Search Results (1,600)

As a large-volume industrial solid waste generated during the production of wet-process phosphoric acid, the primary disposal method for phosphogypsum (PG) currently involves centralized stockpiling, which requires substantial land use. Additionally, PG contains impurities, such as phosphorus, fluorine, and alkali metals, that may pose potential pollution risks to the surrounding environment. However, the mechanisms governing the co-release of phosphorus and fluorine impurities alongside valuable metal cations during leaching remain unclear, posing challenges to efficient disposal and utilization. This study compares the leaching characteristics of cations and anions in PG of different particle sizes through static pH leaching experiments. Using Visual MINTEQ simulation combined with XRD, XPS, and FT-IR characterization methods, we analyzed the leaching mechanisms and key controlling factors for various metal elements and inorganic elements, like phosphorus and fluorine, under different pH conditions. The experimental results show that Ca, Al, Fe, Ti, Ba, Sr, Y, and PO₄³⁻ in PG are more easily released under acidic conditions, while Si, Zn, Co, and F are primarily influenced by the content of soluble components. The dynamic “dissolution–crystallization” reaction of CaSO₄·H₂O significantly impacts the leaching of fluorine, and the XRD, XPS, and FT-IR characterization results confirm the presence of this reaction during the leaching process. This research provides theoretical guidance for the environmental risk assessment of stockpiled PG and the recovery of phosphorus, fluorine, and valuable metal resources from PG. Full article

Vacuum impregnation (VI) allows soluble solids to be introduced into the porous matrix of a food material, modifying the composition of the tissue to facilitate further processing. The purpose of this research was to analyze the influence of pressure on the effectiveness of VI on a low porous material that is difficult to impregnate. Two cultivars of carrot (Baltimore F1 and Komarno) were subjected to VI at 5 and 30 kPa in a ternary solution of ascorbic acid (0.5%), citric acid (0.5%), and sucrose (8%) under isotonic conditions. The products were analyzed in terms of ascorbic acid content, degree of impregnation, and changes in structure, texture, color, antioxidant activity, phenolic content, carotenoids, and structure-forming compounds. Increases in vitamin C content (after VI) depended on the process conditions and ranged from 900% to 1300% in relation to the raw material. It was also observed that the extended impregnation time at a pressure of 5 kPa produced slices that were also impregnated in parenchyma area. The increased levels of polyphenolic compounds found in the saturated product may suggest that de novo synthesis under the influence of physiological stress had occurred. Full article

Aronia, haskap, and goji berries are characterized by their high content of bioactive compounds and their beneficial health properties as well as their resistance to harsh agronomic conditions. In this work, cultivars of these species growing in a mountainous region of central-western Spain were characterized by analyzing physicochemical parameters and bioactive compounds. Goji fruits showed the highest total soluble solid content and the lowest acidity values. The sugar profile suggested that goji cultivars will have a higher sweetness due to higher fructose and glucose content. However, aronia cultivars will be the least sweet due to their high sorbitol content. The total organic acid content was much higher in aronia and haskap than in goji fruits, and the profile varied according to species. The total phenolic content was significantly higher in aronia fruits. A total of 15 phenolic compounds were detected, with anthocyanins being predominant in aronia and haskap berries; however, they were not detected in goji fruits. Nevertheless, carotenoid compounds were found in goji berries and not detected in aronia and haskap fruits. Aronia fruits showed the highest antioxidant capacity compared to haskap and goji fruits. The PCA analysis classified the samples to determine which parameters have the greatest influence. Full article

Pitaya is renowned for its delicious taste, high nutritional value, and economic as well as ornamental appeal. Breeding new pitaya varieties can boost economic returns by appealing to consumers with diverse morphological traits. However, the genetic basis underlying key traits in intergeneric hybrids of pitaya has yet to be fully understood. This study investigates the genetic dynamics in flower, fruit, and stem traits, including segregation patterns and a mixed inheritance model for major and polygenic traits, in an intergeneric hybridization between ‘Honghuagqinglong’ (HHQL) (Hylocereus stenopterus) and ‘Heilong’ (HL) (Selenicereus grandiflorus). The study identified normal or skewed, normal distribution patterns in seven floral, fifteen fruit, and five stem traits, indicating their quantitative nature governed by multiple genes. Specifically, flower size and color exhibited a hereditary bias towards ‘HL’ characteristics, while ‘HHQL’ significantly influenced the coloration of fruit peel and pulp. Fruit weight and total soluble solids (TSS) content decreased, whereas stem traits exhibited broader and thicker dimensions with fewer thorns. This study offers valuable insights into genetic variation and the influence of major genes on flower, fruit, and stem traits between ‘HHQL’ and ‘HL’ intergeneric hybrids, providing a useful reference for parental selection in pitaya breeding programs. Full article

Oleogels (organogels) are systems resembling a solid substance based on the gelation of organic solvents (oil or non-polar liquid) through components of low molecular weight or oil-soluble polymers. Such compounds are organogelators that produce a thermoreversible three-dimensional gel network that captures liquid organic solvents. Oleogels based on natural oils are attracting more attention due to their numerous advantages, such as their unsaturated fatty acid contents, ease of preparation, and safety of use. As a result of the research, two oleogels were developed, into which freeze-dried alginate carriers with a probiotic, L. casei, were incorporated. Two techniques were used to produce probiotic-loaded capsules—extrusion and emulsification. Alginate beads obtained by the extrusion process have a size of approximately 1.2 mm, while much smaller microspheres were obtained using the emulsification technique, ranging in size from 8 to 17 µm. The trehalose was added as a cryoprotectant to improve the survival rate of probiotics in freeze-dried alginate carriers. The encapsulation efficiency for both of the methods applied, the emulsification and the extrusion technique, was high, with levels of 90% and 87%, respectively. The obtained results showed that the production method of probiotic-loaded microspheres influence the bacterial viability. The better strain survival in the developed systems was achieved in the case of microspheres produced by the emulsification (reduction in bacterial cell viability in the range of 1.98–3.97 log in silica oleogel and 2.15–3.81 log in sucragel oleogel after 7 and 30 days of storage) than by the extrusion technique (after a week and a month of oleogel storage, the decrease in cell viability was 2.52–4.52 log in silica oleogel and 2.48–4.44 log in sucragel oleogel). Full article

This research examined the viability of Japanese quince juice concentrate (JQJC) as an innovative alternative to lemon juice concentrate (LJC). Given the rising consumer demand for natural food ingredients, this study focused on a thorough analysis of the nutritional and functional characteristics of JQJC in comparison to LJC. The chemical analysis indicated that JQJC possesses a total soluble solids (TSS) content of 50.6 °Brix, with fructose and glucose, to a greater extent, being the primary contributors to its solids content. In contrast, LJC had a TSS of 39.8 °Brix and also contained glucose and fructose. Additionally, malic acid is a principal component of JQJC’s acidity, determined at 20.98 g 100 g⁻¹ of fresh weight (FW), while LJC mostly contained citric acid at a concentration of 30.86 g 100 g⁻¹ FW. Moreover, the ascorbic acid content quantified in JQJC was eight times greater than that observed in LJC. The assessment of antioxidant activity, utilizing the DPPH^• and FRAP assays, indicated that JQJC exhibits scavenging activity nearly eleven times higher than that of LJC, suggesting its superior antioxidant capacity. The total phenolic content for JQJC was quantified at 2189.59 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW, significantly (p < 0.05) exceeding the 262.80 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW found in LJC. The analysis identified 16 individual phenolic compounds in JQJC, highlighting the dominance of epicatechin, chlorogenic, and protocatechuic acids with concentrations ranging from 0.16 to 50.63 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW, contributing to a total individual phenolic content of 114.07 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW. Conversely, LJC is characterized by substantial contributions from hesperidin, eriocitrin, and, to a lesser extent, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, yielding a phenolic content of 109.65 mg 100 g⁻¹ FW. This study presents strong evidence supporting the utilization of JQJC as a functional substitute for LJC across a variety of product categories, including beverages, jams, and other food items. The findings indicate that JQJC has the potential to enhance product development targeted at health-conscious consumers while optimizing the utilization of a relatively underexplored fruit crop. Full article

To improve the quality of palm kernel meal (PKM), the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Bacillus velezensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus paracasei on nutritional components, anti-nutritional factor and antioxidant activity were investigated. The results show that inoculation ratio of three strains 4:2:1, inoculation amount 21%, moisture content 52%, fermentation temperature 34 °C and fermentation time 60 h were the optimal SSF conditions. After 60 h of fermentation, the content of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), cellulose and hemicellulose in PKM were significantly decreased by 22.5%, 18.2%, 20.2%, 17.6% and 32.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, the content of crude protein, soluble protein, peptides, amino acids and reducing sugar were increased significantly by 27.3%, 193%, 134%, 16.3% and 228%, respectively. SSF significantly improved the total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power. In addition, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro crude protein digestibility (IVCPD) were increased. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed microstructural alterations in PKM. The results indicate that SSF with B. velezensis, S. cerevisiae and L. paracasei is an effective and promising method to enhance the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of PKM, providing a feasible solution for increasing the utilization of PKM in animal feed. Full article

Soluble solids content (SSC) measurements are crucial for managing longan production and post-harvest handling. However, most traditional SSC detection methods are destructive, cumbersome, and unsuitable for field applications. This study proposes a novel field detection model (Brix-back propagation neural network, Brix-BPNN), designed for longan SSC grading based on an improved BP neural network. Initially, nine preprocessing methods were combined with six classification algorithms to develop the longan SSC grading prediction model. Among these, the model preprocessed with Savitzky–Golay smoothing and the first derivative (SG-D1) demonstrated a 7.02% improvement in accuracy compared to the original spectral model. Subsequently, the BP network structure was refined, and the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm was employed for feature wavelength extraction. The results show that the improved Brix-BPNN model, integrated with the CARS, achieves the highest prediction performance, with a 2.84% increase in classification accuracy relative to the original BPNN model. Additionally, the number of wavelengths is reduced by 92% compared to the full spectrum, making this model both lightweight and efficient for rapid field detection. Furthermore, a portable detection device based on visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy was developed for longan SSC grading, achieving a prediction accuracy of 83.33% and enabling fast, nondestructive testing in field conditions. Full article

This study aimed to detect an impact of water–ethanol extracts of different microalgae species—Spirulina platensis, Dunaliella salina and Chlorella vulgaris—on the accumulation of bioactive compounds in tomatoes. A treatment with the corresponding ethanol solution and pure drinking water was used as a control. Tomato cultivar ‘Belle’ F1 (Enza Zaden) was grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse, in 25 L pots filled with a peat substrate (pH KCl 5.5). The plants were sprayed weekly from germination until the start of harvesting, in total nine times. Fruits were analysed at the stage of full ripeness. Bioactive compounds’ contents such as vitamin C, titratable acidity, pH value, β-carotene, lycopene, anthocyanin, total phenols as well as total soluble solids and dry matter were analysed, and the connection between fruit mass and the taste index was determined. The influence of the tested extracts on the bioactive compounds and quality parameters of tomatoes was different, but no significant differences for most of the analysed active compounds were found, with the exception of total phenols (from 137.59 ± 1.34 to 166.93 ± 2.01 mg 100 g⁻¹) and total soluble solids (from 3.93 ± 0.12 to 4.4 ± 0.18 °Brix). In the next research, a more detailed study about the influence of the ethanol concentration on changes in biologically active compounds should be provided. Full article

To understand ester compound biosynthesis in kiwifruit, two Actinidia species with distinct characteristics were compared. The firmness of Donghong (Actinidia chinensis) and Ganlv-1 (Actinidia eriantha) fruits gradually decreased as the fruit ripened after harvest, whereas the total soluble solids increased continuously, reaching a peak on the 8th day. The Ganlv-1 fruit ester content was significantly lower than in the Donghong fruits at the optimal eating stage, and the alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) activity in the Ganlv-1 fruits was significantly lower than in the Donghong fruits. The gene expression levels of AAT1 and AAT17 in the Donghong fruits were significantly higher than in the Ganlv-1 fruits, with a particularly remarkable difference observed for AAT1, which exhibited a 36-fold higher expression in the Donghong fruits when compared with the fully ripened Ganlv-1 fruits. A transient overexpression of the AAT1 gene in the kiwifruit led to a significant increase in ester content. Interestingly, a natural variation was observed in the promoter sequence of AAT1 between the Donghong and Ganlv-1 cultivars. Furthermore, separate analyses of the respective promoter activities revealed significantly higher activity levels in the Donghong fruits than in the Ganlv-1 fruits. In conclusion, a natural variation in the AAT1 promoter is primarily responsible for the disparity in AAT1 gene expression between the Donghong and Ganlv-1 fruits, resulting in a divergent accumulation of ester aroma compounds during the postharvest ripening stages. Full article

In response to environmental challenges facing the agricultural sector, growers are moving toward innovative and sustainable cultivation methods such as the hydroponic production system. This study evaluated the effect of different sources of manure on the physico-chemical and nutritional qualities of tomatoes (cv. CLX 532) grown under a hydroponic system. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with four treatments, which included three types of animal manure-derived hydroponic nutrient extracts, namely, chicken (CHME), cow (CME) and goat (GME), and a commercial fertilizer as a control. Tomato fruit from each treatment were harvested and analysed for macro- and micronutrients, physicochemical attributes such as total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solid to titratable acidity ratio (TSS/TA), BrimA, colour index and firmness. The total phenolics and ascorbic acid content were also assessed. The results showed significant differences in physico-chemical and nutritional quality among different treatments. TSS was higher in CHME (6.47 °Brix) compared to other treatments. The TA was higher in both commercial fertilizer and CHME (0.62% and 0.61%) than in GME and CME (0.44% and 0.39%). Both TSS/TA and BrimA were lower in commercial fertilizer and than in animal manure extracts (AME). CHME had a higher colour index (30.32) while GME had higher firmness (316.9 N) than other treatments. The phenolic content was notably higher in GME compared to the commercial fertilizer and AME. Fruit fertigated with commercial fertilizer had more macronutrient content while fruit fertigated with animal manure-based nutrient solutions had high micronutrients. Based on these findings, animal manure extracts, specifically CHME and GME, can be used as a nutrient source in the production of tomatoes as it produces good fruit quality which is comparable to commercial fertilizers. Full article

The study of the application of biostimulants in agriculture aims to increase production and improve the efficient use of physical space and agricultural inputs, thus contributing to the sustainability of production systems. One of the new challenges is to verify the effects of joint application of these products to identify possible interactions during crop development. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the biostimulant potential of the isolated and combined use of nicotinamide and Azospirillum brasilense in developing cantaloupe melon plants and fruits. The treatments consisted of foliar application (combined and isolated) of nicotinamide (300 mg L⁻¹) and A. brasilense (2 mL L⁻¹). The results revealed that applying biostimulants positively influences gas exchange and vegetative growth of plants, especially in the root system. However, although the isolated application of each biostimulant resulted in greater effectiveness in terms of transpiration, stomatal conductance, and net CO₂ assimilation, which provided an increase in the soluble solids content, the combined application of the two biostimulants resulted in significant gains in the growth of vegetative organs and fruits. Furthermore, combined applications of nicotinamide plus A. brasilense favored the development of biometric characteristics and fruit fresh weight, while isolated applications increased soluble solids content. Full article

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has emerged as an effective method for wheat bran valorization, providing advantages like cost reduction, decreased water usage, and enhanced product quality. In this study, wheat bran was fermented using Rhizopus oryzae to evaluate the extraction yield of soluble dietary fiber, the activities of protease and amylase, and the physicochemical characteristics of wheat bran during SSF. The findings demonstrated that the maximum yield of soluble dietary fiber was achieved after 120 h of fermentation at a moisture content of 55%. Simultaneously, protease activity peaked at 45% moisture content after 120 h, while amylase activity was maximized at 55% moisture content after 96 h. The microstructure result indicated that most of the starch granules degraded after 144 h of fermentation at a moisture content of 55%, exhibiting a smooth outer layer of wheat bran. Furthermore, fermented bran showed a significant rise in total phenols, peaking at 96 h at a moisture content of 55%. Flavonoid content also reached its maximum after 72 h of fermentation at 55% moisture content. The content of alkylresorcinols in fermented wheat bran changed slightly under different moisture content and fermentation time conditions, which was consistent with the change in pH value. The DPPH radical scavenging rate was optimal when the moisture content was 55% after 96 h. The ABTS radical scavenging rate, hydroxyl radical scavenging rate, and reducing ability were optimal at 55% moisture content after 120 h. These findings demonstrate that the optimal conditions for the SSF of wheat bran using Rhizopus oryzae involve maintaining the moisture at 55%, suggesting that this method is effective for enhancing the value of wheat bran. Full article

Watermelons are in high demand for their juicy texture and sweetness, which is linked to their soluble solids content (SSC). Traditionally, watermelons have been sold as whole fruits. However, the decline in the mean size of households and the very large size of the fruits, together with high prices, mainly at the beginning of the season, mean that supermarkets now sell them as half fruits. For consumers, it is important to know in advance that the fruits that they are purchasing are of a high quality, based not only on external flesh colour but also on sweetness. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and Raman spectroscopy were used for the in situ determination of SSC in half watermelons while simulating supermarket conditions. A handheld linear variable filter (LVF) device and an all-in-one (AIO) Process Raman analyser were used for the NIRS and Raman analysis, respectively. The excellent results obtained—including residual predictive deviation for prediction (RPD_p) values of 3.06 and 2.90 for NIRS and Raman, respectively—showed the viability of NIRS and Raman spectroscopies for the prediction of sweetness in half watermelons. Full article

The management of grapevine from diseases is now particularly focused on the development of environmentally friendly strategies. Although sulphur is not in itself a toxic substance, its extensive use in powdery mildew, in organic vineyards especially, may cause environmental problems and plant phytotoxicity and affect the health and safety of viticultural workers. The activity of sulphur applied at doses reduced up to 50% in tank mixtures with silicates or Equisetum arvense-based products was assessed on powdery mildew in grapevine. Two-year trials were carried out applying the products every 7–10 days in the period of greatest risk for disease infections, in two organic vineyards in the Abruzzo region, Italy. In both vineyards throughout all trial years, at harvest, disease incidence and severity on leaves and bunches in the silicon + sulphur treatments were generally significantly lower compared to both the sulphur at full dose and to the control. In all trials, in both vineyards, a strong activity of silicon + sulphur mixtures towards disease on leaves was observed. This effect could be decisive in lowering the potential inoculum in the following season. In the Ari vineyard, vines treated with the mixtures always increased yield quantity and quality, given the higher contents of soluble solids and lower levels of total acidity. In the Cellino vineyard, probably due to the young age of the vines, increases in yield quantity were observed, with lesser effects on quality. The promising activity of the mixtures needs further studies to confirm these positive results. Furthermore, in both vineyards, the source of primary inoculum of the pathogen was observed as chasmothecia on the leaves. Full article