Identification of Metabolites Changes and Quality in Strawberry Fruit: Effect of Cultivation in High Tunnel and Open Field

Amino acids, UPLC-MS phenolic metabolites and multivariate approach for elucidating the effect of two growing conditions on growth and yield attributes in okra pods and leaves

Okra is one of the highly nutritious indigenised food crops in Southern Africa. The study intended to evaluate plant growth, yield, amino acids, and untargeted semi-targeted phenolic metabolites grown concurrently at greenhouse and micro-plot under open-field conditions. Yield and growth attributes: stem diameter, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod weight, pod length and pod diameter were higher in the micro-plot under open-field conditions. Sixteen amino acids were quantified and arginine, serine, glycine, aspartate, glutamate, alanine, proline, histidine, threonine, methionine, lysine, tyrosine, leucine, valine, and isoleucine were higher in leaf samples grown in micro-plots under open-field than greenhouse samples. UPLC-MS phenolic metabolites associated with the two growth conditions were quercetin 3-galactoside, succinyl adenosine, quercetin 3-lathyroside, isotan b and icariside F2b which were either highly upregulated or downregulated. Growth conditions can be used to manipulate the accumulation of free amino acids and phenolic metabolites.

Effect of High-Tunnel and Open-Field Production on the Yield, Cannabinoids, and Volatile Profiles in Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Inflorescence

This study discovered the impact of high-tunnel (i.e., unheated greenhouse) and open-field production on two industrial hemp cultivars (SB1 and CJ2) over their yield parameters, cannabinoid development, and volatile profiles. Development of neutral cannabinoids (CBD, THC, and CBC), acidic cannabinoids (CBDA, THCA, and CBCA), and total cannabinoids during floral maturation were investigated. The volatile profiles of hemp flowers were holistically compared via HS-SPME-GC/MS. Findings indicated a high tunnel as an efficient practice for achieving greater total weight, stem number, and caliper, especially in the SB1 cultivar. Harvesting high-tunnel-grown SB1 cultivars during early flower maturation could obtain a high CBD yield while complying with THC regulations. Considering the volatile profiles, hemp flowers mainly consisted of mono- and sesquiterpenoids, as well as oxygenated mono- and sesquiterpenoids. Volatile analysis revealed the substantial impact of cultivars on the volatile profile compared to the production systems.

Bioactive Ingredients with Health-Promoting Properties of Strawberry Fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne)

Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne) belong to the berry group and are characterized primarily by delightful sensory properties. Due to their chemical composition, these fruits are a rich source of bioactive compounds that can modify the metabolic and physiological functions of the body. The aim of this work is to present the current state of research on bioactive ingredients found in these fruits in the context of their health-promoting properties. The paper presents compiled and reviewed data on the content of polyphenolic compounds, organic acids, and vitamins, especially vitamin C, in strawberries. The content of these compounds is influenced by many different factors that are discussed in the paper. It also draws attention to the presence of oxalates and allergenic compounds, which are classified as anti-nutritional compounds of strawberries.