Short-term pectin-enriched smoothie consumption has beneficial effects on the gut microbiota of low-fiber consumers

Adequate consumption of fiber has a positive effect on health. The crossover study examined the effect of a pectin-enriched smoothie on gut microbiota and health parameters. During 3 weeks, 31 adults consumed two smoothies (11.6 or 4.8 g of fiber/day), alternating with washout periods in different order. At the end of each period, weekly food diaries, blood samples, and stool microbiota were collected. Changes in the microbiota during smoothie consumption were associated with baseline fiber intake. A greater proportion of up- (Lachnospira, Colidextribacter, and Bacteroides) or down-shifts (Streptococcus, Holdemanella) was observed in low-fiber (n = 22) compared to high-fiber consumers (n = 9). In both groups, the pectin-enriched smoothie reduced the number of the Ruminococcus torques group bacteria. Our results showed that the short-term approach is effective to estimate relationships between food components and gut bacteria.

Non-invasive assessment and visualization of Phytophthora cactorum infection in strawberry crowns using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

Phytophthora cactorum is an oomycete species that causes enormous losses on horticultural crops, including strawberries. The purpose of this work was to investigate the alterations caused by P. cactorum inoculation in hydroponically grown strawberry plantlets (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI). It was observed that with MRI, spatial and temporal progression of the infection could be observed in the crown using quantitative MR parameters, namely relaxation time maps. Relaxation times are numeric subject-specific properties that describe the MR signal behavior in an examined anatomical region. Elevated [Formula: see text] relaxation time values were observed inside the infected plant crowns with respect to the healthy references. The [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] values of healthy plants were small in the crown region and further diminished during the development of the plant. Furthermore, elevated [Formula: see text] relaxation time values were seen in regions where P. cactorum progression was observed in corresponding plant dissection photographs. Quantitative susceptibility maps (QSM) were calculated to estimate the local magnetic field inhomogeneities. The QSM suggests magnetic susceptibility differences near the center of the pith. This study provides novel non-invasive information on the structure and development of strawberry plants and the effects caused by the P. cactorum infection.

Identification of novel sources of partial and incomplete hypersensitive resistance to rust and associated genomic regions in common bean

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is one of the legume crops most consumed worldwide and bean rust is one of the most severe foliar biotrophic fungal diseases impacting its production. In this work, we searched for new sources of rust resistance (Uromyces appendiculatus) in a representative collection of the Portuguese germplasm, known to have accessions with an admixed genetic background between Mesoamerican and Andean gene pools. We identified six accessions with incomplete hypersensitive resistance and 20 partially resistant accessions of Andean, Mesoamerican, and admixed origin. We detected 11 disease severity-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using a genome-wide association approach. Six of the associations were related to partial (incomplete non-hypersensitive) resistance and five to incomplete hypersensitive resistance, and the proportion of variance explained by each association varied from 4.7 to 25.2%. Bean rust severity values ranged from 0.2 to 49.1% and all the infection types were identified, reflecting the diversity of resistance mechanisms deployed by the Portuguese germplasm.The associations with U. appendiculatus partial resistance were located in chromosome Pv08, and with incomplete hypersensitive resistance in chromosomes Pv06, Pv07, and Pv08, suggesting an oligogenic inheritance of both types of resistance. A resolution to the gene level was achieved for eight of the associations. The candidate genes proposed included several resistance-associated enzymes, namely β-amylase 7, acyl-CoA thioesterase, protein kinase, and aspartyl protease. Both SNPs and candidate genes here identified constitute promising genomics targets to develop functional molecular tools to support bean rust resistance precision breeding.

Temporal change in floral availability leads to periods of resource limitation and affects diet specificity in a generalist pollinator

Generalist species are core components of ecological networks and crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity. Generalist species and networks are expected to be more resilient, and therefore understanding the dynamics of specialization and generalization in ecological networks is a key focus in a time of rapid global change. Whilst diet generalization is frequently studied, our understanding of how it changes over time is limited. Here we explore temporal variation in diet specificity in the honeybee (Apis mellifera), using pollen DNA metabarcoding of honey samples, through the foraging season, over two years. We find that, overall, honeybees are generalists that visit a wide range of plants, but there is temporal variation in the degree of specialization. Temporal specialization of honeybee colonies corresponds to periods of resource limitation, identified as a lack of honey stores. Honeybees experience a lack of preferred resources in June when switching from flowering trees in spring to shrubs and herbs in summer. Investigating temporal patterns in specialization can identify periods of resource limitation that may lead to species and network vulnerability. Diet specificity must therefore be explored at different temporal scales in order to fully understand species and network stability in the face of ecological change.

Chemical Profiling and Antioxidant Activity of Tanacetum vulgare L. Wild-Growing in Latvia

The Tanacetum vulgare L. (Tansy) has several ethnobotanical uses, mostly related to the essential oil and sesquiterpene lactones, whereas information regarding other compounds is scarce. This research is designed to characterize the phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins) to analyze the thujone (which is toxic in high concentrations) content and to detect the antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) of extracts. The main highlights of our work provide a chemical profile of phenolic compounds of T. vulgare harvested from different regions of Latvia, as well as simultaneously support the ethnomedicinal uses for wild T. vulgare through the integration of phenolic compounds as one of the value constituents of leaves and flowers. The extraction yield was 18 to 20% for leaves and 8 to 16% for flowers. The total phenol content in the extracts of T. vulgare as well as their antioxidant activity was different between collection regions and the aerial parts ranging from 134 to 218 mg GAE/g and 32 to 182 mg L-1, respectively. A remarkable variation in the thujone (α + β) content (0.4% up to 6%) was detected in the extracts. T. vulgare leaf extracts were rich in tannins (up to 19%). According to the parameters detected, the extracts of T. vulgare could be considered promising for the development of new herbal products.

Pilot-Scale Antioxidant Dipping of Herring (Clupea harengus) Co-products to Allow Their Upgrading to a High-Quality Mince for Food Production

To enable production of high-quality mince from herring backbones, a scalable antioxidant strategy is needed due to the high susceptibility of herring muscle to lipid oxidation. We here measured the stabilizing effect of lab-/pilot-scale predipping of herring backbones (30-500 kg) in antioxidant solutions prior to production of mechanically separated mince (MSM). The antioxidants were (i) Duralox MANC, a mixture of rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, and citric acid, and (ii) rosemary extract with or without isoascorbic acid. Delivery of the key rosemary-derived antioxidant components carnosol and carnosic acid was monitored during the dipping process and ice/frozen storage. Predipping in 2% Duralox MANC gave MSM with 26.7-31.7 mg/kg carnosol + carnosic acid and extended the oxidation lag phase from <1 to 12 days during ice storage and from <1 to 6 months during frozen storage compared to control. Dipping in 0.2% rosemary extract with or without 0.5% isoascorbic acid solution gave MSM with 20.6-28.2 mg/kg carnosol + carnosic acid and extended the lag phase to 6 days and 9 months during ice and frozen storage, respectively. Our results confirmed, in pilot scale, that predipping herring coproducts in antioxidant solutions is a promising strategy to utilize these raw materials for, e.g., mince and burger production rather than for low value products as fish meal.

Response Surface Methodology Approach to Evaluate the Effect of Transition Metals and Oxygen on Photo-Degradation of Methionine in a Model Wine System Containing Riboflavin

A Box-Behnken experimental design was implemented in model wine (MW) to clarify the impact of copper, iron, and oxygen in the photo-degradation of riboflavin (RF) and methionine (Met) by means of response surface methodology (RSM). Analogous experiments were undertaken in MW containing caffeic acid or catechin. The results evidenced the impact of copper, iron, and oxygen in the photo-induced reaction between RF and Met. In particular, considering a number of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) that act as markers of light-struck taste (LST), both transition metals can favor VSC formation, which was shown for the first time for iron. Oxygen in combination can also affect the concentration of VSCs, and a lower content of VSCs was revealed in the presence of phenols, especially caffeic acid. The perception of "cabbage" sensory character indicative of LST can be related to the transition metals as well as to the different phenols, with potentially strong prevention by phenolic acids.

Genetic and morphological identification of filarial worm from Iberian hare in Portugal

The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) is an endemic species of the Iberian Peninsula and the only hare species found in Portugal, although also being present in some areas of Spain. The reduction of wild hare populations due to several ecological and sanitary factors, has been raising growing concerns in the recent years. Despite different helminth species were already described in Iberian hares in Portugal, to this date, no filarial worms have been identified in this species. Furthermore, only a few studies on lagomorphs' onchocercid worms are available, referring to other hosts species of hares and/or rabbits. In this study, we describe the presence of filarial worms in the blood vessels of two adult Iberian hares collected in 2019 in continental Portugal. Morphology and sequencing data from the 12S rRNA, coxI, 18S rRNA, myoHC, hsp70 and rbp1 genes, showed that the filaroid species were genetically related with Micipsella numidica. However, the extension of the genetic differences found with M. numidica suggests that the filaroids specimens under study belong to a new species, that we provisionally named Micipsella iberica n. sp.. The body location of this putative new parasite species and its physiological implications indicate that it may constitute a potential menace to the already fragile Iberian hare justifying, therefore, further investigation regarding the morphological characterization, prevalence and real clinical impact of this new parasite in hares.

Behind the Leaves: Estimation of Occluded Grapevine Berries With Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks

The need for accurate yield estimates for viticulture is becoming more important due to increasing competition in the wine market worldwide. One of the most promising methods to estimate the harvest is berry counting, as it can be approached non-destructively, and its process can be automated. In this article, we present a method that addresses the challenge of occluded berries with leaves to obtain a more accurate estimate of the number of berries that will enable a better estimate of the harvest. We use generative adversarial networks, a deep learning-based approach that generates a highly probable scenario behind the leaves exploiting learned patterns from images with non-occluded berries. Our experiments show that the estimate of the number of berries after applying our method is closer to the manually counted reference. In contrast to applying a factor to the berry count, our approach better adapts to local conditions by directly involving the appearance of the visible berries. Furthermore, we show that our approach can identify which areas in the image should be changed by adding new berries without explicitly requiring information about hidden areas.

Multiple Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Consortia Enhance Yield and Fatty Acids of Medicago sativa: A Two-Year Field Study on Agronomic Traits and Tracing of Fungal Persistence

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are promoted as biofertilizers due to potential benefits in crop productivity, and macro- and microelement uptake. However, crop response to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation is context-dependent, and AMF diversity and field establishment and persistence of inoculants can greatly contribute to variation in outcomes. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that multiple and local AMF inoculants could enhance alfalfa yield and fatty acids (FA) compared to exotic isolates either single or in the mixture. We aimed also to verify the persistence of inoculated AMF, and which component of the AMF communities was the major driver of plant traits. Therefore, a field experiment of AMF inoculation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) with three single foreign isolates, a mixture of the foreign isolates (FMix), and a highly diverse mixture of local AMF (LMix) was set up. We showed that AMF improved alfalfa yield (+ 68%), nutrient (+ 147% N content and + 182% P content in forage), and FA content (+ 105%). These positive effects persisted for at least 2 years post-inoculation and were associated with enhanced AMF abundance in roots. Consortia of AMF strains acted in synergy, and the mixture of foreign AMF isolates provided greater benefits compared to local consortia (+ 20% forage yield, + 36% forage N content, + 18% forage P content, + 20% total FA in forage). Foreign strains of Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus irregularis persisted in the roots of alfalfa 2 years following inoculation, either as single inoculum or as a component of the mixture. Among inoculants, F. mosseae BEG12 and AZ225C and the FMix exerted a higher impact on the local AMF community compared with LMix and R. irregularis BEG141. Finally, the stimulation of the proliferation of a single-taxa (R. irregularis cluster1) induced by all inoculants was the main determinant of the host benefits. Crop productivity and quality as well as field persistence of inoculated AMF support the use of mixtures of foreign AMF. On the other hand, local mixtures showed a lower impact on native AMF. These results pave the way for extending the study on the effect of AMF mixtures for the production of high-quality forage for the animal diet.

Chromatographic Fingerprinting and Food Identity/Quality: Potentials and Challenges

Chromatograms are a valuable source of information about the chemical composition of the food being analyzed. Sometimes, this information is not explicit and appears in a hidden or not obvious way. Thus, the use of chemometric tools and data-mining methods to extract it is required. The fingerprint provided by a chromatogram offers the possibility to perform both identity and quality testing of foodstuffs. This perspective is aimed at providing an updated opinion of chromatographic fingerprinting methodology in the field of food authentication. Furthermore, the limitations, its absence in official analytical methods, and the future directions of this methodology are discussed.

Light-Struck Taste in White Wine: Protective Role of Glutathione, Sulfur Dioxide and Hydrolysable Tannins

Light exposure of white wine can cause a light-struck taste (LST), a fault induced by riboflavin (RF) and methionine (Met) leading to the formation of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), including methanethiol (MeSH) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). The study aimed to investigate the impact of different antioxidants, i.e., sulfur dioxide (SO2), glutathione (GSH) and chestnut tannins (CT), on preventing LST in model wine (MW) and white wine (WW), both containing RF and Met. Both MW and WW samples were added with the antioxidants, either individually or in different combinations, prior to 2-h light exposure and they were stored in the dark for 24 months. As expected, the light induced the degradation of RF in all the conditions assayed. Met also decreased depending on the antioxidants added. The presence of antioxidants limited the formation of LST as lower concentrations of VSCs were found in both MW and WW samples. In the latter matrix, neither MeSH nor DMDS were detected in the presence of CT, while only DMDS was found in WW+GSH, WW+SO2+GSH and WW+CT+SO2 samples at a concentration lower than the perception thresholds. Considering the antioxidants individually, the order of their effectiveness was CT ≥ GSH > SO2 in WW under the adopted experimental conditions. The results indicate tannins as an effective enological tool for preventing LST in white wine and their use will be further investigated in different white wines under industrial scale.

Preliminary Insights in Sensory Profile of Sweet Cherries

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a fruit appreciated by consumers for its well-known physical and sensory characteristics and its health benefits. Being an extremely perishable fruit, it is important to know the unique attributes of the cultivars to develop cultivation or postharvest strategies that can enhance their quality. This study aimed to understand the influence of physicochemical characteristics of two sweet cherry cultivars, Burlat and Van, on the food quality perception. Several parameters (weight, dimensions, soluble solids content (SSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA), colour, and texture) were measured and correlated with sensory data. Results showed that cv. Van presented heavier and firmer fruits with high sugar content. In turn, cv. Burlat showed higher pH, lower TA, and presented redder and brightest fruits. The principal component analysis revealed an evident separation between cultivars. Van cherries stood out for their sensory parameters and were classified as more acidic, bitter, and astringent, and presented a firmer texture. Contrarily, Burlat cherries were distinguished as being more flavourful, succulent, sweeter, and more uniform in terms of visual and colour parameters. The results of the sensory analysis suggested that perceived quality does not always depend on and/or recognize the quality parameters inherent to the physicochemical characteristics of each cultivar.

Application of Edible Alginate Films with Pineapple Peel Active Compounds on Beef Meat Preservation

Alginate-based edible films containing natural antioxidants from pineapple peel were applied in the microbial spoilage control, color preservation, and barrier to lipid oxidation of beef steaks under storage at 4 °C for five days. Different stabilization methods of pineapple peel compounds were used before incorporation into alginate films, including extracted compounds with an hydroalcoholic solvent encapsulated in microparticles, microparticles produced by spray-drying pineapple peel juice, and particles obtained by milling freeze dried pineapple peel. Bioactive films exhibited higher antioxidant activity (between 0.15 µmol to 0.35 µmol FeSO4.7H2O/g dried film) than the alginate film without these compounds (0.02 µmol FeSO4.7H2O/g dried film). Results showed that control films without active compounds had no significant effect on decreasing the microbial load of aerobic mesophilic and Pseudomonas spp., while the films containing encapsulated hydroalcoholic extract showed a significant inhibitory effect on microbial growth of meat at two days of storage. Alginate films containing peel encapsulated extract were effective for maintaining the color hue and intensity of red beef meat samples. Pineapple peel antioxidants have the potential to retard lipid oxidation in meat samples, and the possibility of incorporation of a higher amount of pineapple peel bioactive compounds in the films should be investigated.

Application of Autoclave Treatment for Development of a Natural Wheat Bran Antioxidant Ingredient

The study evaluated the effect of autoclaving as a hydrothermal treatment on the quality and bioactivity of wheat bran (WB) with the objective of producing a natural ingredient with enhanced healthy properties. Nutritional, antioxidant, techno-functional and sensorial parameters were studied, and temperatures of 100, 115 and 130 °C were explored. Of these, 130 °C was found to be the best treatment, resulting in an ingredient with high storage stability, antioxidant properties, a four-fold increase in the concentration of free ferulic acid (compared with non-treated WB), and increased content of apigenin-6-C-arabinoside-8-C-hexoside, a flavonoid with reported antioxidant and antifungal properties. On the other hand, the autoclave treatment enhanced water absorption capacity and reduced WB pasting viscosity, mainly at higher temperature (130 °C), which would allow incorporation of the treated WB in liquid matrices such as juices, soups or milkshakes, among others. Although the glycemic index (GI) of the autoclaved samples increased, the use of intermediate particle size of 106 to 300 µm could contribute to the reduction of the glycemic load.

Soluble Phenolic Composition Tailored by Germination Conditions Accompany Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Wheat

Knowledge on the specific variation in the phenolic composition of wheat defined by germination conditions and its relationship with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of sprouts would be useful to improve the functional value of wheat-derived products. Variation in soluble phenolic composition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of wheat was examined in a range of germination temperature (12-21 °C) and time (1-7 d). Response surface methodology was applied for building lineal and quadratic models to find optimal germination conditions to improve nutraceutical value of wheat sprouts using the desirability (D) function. Phenolics were determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. In vitro biochemical methods and lipopolysaccharide stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were used to determine antiradical and anti-inflammatory activities of wheat sprouts. Accumulation of soluble phenolic acids, flavone C-glycosides and lignans in sprouts was positively influenced by germination temperature and time. Increased concentration of individual polyphenols was directly associated with improved ability of sprouts for radical scavenging and reduction of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 in macrophages. Optimal desirability (D = 0.89) for improved nutraceutical value of wheat sprouts was achieved at 21 °C for 7 d. This information would be useful for food industry aiming at producing wheat-based products with better nutritional and healthy properties.