A new type of tomato puree with high content of bioactive compounds from 100% whole fruit.

In this work, a new type of tomato puree was obtained from the whole fruit including seeds and skins without any waste. Currently, the food industry aims to develop products that both bring benefits to consumer health and are ecosustainable. Several efforts in fact have been carried out to revalue tomato by-products, such as seeds and skins, for human use. The physicochemical properties of the whole tomato puree immediately after production and after 6 months of storage were investigated and compared to the properties of a traditional tomato puree. Two tomato varieties were used in this study: Villa Literno and Piccadilly. pH, dry weight, water activity, titratable acidity, reducing sugars, soluble solid, lycopene, polyphenol, and volatile organic compound contents were evaluated. Tomato puree obtained from whole fruits mainly showed higher lycopene (90 to 150 mg/kg), flavonoid (39 to 41 mg/kg), and aldehyde (in particular hexanal) contents and a greater stability over time compared to those of the traditional puree. The proposed process allowed to obtain a tomato puree with a higher content of bioactive compounds, producing no waste. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this study, we proposed a new type of tomato puree made from the whole fruit. The whole tomato puree is richer in phenolic compounds and volatile organic compounds than the traditional puree that is made by removing skins and seeds. It can be an interesting product for the food industries because it is a source of bioactive compounds and reduces to zero the amount of waste.

Volatile Organic Compound and Fatty Acid Profile of Milk from Cows and Buffaloes Fed Mycorrhizal or Nonmycorrhizal Ensiled Forage.

Seed inoculation of forage crops by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) generally results in higher profitability, but also modifies the chemical composition of silage in terms of increased biomass, protein, and dry matter. Raw milk aroma is affected by the type of feed. This work investigated the influence of ensiled forage obtained by seed inoculation with AMF on the volatile fractions and fatty acid composition of milk. Two experiments were carried out: in the first, buffaloes were fed maize silage, and in the second, cows were fed sorghum silage. The volatile fractions of milk were quantified by headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME), combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and fatty acids by gas chromatography (GC). The ensiled forage obtained with AMF increased saturated fatty acids (SFAs), and decreased monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in both experiments. The volatile fraction in milk samples obtained from bovines fed mycorrhizal ensiled forage showed an increase of free fatty acids and ketones, responsible for cheesy and fruity odors. Aldehydes, responsible for green and grassy notes, increased only in the milk from buffaloes fed ensiled maize. Our results suggest that inoculation of maize and sorghum seed with AMF, combined with a low rate of fertilizers, leads to ensiled forage that could slightly affect the FA profile and odor quality of milk.

Degradation kinetic (D100) of lycopene during the thermal treatment of concentrated tomato paste.

Heat treatments can cause degradation in tomatoes of lycopene which has important antioxidant effects. No information about decimal reduction time (D100) of lycopene is available. D-value is the time required at a given temperature to reduce 90% of the molecule. This study for the first time determine the kinetic of lycopene thermal degradation. The content was measured at regular intervals of pasteurization using canned tomato paste to determinate D value. Microbiological analysis was carried out to verify product stability after packaging. Yeasts, molds and lactic acid bacteria were determined. The pasteurization time allowed to observe a loss of the red color. Lycopene content, after an increase at 8 min, decreased at 32 min of pasteurization. D100 value was calculated at 75 min; a diminution of 90% in lycopene content in the concentrated tomato paste was observed. Microbiological analysis confirmed the stability of products after 8 min of pasteurization.

Comparative Chemical Compositions of Fresh and Stored Vesuvian PDO "Pomodorino Del Piennolo" Tomato and the Ciliegino Variety.

The Vesuvian Piennolo cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) (PdP) is an old and typical variety grown in the Campania region (Italy). PdP is referred to as a long-storage tomato due to its thick and coriaceous skin that allows long post-harvest storage and it has been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status since 2009. In this study, the chemical composition, focusing in particular on organic acids, antioxidant molecules and volatile compounds, were investigated in PdP and compared to another typical variety in Campania, the Ciliegino tomato (CIL). Chemical characterization was evaluated for both the CIL and PdP varieties during storage in the same environmental conditions until deterioration of 50% of the fruits; deterioration occurred in PdP after 6 months and in CIL tomatoes after 1 month. The results demonstrated variation in the chemical profiles of both varieties with storage length. Particularly, the PdP variety appears richer in antioxidants compounds (i.e., chlorogenic acids and lycopene) and organic acids (i.e., glutamic and malic acids) than does CIL. Additionally, both varieties display different profiles of volatile bioactive compounds and they are differently influenced by the storage time. The results indicate a typical chemical composition of this long-storage tomato closely linked to the geographic origin area.

Evaluation of microfiltration and heat treatment on the microbiological characteristics, phenolic composition and volatile compound profile of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice.

BACKGROUND: Since processing technology and storage may influence the sensory and nutritional value as well as the shelf life of pomegranate juice (PJ), mild technologies based on microfiltration may be a promising alternative to heat treatments for fruit juice preservation. In this study, physicochemical and microbiological properties of raw (RPJ), microfiltered (MPJ) and cloudy pasteurized (PPJ) PJ were compared over a period of 4 weeks. RESULTS: Data demonstrated that microfiltration was comparable to pasteurization in guaranteeing microbiological stability of the juice, avoiding spoilage of the final product. After treatment, PPJ showed the highest amounts of gallic acid (GA) and ellagic acid derivatives (EAs). During storage, the amount of ellagitannins, EAs and GA similarly decreased in all types of juice. Trends towards variations of monomeric anthocyanins in MPJ and variations of polymeric and copigmented anthocyanins in both MPJ and PPJ were found over storage. CONCLUSION: The optimization of pretreatments and filtration parameters can lead to the industrial scale-up of microfiltration technology for the development of high-quality non-heat-treated PJ. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Performance of a protein extracted from potatoes for fining of white musts.

In this study, the potentiality of Patatin (P), a protein extracted from potato, as must fining agent was investigated on musts obtained from two South Italy grape cultivars (Falanghina and Greco). Besides P, fining agents as bentonite (B) and potassium caseinate (C) were assayed at different concentrations. The rate of sedimentation, the decline of turbidity during time, the absorbance at 420 nm, the GRP (grape reaction products) and hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA) concentrations were determined. The comparative trials showed that P is a suitable fining agent to prevent browning and decrease haze during must settling because its effect on grape phenolics, brown pigments and turbidity is comparable and/or better than that detected for C. Its use as single fining agent or in combination with B depends on must characteristics.

The effects of probiotics and prebiotics on the fatty acid profile and conjugated linoleic acid content of fermented cow milk.

The ability of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium animalis Bb12), to produce conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in association with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lb. bulgaricus during milk fermentation has been evaluated in this study. Pasteurized cow milk and infant formula were used. Infant formula was selected for its high linoleic acid content, for being a source of CLA and for its prebiotic compounds, e.g. galacto-oligosaccharides. The microorganisms were not able to increase the CLA content of the fermented products under the given experimental conditions. No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) occurred between the CLA content in milk and the fermented samples. The CLA contents of 10 commercial fermented milk products were determined. The highest CLA content was observed in fermented milk containing only Str. thermophilus and Lb. bulgaricus.