, culinary traits (56.3% of the seeds from PDOMG remained whole after cooking versus 42 % of those from PDOFSP), and by sensory traits (seed coat roughness, 5.8 in PDOMG vs. 2.1 in PDOFSP; seed coat perceptibility, 2.2 in PDOMG vs. 3.6 in PDOFSP; and creaminess/mealiness, 2.3 in PDOMG vs. 4.3 in PDOFSP). The differences were attributed to the germplasm, to the lower Ca and higher cationic exchange capacity in soils belonging to PDOFSP, and to cultivation without irrigation in PDOFSP. The third study on which this thesis is based investigated the sensory and culinary traits of bean seeds harvested when immature (shell beans) in comparison to those harvested when mature in the Protected Geographical Indication “Faba Asturiana” (PGIFA), PDOMG, and PDOFSP. To this end, we evaluated beans from diverse entries accepted by the respective regulating bodies of the different products with protected geographical status, cultivated in two consecutive years in various locations in the protected areas. We found significant differences between the beans harvested when immature and those harvested when mature in the culinary parameters cooking time and percentage of whole beans after cooking as well as in the sensory attributes seed coat roughness and seed coat perceptibility. However, the differences observed were not always in the same direction: seed coat perceptibility was higher in seeds harvested when immature in PDOMG (3.51 vs 2.59) and PDOFSP (5.08 vs 4.20) but lower in PGIFA (3.28 vs 4.13). These findings, together with the differences observed between locations and years, show that the culinary and gastronomic differences between mature and immature seeds depend on both the genotype and environment, so trials must be carried out to determine the gastronomic potential of each genotype and area

Efecte de la utilització de fangs de depuradora com a adob sobre els microoganismes indicadors de la fertilitat i de la contaminació del sòl

Peer Reviewe

Culinary and sensory traits diversity in the Spanish Core Collection of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The Spanish National Plant Genetic Resource Center’s core collection of bean germplasm includes 202 accessions selected from more than 3000 accessions in function of passport data, seed phenotype, genetic background, and agronomic traits. To acquire more useful information about these accessions, we cultivated and characterized them for sensory and culinary traits. We found considerable variation for culinary and sensory traits of the cooked beans (mean coefficients of variation: 41% for the sensory traits and 40% for the culinary traits). The large dataset enabled us to study correlations between sensory and culinary traits and among these traits and geographic origin, seed color, and growth habit. Greater proportion of white in the seed coat correlated positively with brightness and negatively with mealiness (r=0.60, r=-0.60, p<0.001, respectively). Mealiness correlated negatively with seed-coat roughness and rate of water absorption (r=-0.60, r=-0.53, p<0.001, respectively). Materials of Andean origin had lower seed-coat brightness (p<0.01) and seed-coat roughness, and greater seed-coat perceptibility, mealiness, flavor, and aroma (p<0.001) than materials of Mesoamerican origin. Growth habit failed to correlate with culinary or sensory traits. Breeders can benefit from the information about this core collection available at www.crf.inia.es/crfesp/paginaprincipaljudia.asp

Les marques geogràfiques de qualitat europees i la conservació dels recursos fitogenètics hortícoles a Catalunya

Les marques geogràfiques europees van ser creades per a afavorir el desenvolupament rural i protegeixen productes agraris i alimentaris amb característiques de qualitat superiors, demostrables objectivament. La seva qualitat és determinada per l'efecte de l'ambient (incloent-hi els processos de transformació quan escau) i/o per la varietat vegetal o per la raça animal d'on procedeix la matèria primera. El més habitual és que les varietats o races que donen aquestes resultants superiors siguin tradicionals. A Catalunya, per les seves característiques geogràfiques, climàtiques i històriques, hi ha una gran quantitat de varietats vegetals tradicionals, ja sigui conservades ex situ, en bancs de germoplasma, o conservades in situ pels agricultors, encara que d'altres s'han perdut inexorablement. A partir de la revisió d'alguns casos d'espècies hortícoles, ens sembla que podem afirmar que la feina necessària per a aconseguir una marca geogràfica (especialment la denominació d'origen protegida) fomenta la documentació de la biodiversitat cultivada, la regeneració i la conservació del material genètic, la seva depuració d'introgressions foranes i la seva evolució. Així doncs, es tractaria d'incrementar el nombre de marques geogràfiques treballant de manera rigorosa, identificant zones i varietats candidates i endegant els estudis corresponents. Això justifica l'existència d'un treball ordenat de recollida,de documentació i de caracterització que després serà utilitzat per a constituir les marques. Donades les característiques de les empreses que habitualment hi ha al voltant del sector productiu primari, especialment quan es tracta de materials adaptats a condicions locals, sembla inviable que la promoció d'una nova marca de qualitat es faci de manera espontània. Les administracions s'haurien de convertir en motor de les marques i no únicament en els seus gestors administratius. Fins ara, aquest procés s'ha dut a terme de manera voluntària entre el personal de l'Administració, però s'hauria d'afavorir la creació d'un grup de treball promotor de marques que identifiqués zones i productes candidats i que assessorés i acompanyés els productors fins a assolir i consolidar les noves marques. Únicament així justificarem davant els ciutadans les despeses fetes en conservació, i demostrarem que posteriorment ho completem amb el seu ús i la seva rendibilitat econòmica i social.The European geographical quality labels were created to favour rural development, protecting agricultural and food products with superior quality characteristics of an objectively demonstrable nature. This quality is determined by the environmental effect (including transformation processes where appropriate) and/or the plant variety or animal breed that provides the raw materials. Most often, the varieties that provide these superior qualities are landraces. In Catalonia, due to its geographical, climatic and historical characteristics, there is a large number of landraces, conserved ex situ in germplasm banks or on-site by farmers, while others have been inexorably lost. From the review of some cases of horticultural species, we can safely state that the necessary work to obtain a geographical mark (especially the Protected Designation of Origin) involves the documentation of cultivated biodiversity, and the regeneration and conservation of genetic material, its purification of foreign introgressions and its evolution. It would therefore be desirable to increase the number of geographical labels by working efficiently, identi-fying candidate areas and varieties, and carrying out the respective studies. This justifies the existence of a systematic programme of collection, documentation and characterization of the agrobiodiversity that will later be used to establish the labels. Given the characteristics of the companies of the primary production sector, especially when it comes to materials adapted to local conditions, the spontaneous promotion of a new quality label would appear to be unfeasible. Public administrations should become the motor of these labels and not only act as their administrative managers. Their intervention up to now has been rather voluntarist but the creation of a working group to promote labels should be encouraged, identifying areas and candidate products and advising and accompanying producers to obtain and consolidate new geographical labels. Only in this way will we justify to the citizens the expenses incurred in conservation, demonstrating that it is subsequently supplemented by their application and their profitable economic and social utilization.Las marcas geográficas europeas se crearon para favorecer el desarrollo rural y protegen productos agrarios y alimentarios con características de calidad superiores, demostrables objetivamente. Su calidad viene determinada por el efecto del ambiente (incluyendo los procesos de transformación si es el caso) y/o por la variedad vegetal o por la raza animal de donde procede la materia prima. Lo más frecuente es que las variedades o razas que dan estas combinaciones superiores sean variedades tradicionales. En Cataluña, por sus características geográficas, climáticas e históricas, existe una gran cantidad de variedades vegetales tradicionales, conservadas ex situ en bancos de germoplasma o conservadas in situ por los agricultores, si bien otras se han perdido inexorablemente. A partir de la revisión de algunos casos de especies hortícolas, nos parece poder afirmar que el trabajo necesario para conseguir una marca geográfica (especialmente la denominación de origen protegida) fomenta la documentación de la biodiversidad cultivada, la regeneración y la conservación del material genético, su depuración de introgresiones foráneas y su evolución. Se trataría, pues, de incrementar el número de marcas geográficas trabajando de manera rigurosa, identificando zonas y variedades candidatas y realizando los estudioscorrespondientes. Eso justifica la existencia de un trabajo ordenado de recolección, de documentación y de caracterización que después será utilizado para constituir las marcas. Dadas las características de las empresas que habitualmente trabajan en el sector productivo primario, especialmente cuando se trata de materiales adaptados a condiciones locales, parece inviable que la promoción de una nueva marca de calidad se realice de manera espontánea. Las administraciones deberían convertirse en el motor de las marcas y no ser únicamente gestores administrativos de ellas. Su intervención hasta ahora la ha llevado a cabo de forma voluntaria personal de la Administración, pero debería favorecerse la creación de un grupo de trabajo promotor de marcas que identificara zonas y productos candidatos y que asesorara y acompañara a los productores hasta conseguir y consolidar las nuevas marcas. Únicamente así justificaremos ante los ciudadanos los gastos efectuados en conservación, demostrando que posteriormente se completa con su uso y rentabilidad económica y social

Fine tuning European geographic quality labels, an opportunity for the horticulture diversification: A tentative proposal for the Spanish case

[EN] European horticulture, especially in the southern states, must exploit new qualities to increase the added value of its vegetables. This article aims to analyze the situation of the European geographical quality labels Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) to ascertain whether they are useful for this purpose. To this end, we studied the registers of the current horticultural products awarded PDO or PGI status, and we surveyed the authorities responsible for managing the labels for these products. We found that protected labels have grown steadily since their inception about thirty years ago, becoming a powerful mechanism for landrace conservation and a source of added benefits. The strongest points in the management of these labels include anchoring the products in the local history and culture roots and defining the prominent characteristics of their external appearance, and the weakest points are the lack of information about chemical traits and especially about sensory traits (texture, odor, taste). To strengthen PDO and PGI labels, we propose increasing the requirements for sensory descriptions, homogenizing protocols for analyzing sensory traits, incorporating methods combining trained sensory panels and instrumental methods such as spectroscopy, and involving public administrations in both obtaining and managing the labels. As an example of the potential impact of European geographical labels on territorial rebalancing and the organization of European horticulture, we propose a panoply of products in Spain that are good candidates for protected status.This work was supported by the ¿Departament d¿Agricultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya¿.Romero Del Castillo-Shelly, R.; Sans, S.; Casañas Artigas, F.; Soler Aleixandre, S.; Prohens Tomás, J.; Díez Niclós, MJTDJ.; Casals Missio, J. (2021). Fine tuning European geographic quality labels, an opportunity for the horticulture diversification: A tentative proposal for the Spanish case. Food Control. 129:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.10819611412

Improving the Conservation and Use of Traditional Germplasm through Breeding for Local Adaptation: The Case of the Castellfollit del Boix Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landrace

[EN] The dramatic reduction in the diversity of crops in the last century is often attributed to the consolidation of scientific breeding, probably because the two processes have occurred at the same time. We carried out a breeding program to enhance the Castellfollit del Boix landrace of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in a low-input environment to determine the effects of breeding on a landrace at risk of disappearing. The program increased the number of accessions conserved ex situ and obtained more efficient genotypes that are less likely to be abandoned by farmer without altering the characteristics that consumers appreciate most. As a result, the availability of the product, its promotion, and its use have increased. We propose a Conservation Potential Index to measure the impact of changes in the crop¿s epiphenotype, and also apply it to a set of landraces from several crops. We argue that scientific breeding and information gathered in the context of genetic improvement programs can help to conserve biodiversity when they aim to adapt materials to different local environments, rather than having a negative impact on the biodiversity of crops. This approach contrasts with the genetic erosion that results from efforts to homogenize environments by increasing inputs, so that a few improved varieties adapted to these environments can be grown.This research was funded by Ajuntament de Castellfollit del Boix, Consell Comarcal del Bages and Diputacio de Barcelona.Casals-Missio, J.; Rivera, A.; Rull-Ferré, A.; Romero Del Castillo-Shelly, R.; Sabaté, J.; Sans, S.; Soler Aleixandre, S.... (2019). Improving the Conservation and Use of Traditional Germplasm through Breeding for Local Adaptation: The Case of the Castellfollit del Boix Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landrace. Agronomy. 9(12):1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9120889S117912Louwaars, N. P. (2018). Plant breeding and diversity: A troubled relationship? Euphytica, 214(7). doi:10.1007/s10681-018-2192-5Gollin, D., Morris, M., & Byerlee, D. (2005). Technology Adoption in Intensive Post‐Green Revolution Systems. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 87(5), 1310-1316. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8276.2005.00824.xCasañas, F., Simó, J., Casals, J., & Prohens, J. (2017). Toward an Evolved Concept of Landrace. Frontiers in Plant Science, 08. doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.00145Sánchez, E., Sifres, A., Casañas, F., & Nuez, F. (2007). Common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) landraces in Catalonia, a Mesoamerican germplasm hotspot to be preserved. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 82(4), 529-534. doi:10.1080/14620316.2007.11512269Díez, M. J., De la Rosa, L., Martín, I., Guasch, L., Cartea, M. E., Mallor, C., … Casañas, F. (2018). Plant Genebanks: Present Situation and Proposals for Their Improvement. the Case of the Spanish Network. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.01794ROMERO DEL CASTILLO, R., COSTELL, E., PLANS, M., SIMÓ, J., & CASAÑAS, F. (2012). A STANDARDIZED METHOD OF PREPARING COMMON BEANS (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) FOR SENSORY ANALYSIS. Journal of Sensory Studies, 27(3), 188-195. doi:10.1111/j.1745-459x.2012.00381.xROMERO DEL CASTILLO, R., VALERO, J., CASAÑAS, F., & COSTELL, E. (2008). TRAINING, VALIDATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A PANEL TO EVALUATE THE TEXTURE OF DRY BEANS (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.). Journal of Sensory Studies, 23(3), 303-319. doi:10.1111/j.1745-459x.2008.00157.xDawson, J. C., Murphy, K. M., & Jones, S. S. (2007). Decentralized selection and participatory approaches in plant breeding for low-input systems. Euphytica, 160(2), 143-154. doi:10.1007/s10681-007-9533-0Almirall, A., Bosch, L., Romero del Castillo, R., Rivera, A., & Casañas, F. (2010). ‘Croscat’ Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a Prototypical Cultivar within the ‘Tavella Brisa’ Type. HortScience, 45(3), 432-433. doi:10.21273/hortsci.45.3.432Plans, M., Simó, J., Casañas, F., & Sabaté, J. (2012). Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis of Seed Coats of Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): A Potential Tool for Breeding and Quality Evaluation. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(3), 706-712. doi:10.1021/jf204110kPlans, M., Simó, J., Casañas, F., del Castillo, R. R., Rodriguez-Saona, L. E., & Sabaté, J. (2014). Estimating sensory properties of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by near infrared spectroscopy. Food Research International, 56, 55-62. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2013.12.003COYNE, D. P. (1967). Photoperiodism: Inheritance and Linkage Studies in Phaseolus vulgaris. Journal of Heredity, 58(6), 313-314. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a107628Koinange, E. M. K., Singh, S. P., & Gepts, P. (1996). Genetic Control of the Domestication Syndrome in Common Bean. 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Sensory Traits and Consumer’s Perceived Quality of Traditional and Modern Fresh Market Tomato Varieties: A Study in Three European Countries

Consumer dissatisfaction with the flavor quality of many modern fresh market tomato varieties has fostered breeders’ interest in sensory quality improvement, and the demand for traditional varieties, which are generally associated with better flavor. To achieve further knowledge on the factors influencing the sensory quality and consumers’ preferences and perception, European traditional and modern fresh market tomato varieties were grown and evaluated in France, Italy, and Spain. Different growing conditions were tested in France (soilless vs. soil) and in Spain (open field vs. greenhouse), while in Italy fruits were evaluated at two ripening stages. Fruit quality was assessed by integrating physicochemical analyses, sensory profiles, and consumer tests. In all three countries, overall modern varieties were perceived as having more intense “tomato flavor” and “overall flavor” than traditional ones. In France and Spain, consumers’ preferences were more oriented towards modern varieties than traditional ones. Significant growing condition effects were found on sensory and physicochemical traits, while the effect on consumers’ overall liking was not significant, largely depending on the genotype. A fair agreement between product configurations from descriptive analysis by trained assessors and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questions by consumers was observed. Penalty-lift analysis based on CATA allowed identifying positive and negative drivers of liking

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group