Analytical Assessment of the Antioxidant Properties of the Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea L. Moench) Grown with Various Mulch Materials.

Antioxidants are added to foods to decrease the adverse effect of reactive species that create undesirable compounds that destroy essential nutrients and, therefore, lower the nutritional, chemical and physical properties of foods. This study was carried out to determine the antioxidant properties of flowers and plant stems with leaves of Echinacea purpurea grown with mulches of different colours and thicknesses. Coneflowers were grown in the Experimental Station of the Agricultural University in Kraków, Poland. The mulching materials used were black, green and brown colours of 100 g/m2 and 80 g/m2 density. In plant material, e.g., flowers or plant stems plus leaves the proximate analysis, the total polyphenol content and the ability to scavenge free radicals (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP) were determined. The results show that flower samples had a higher content of compound proteins, ash and phenolic compounds. The mulching colour and density did not affect the proximate analysis of the E. purpurea plant. Based on the result of this study, E. purpurea is a potential source of natural antioxidants and can be used to improve the antioxidant activity of various food products as well as in cosmetics within the pharmaceutical industry.

Effect of the Application of Sunflower Biochar and Leafy Trees Biochar on Soil Hydrological Properties of Fallow Soils and under Soybean Cultivation.

Soils enriched with biochar are recommended as a cultivation grounds, especially in case they contain significant amount of sand. However, the interactions between biochar and plants, as well as the influence of the biochar on water retention, cultivation and air properties of soils, are still not obvious. The present study aimed to determine the impact of various biochar doses on soils used for soya cultivation, in comparison to soils maintained as black fallow soil, on their water retention and productivity, for the period of two years. Sunflower husk biochar (BC1) and biochar of leafy trees (BC2), in doses of 0, 40, 60, 80 t·ha-1, were used for field experiments. The water retention was investigated with porous boards in pressure chambers by a drying method. No differences in the hydrological properties of the soils that were differently managed (black fallow soil, crop) were observed following biochar application. Addition of BC1, in the amounts of 40, 60, and 80 t·ha-1, caused an increase in the plant available water capacity (AWC) by 15.3%, 18.7%, and 13.3%, respectively, whereas the field capacity (FC) increased by 7.4%, 9.4%, and 8.6% for soils without biochar. Application of BC2 analogously resulted in higher AWC, by 8.97, 17.2%, and 33.1%, respectively, and higher FC by 3.75, 7.5%, and 18.3%, respectively. Increasing the doses of BC1 and BC2, both on black fallow soils and soils enriched with soya, caused a rise in total porosity (TP) and drainage porosity (DP), and a decrease in soil bulk density (SBD). Biochar with a higher total area and higher porosity (BC1) applied to soils with soya cultivation resulted in lower reductions in AW and FC than BC2 in the second year of investigation.

The Changes in Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) Herb under Storage and Different Drying Conditions: A Comparison with Other Species of Sage.

Studies on herb chia (Salvia hispanica L.) are very limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess how different drying methods and periods of storage affect the bioactive properties of the herb Salvia hispanica and to compare it with other species of sage (Salvia officinalis L. and Salvia sclarea L.). In fresh herbs, directly after drying (freeze-drying, natural drying, and drying at 30, 40, and 50 °C), and after storage (3, 6, and 12 months), the following analyses were performed: content of total carotenoids and total polyphenols, polyphenol profile (including 25 compounds), and antioxidant activity. Additionally, the basic chemical compositions of the herbs were analyzed. To the best of our knowledge, the content of total carotenoids and the quantitative polyphenol profile in Salvia hispanica and Salvia sclarea were evaluated for the first time. The obtained results showed that the barely investigated herb Salvia hispanica is rich in polyphenolic compounds and shows high antioxidant activity. In all the tested species, rosmarinic acid was the most abundant polyphenolic compound. The use of different drying methods allowed us to determine that freeze-drying was the most effective for preserving polyphenols and carotenoids. Long-term storage up to 12 months resulted in a gradual reduction in antioxidant activity and in the content of polyphenols and carotenoids.

Identification of Phenolic Compounds and Determination of Antioxidant Activity in Extracts and Infusions of Salvia Leaves.

The influence of harvest period and drying method of Salvia officinalis L. leaves on the content of essential oils, polyphenols and antioxidant properties was investigated. Sage leaves were collected twice during plant blossoming (in June and July) and dried traditionally in natural conditions and at 35 °C. Antioxidant activity was assayed in methanol-acetone extracts and infusions of dried leaves with the use of free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) technique. Total phenolic content in extracts as well as in infusions was determined by the means of Folin-Ciocalteu method. Based on the LC/MS analysis, the polyphenol compounds present in both extracts and in infusions were identified. The extracts contained more polyphenols and were characterized by higher antioxidant activity than infusions. In the extracts significant amount of ferulic acid was found, which was influenced both by the harvest period and drying method. The amount of ferulic acid found in extracts obtained from the June leaves dried traditionally was three times lower (6.185 µg/g DW) than in extracts from July leaves dried in the same conditions. Harvest period had a significant effect on the essential oils' content, leaves collected in July contained 15% more oils than those collected in June.

Application of image analysis for grass tillering determination.

Tillering is defined as the process of above-ground shoot production by a single plant. The number of grass tillers is one of the most important parameters in ecology and breeding studies. The number of tillers is usually determined by manually counting the separated shoots from a single plant. Unfortunately, this method is too time-consuming. In this study, a new method for counting grass tillers based on image analysis is presented. The usefulness of the method was evaluated for five grass species, Phleum pratense, Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis and Bromus unioloides. The grass bunches were prepared for analysis by cutting and tip painting. The images obtained were analysed using an automatic procedure with separation of shoots and other objects based on morphological parameters. It was found that image analysis allows for very quick and accurate counting of grass tillers. However, the set of morphological parameters for object recognition must be selected individually for different grass species. This method can be recommended as a replacement for the traditional, time-consuming method in grass breeding.