Avenanthramides: Unique Bioactive Substances of Oat Grain in the Context of Cultivar, Cropping System, Weather Conditions and Other Grain Parameters.

Our study was focused on the evaluation of the content of a wider spectrum of eight avenanthramides (AVNs) as unique components of oat grain under the effects of four selected factors (cultivar, locality, cropping system, and year). The weather effects on changes in the AVN content and their relationship to other important parameters of oat grain were further evaluated in more detail. A sensitive UHPLC system coupled with a QExactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer was used for AVN quantification. AVNs confirmed a high variability (RDS = 72.7-113.5%), which was dominantly influenced by the locality and year factors. While most AVN types confirmed mutually high correlations (r = 0.7-0.9), their correlations with the other 10 grain parameters were lower (r ≤ 0.48). Their significant correlations (0.27-0.46) with ß-D-glucan could be used in perspective in breeding programs for the synergetic increase of both parameters. PCA analysis and Spearman correlations based on individual cultivars confirmed a significant effect of June and July precipitation on the increase of Σ AVNs. However, the results also indicated that higher precipitation can generate favorable conditions for related factors, such as preharvest sprouting evoking a direct increase of AVNs synthesis in oat grain.

The Chemical Composition of Oils and Cakes of Ochna serrulata (Ochnaceae) and Other Underutilized Traditional Oil Trees from Western Zambia.

Currently, the negative effects of unified and intensive agriculture are of growing concern. To mitigate them, the possibilities of using local but nowadays underused crop for food production should be more thoroughly investigated and promoted. The soybean is the major crop cultivated for vegetable oil production in Zambia, while the oil production from local oil-bearing plants is neglected. The chemical composition of oils and cakes of a three traditional oil plant used by descendants of the Lozi people for cooking were investigated. Parinari curatellifolia and Schinziophyton rautanenii oils were chiefly composed of α-eleostearic (28.58-55.96%), linoleic (9.78-40.18%), and oleic acid (15.26-24.07%), whereas Ochna serrulata contained mainly palmitic (35.62-37.31%), oleic (37.31-46.80%), and linoleic acid (10.61-18.66%); the oil yield was high (39-71%). S. rautanenii and O. serrulata oils were rich in γ-tocopherol (3236.18 µg/g, 361.11 µg/g, respectively). The O. serrulata oil also had a very distinctive aroma predominantly composed of p-cymene (52.26%), m-xylene (9.63%), γ-terpinene (9.07%), o-xylene (7.97), and limonene (7.23%). The cakes remaining after oil extraction are a good source of essential minerals, being rich in N, P, S, K, Ca, and Mg. These plants have the potential to be introduced for use in the food, technical, or pharmaceutical industries.

Sensor Systems for Detecting Dough Properties Fortified with Grape Pomace and Mealworm Powders.

The present article dealt with the fortification of plain wheat flour by the addition of grape pomace flour and mealworm larvae powder, focusing on the mineral content and selected properties of the dough. The work also analyzed the properties of one mixture in a weight combination of 80% wheat flour, 10% grape pomace, and 10% mealworm. X-ray analysis was used to measure the mineral content of calcium, iron, copper, and zinc. The properties of the individual mixture were monitored using an experimental electronic nose and a thermodynamic sensor system during the leavening. The results showed that a combination of 50% grape pomace and 50% mealworm larvae was advantageous from the viewpoint of the favorable representation of minerals. The analyzed mixture contained a high proportion of calcium (3976.7 ± 362.9 mg·kg-1), iron (209.3 ± 25.7 mg·kg-1), and copper (65.0 ± 100.1 mg·kg-1) for grape pomace as well as a high proportion of zinc (277.0 ± 21.9 mg·kg-1) for the mealworm larvae. However, this mixture showed a small change in the heat flux response when analyzed with thermodynamic sensors (lower yeast activity and worse gas formation properties resulted from the sensor characteristic with a lower response). The 100% wheat flour had the highest response, and the second highest response was recorded for a mixture of wheat flour with 10% grape pomace and 10% mealworm larvae. This combination also often had one of the highest responses when measured with an experimental electronic nose, so this combination was considered as one of the most advantageous options for processing from the mixtures mentioned in the article.