Application of Pomace Powder of Black Carrot as a Natural Food Ingredient in Yoghurt.

Researchers and food manufacturers are investigating the use of fruit and vegetable by-products as nutrient-dense food ingredients in response to increasing consumer requests for healthier and more natural foods. Black carrot (Daucus carota L.), a root vegetable variety of deep purple carrot, is a valuable source of nutrients with excellent health benefits and nutraceutical effects. Black carrot pomace (BCP), a by-product of industrial juice extraction, is abundant in bioactive compounds, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and pigments such as anthocyanins. Value addition and sustainability are perspectives provided by using this underutilized agricultural by-product in food applications. With an emphasis on BCP powder's effects on phytochemical and physicochemical qualities, mineral and color characteristics, and sensory aspects, this study aims to assess the effects of adding BCP powder to yogurt formulations. The findings show that the addition of BCP powder improved the nutritional, and the color of the yogurts, providing a visually appealing product. Moreover, adding the BCP powder raised the amount of phytochemicals and the antioxidant activity in the final product's formulation. The manufacturing of such products can not only aid in promoting sustainable food production but also offer consumers a wider range of innovative food options with improved properties.

Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) Treatment of Alfalfa Seeds in Different Voltage Conditions Leads to Both Positive and Inhibitory Outcomes Related to Sprout Growth and Nutraceutical Properties.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has proven to be a green method in the agricultural field for the stimulation of germination, growth, and production of nutraceutical compounds in some cases. However, the process is far from being fully understood and depends on the targeted plant species and the NTP used. In this work, we focus on the production of alfalfa sprouts from NTP-treated seeds under different voltage conditions. A flexible electrode configuration was used to produce the NTP, which can also be placed on packages for in-package treatments. The surface of the seeds was analyzed, indicating that the microstructure was strongly affected by NTP treatment. Biometric measurements evidenced the possibility of stimulating the sprout growth in some conditions by up to 50% compared to the sprouts obtained from untreated seeds. Biochemical traits for the sprouts obtained in different processing conditions were also studied, such as the concentrations of chlorophyll pigments, flavonoids and polyphenols, and antioxidant activity. Most NTP treatments led to inhibitory effects, proving the strong dependence between NTP treatment and targeted plant species.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. seeds stimulates the sprout growth and the production of nutraceutical compounds.

The possibility to stimulate the production of some nutraceutical properties of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) sprouts by non-thermal plasma (NTP) processing of the seeds in different conditions was studied. The non-thermal plasma used in this work was a surface dielectric barrier discharge. Two types of processing were performed: direct NTP treatment and NTP with a cover treatment, to simulate the processing of packaged seeds. For all treatments, the effect of pre-soaking of the seeds was studied as well. The analyses of the seeds after processing indicated an increase of the hydrophilicity of their surface for NTP direct treatment as resulted from the water contact angle measurements, which could be due to the strong etching evidenced by scanning electron microscopy imaging. A significant (p < 0.05) increase of the seedling growth, by up to 50%, was found especially for the pre-soaked seeds. These results were correlated with the increase of chlorophyll pigments concentrations, with higher concentrations in the case of NTP direct treatment than for the NTP with cover treatments. Direct NTP treatment for 30 s of dry seeds led to the highest increase of the flavonoid concentration of about three times compared to that obtained for untreated seeds. For the polyphenols and antioxidant activity, NTP with cover treatments proved to be better, with a significant increase, especially for 90 s treatment of the pre-soaked seeds. All the results indicate the possibility of tuning the nutraceutical properties of fenugreek sprouts by NTP treatment.

Enhancing the nutritional value of sweet pepper through sustainable fertilization management.

Introduction: The need for healthy foods has become a major concern in our modern world, as the global population continues to grow and environmental challenges intensify. In response to these challenges, researchers have started to explore a range of sustainable solutions, including organic farming practices, precision agriculture, and the development and testing of innovative biofertilizers. Consistent with these ideas come the aim of this study, which sets out to give new insights into the cultivation of two sweet pepper cultivars with economic and nutritional importance in Romania. Methods: Two sweet pepper cultivars (Blancina and Brillant), chemically (Nutrifine®), organically (Orgevit®) and biologically (Micoseed®) fertilized were cultivated over the course of two years (2019 and 2020), between April and October, in high-tunnel, by following a split-plot design with three replications. Production parameters (number of fruits, fruit weight, yield), proximate composition (water content, dry matter, total soluble solids, acidity, ash), the content of phytonutrients (polyphenols, lycopene, ß-carotene, antioxidant activity), phytochemical composition (phenolic compounds) and minerals (macro- and micro-elements) were analyzed in order to determine the impact of fertilization on the quality of sweet peppers. Results: The results showed that the biological and organic fertilizations had a significant positive impact on most of the parameters analyzed, starting with yield and continuing with acidity, phytonutrient content (total phenolic content, lycopene, ß-carotene), antioxidant activity and phytochemical composition (chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin and isoquercetin). Only in the case of mineral content, the chemical treatment gave better results compared with the organic and biological fertilizers. Conclusion: Overall, this study provides valuable information on the potential of organic and biological fertilizers to enhance the nutritional value of sweet peppers from Blancina F1 and Brillant F1 cultivars, paving the way for subsequent research aimed at achieving superior quality and increased yields.

Sorption potential of alkaline treated straw and a soil for sulfonylurea herbicide removal from aqueous solutions: An environmental management strategy.

The adsorption potential of alkaline treated straw (wheat and corn) in mixture with soil, has been investigated for the removal of sulfonylurea molecules from an aqueous solutions. The surface characteristics were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared - FTIR, while the adsorbent capacity was evaluated using batch sorption tests and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Surface analysis of alkaline treated straw samples by scanning electron microscopy - SEM showed the increasing of the surface roughness improving their functional surface activity. An increase (337.22 mg g-1) of adsorption capacity of sulfonylurea molecules was obtained for all studied straw. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best model for the mathematical description of the adsorption process indicating the forming of a surface sorption monolayer with a finite number of identical sites. The kinetics of sulfonylurea herbicide followed the pseudo-second order mechanism corresponding to strong chemical interactions. The results sustained that the alkaline treated straw have biosorption characteristics, being suitable adsorbent materials.