Chromium in soil and tea (Camellia sinensis L.) infusion: Does soil amendment with municipal solid waste compost make sense?

In this study, two clones (TV1 and TV23) of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plants were allowed to grow in earthen pots in a greenhouse, treated with municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) to study the effect of MSWC to the fractionation of chromium (Cr) ion, plant biomass production, plant uptake of Cr, fate of Cr in soils through risk assessment code (RAC) and Cr in tea infusion. Increasing rate of MSWC applications increased both total Cr and DTPA-extractable Cr in soil. Fractionation studies have revealed that Cr in soils was mainly associated with the organic and Fe–Mn oxide and the contribution of residual fractions is nearly 87.7–96.1%. The biomass yields of the tea plants were increased with the increase in MSWC, indicating that nutrient uptake of the plants from MSWC was dependent on the root–MSWC interface. High accumulation of Cr in the root of tea plants and its subsequent lower movement towards aerial parts corroborated the hypothesis that the root of the tea plants acts as a buffer. In this experiment the transfer factor was < 1, indicating that the tea plants did not have a significant phytoextraction potential. In the application of 10 t ha^− 1 MSWC, Cr was found to be in medium risk for both clones whereas the application of 8 t ha^− 1 MSWC showed medium risk with respect to the Cr for TV23 clone applying RAC. Therefore, MSWC amendment rate above 8 t ha^− 1 increased the total biomass of the tea plants but posed a threat on environmental prospect with respect to Cr. It was also found that only 2.5 μg L^− 1 to 4.8 μg L^− 1 Cr was present in tea infusion when infusion was prepared from tea leaves receiving different doses of MSWC. Furthermore, stepwise regression technique was applied to choose the most significant regression variables to express the variability in leaves, stem, main root and feeder root biomass. The one-way analysis of variance along with the Dunnett's multiple comparison method was used to determine the significant differences between the means of different treatments. On the application of hierarchical cluster analysis, treatments were grouped in two distinct homogeneous groups.     

Anthocyanin profile of young red wines of Tannat,Syrah and Merlot made using maceration enzymes and cold soak

Anthocyanins are the main pigments of young red wines. The aim of this work was to evaluate the anthocyanin composition of red wines produced by alternative procedures of winemaking and different grape varieties. For this purpose, wines of Tannat, Syrah and Merlot were made by traditional maceration (TM), addition of maceration enzymes (ENZ) and cold soak (CS). Syrah wines had the highest proportions of malvidin (86.0 ± 1.0) and peonidin (5.5 ± 0.4), while Tannat wines had the highest of delphinidin (6.9 ± 0.8), petunidin (13.2 ± 0.6) and nonacylated glucosides (73.6 ± 0.6). Cold soak increased the anthocyanins contents in Tannat and Merlot wines. In turn, maceration enzymes affect the anthocyanin profile and the stability of the colour of wines. Discriminant analysis of data showed significant separation of the wines of each variety as the anthocyanin profile showed the varietal fingerprint, despite the different winemaking procedures.     

Sensory changes during bottle storage of Spanish red wines under different initial oxygen doses

Sixteen commercial Spanish red wines selected to cover a wide range of sensory properties were stored at 25 °C for 6 months in air-tight containers under different oxygen doses (0–30 mg L^− 1) mimicking real and extreme bottling situations. The 16 initial samples (before storage) and the 80 stored samples (16 wines × 5 oxygen doses) were submitted to sensory analysis. Sensory changes related to post-bottling storage and initial oxygen dose were evaluated by means of discriminant and characterisation sensory strategies.Significant increases in black fruits, dried fruits, woody, lactic and stronger increases in cooked vegetables and spicy notes reveal a general pattern of aroma evolution. Remarkable departures to this general pattern have been observed, which can be related to the initial sensory properties of the wines and to their basic polyphenolic composition. The effect of post-bottling storage in bitterness is wine dependent, while global decreases in both global intensity and persistence evaluated in mouth are observed. Discrete increases in astringency are observed for wines with the lowest initial astringent scores. Important sensory interactions between aroma attributes (herbal and spicy) and bitterness and between roasted and astringency perception are shown. Little impact of the initial oxygen dose in the in-mouth sensory properties is reported. These results are relevant for wine experts in that they help understanding the evolution of wine sensory properties in the bottling stage. This study may help them to develop strategies for managing this winemaking stage with objective criteria.     

Influence of co-winemaking technique in sensory characteristics of new Spanish red wines

The influence of co-winemaking technique on the sensory profile of wines made from minority red grape varieties cultivated in La Mancha region (Spain) was researched by sensory characterization. Sensory analysis was carried out by a panel of 15 experienced wine-testers, all with a previous training. The sensory profiles of monovarietal red wines—Cencibel, Bobal and Moravia Agria—were studied and also the effects of co-winemaking technique on sensory characteristics were evaluated. Co-winemaking red wines were obtained by blending (a) Cencibel (50%) + Bobal (50%); (b) Cencibel (50%) + Moravía Agria (50%) and (c) the three grape varieties Cencibel (33%) + Bobal (33%) + Moravía Agria (33%). The co-winemaking technique intensified the principal sensory properties of monovarietal wines and the wines proved to be more complex than the monovarietal wines.     

Optimization of capillary zone electrophoresis separation and on-line preconcentration of 16 phenolic compounds from wines produced in South America

A capillary zone electrophoresis method was optimized to simultaneously separate 16 phenolic compounds present in wines, as well as to evaluate sample on-line preconcentration for detectability improvement. The separated compounds were narirutin, (?)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, rutin, kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, morin, trans-resveratrol, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, gallic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The optimized separation condition was 175 mmol L^? 1 boric acid at pH 9.0 and capillary of 50 μm × 68 cm (60 cm effective length). The injection mode showing the greatest detectability (20 fold improvement) was hydrodynamic injection at 50 mbar for 30 s, followed by voltage inversion (? 20 kV for 5 s) before the electrophoretic run. The method was validated and applied with success in a total of 23 samples of red, white, and rose wines. The developed method showed excellent applicability due to the simple extraction procedure and the low volume of reagents used, reducing expenses for reagents and technicians.     

Effects of treatment with nisin on the microbial flora and sensory properties of a Greek soft acid-curd cheese stored aerobically at 4 °C

The present study evaluated the use of nisin as an antimicrobial treatment for shelf-life extension of Galotyri, a Greek soft acid-curd cheese, stored aerobically under refrigeration for a period of 42 days. Three different treatments were tested: N0, control sample with no nisin added; N1, 50 IU g⁻¹ nisin; and N2, 150 IU g⁻¹ nisin, the latter two treatments added post-production to the Galotyri cheese. Of all microorganisms enumerated, lactobacilli, lactococci and yeasts were the groups that prevailed in cheese samples, irrespective of antimicrobial treatment. Based primarily on sensory evaluation (appearance and taste) and a microbiological acceptability limit for yeasts (5 log cfu g⁻¹), the use of nisin treatments extended the shelf-life of fresh Galotyri cheese stored at 4 °C by ca. 7 days (N1) and 21 days (N2) with cheese maintaining good sensory characteristics.     

Impact of maceration enzymes on skin softening and relationship with anthocyanin extraction in wine grapes with different anthocyanin profiles

The impact of an enzyme preparation on the extraction of grape skin anthocyanins into a wine-like solution was evaluated during maceration (25 °C, 8 days). The study was performed on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo because of their different anthocyanin profiles, which are mainly composed of tri- and disubstituted forms, respectively. Maceration enzymes enhanced the skin releasing capacity for anthocyanins between 8% and 15% more, depending on the enzyme dose and variety, and shortened the time required to reach the maximum extraction yield by about 40 h, when compared to the control samples. The effect of enzymes on the profile and total content of anthocyanins during maceration was significant only for Cabernet Sauvignon. Therefore, a variety effect was found. In particular, the relative amount of malvidin glucosides increased up to 9% more whereas that of delphinidin, cyanidin and peonidin glucosides decreased up to 5%, 2% and 3% more, respectively, with the addition of the enzyme preparation. The results also showed lower anthocyanin degradation at maceration times longer than 72 h with the use of enzymes. Furthermore, the relationship between this enzyme effect and the instrumental skin hardness was assessed for the first time, as no previous study deals with the variation in the mechanical properties of the berry skin after using maceration enzymes. Significant positive relationships were found between the skin softening and the anthocyanin extraction yield (R > 0.69, p < 0.01), which confirmed that the skin degradation by enzymes facilitates the anthocyanin release.     

Valorization of olive stone and sugar cane bagasse by-products as biosorbents for the removal of cadmium from aqueous solution

Olive stone and sugar cane bagasse by-products were used as effective and green biosorbents for the removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions. The efficiency of the biosorbents was characterized by, FTIR, BET, SEM and zeta potential analysis. The effect of pH, initial concentration of Cd^2 +, contact time and temperature on the adsorption was studied. Both olive stone and bagasse exhibit the highest Cd^2 + uptake capacity at a temperature of 298 K and initial pH value of 7. For both biosorbents, the equilibrium uptake increased with increasing metal ion concentration with a maximum removal capacity of 96%. Pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model satisfactorily simulates the adsorption behavior of Cd^2 +. The result shows the high potential of using olive stone and sugar cane bagasse by-products as green and inexpensive biosorbents for the removal of cadmium and for the wastewater treatment.     

Comparison of the effect of pulsed electric field or high voltage electrical discharge for the control of sweet white must fermentation process with the conventional addition of sulfur dioxide

The present work discusses the efficiency of pulsed electrical treatments for the inactivation of yeasts. The application of pulsed electric fields (PEFs) and high voltage electrical discharges (HVEDs) as alternatives to sulfites, which are used as anti-microbial to stop the fermentation of sweet white wine, was investigated. The influence of sulfite concentration (from 0 mg·L^− 1 to 500 mg·L^− 1), PEF (from 4 kV·cm^− 1 to 20 kV·cm^− 1; from 0.25 ms to 6 ms) and HVED (40 kV/cm; 1 ms or 4 ms) treatments on the inactivation of total yeasts and non-Saccharomyces yeasts was determined. The addition of SO₂ (250 mg·L^− 1) resulted in 8 log total yeast reduction. The maximum yeast inactivation obtained with PEF and HVED was respectively 3 and 4 logs. The use of SO₂, HVED and PEF allows decreasing the non-Saccharomyces yeast level by 7, 5 and 4 logs respectively. However, the wine browning was less pronounced for the samples treated by PEF in comparison with HVED and SO₂ treatments. PEF seems to be the most suitable alternative technique to sulfite addition.     

Bean cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) have similar high antioxidant capacity,in vitro inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase while diverse phenolic composition and concentration

Common beans are a good source of essential nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals; they also contain phenolic compounds and other phytochemicals. Phenolic compounds exhibit high antioxidant capacity that promotes health benefits by reducing oxidative stress. The objective was to compare the composition and quantity of anthocyanins and other non-colored phenolic compounds in fifteen improved bean cultivars from Mexico and Brazil and their relation to antioxidant capacity and enzymes related to type-2 diabetes. Samples were analyzed for total phenolic compounds (TP), flavonoids, antioxidant capacity (AC), tannins and total anthocyanins. Type and quantity were evaluated by HPLC-ESI-MS. Delphinidin glucoside (0.9–129.0 mg/100 g dry coat), petunidin glucoside (0.7–115.0 mg/100 g dry coat) and malvidin glucoside (0.14–52.0 mg/100 g dry coat). Anthocyanidins were positively correlated when quantified by HPLC and colorimetric analysis (R = 0.99). Cultivar Negro-Otomi presented the highest concentration of anthocyanins (250 mg/100 g dry coat). Seventeen non-colored phenolic compounds were identified among cultivars; catechin, myricetin 3-O-arabinoside, epicatechin, vanillic acid, syringic acid and o-coumaric acid, presented the highest concentrations among identified phenolic compounds. The AC of all fifteen bean cultivars did not show significant differences (p > 0.05) ranging from 185.2 (FM-67) to 233.9 (FM-199) mmol TE/g coat. Compounds in the coat extracts of pinto and black cultivars were the most efficient to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Studied cultivars differed in composition and concentration of phenolics including anthocyanins; however, there was no effect on AC as measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Black beans contained delphinidin and ferulic acid, compounds commonly used as ingredients in functional foods due to their associated health benefits.     

Combinations of nisin with organic acids or salts to control Listeria monocytogenes on sliced pork bologna stored at 4°C in vacuum packages

This study evaluated dipping solutions of nisin with or without organic acids or salts, as inhibitors of Listeria monocytogenes introduced on sliced cooked pork bologna before vacuum packaging and storage at 4°C for 120 days. Inoculated (10²–10³ cfu/cm²) slices were immersed in nisin (5000 IU/ml), or in lactic or acetic acid (1, 3, 5 g/100 ml), sodium acetate or diacetate (3, 5 g/100 ml), and potassium benzoate or sorbate (3 g/100 ml), each combined with nisin. Additional slices were immersed in nisin, inoculated and then immersed in acid or salt solutions without nisin. Nisin reduced L. monocytogenes by 1.0–1.5 log cfu/cm² at treatment (day-0) followed by a listeriostatic effect for 10 days. Thereafter, however, the pathogen multiplied in treatments without acid or salts, with growth being faster on slices immersed in nisin after as compared to before inoculation. Nisin in combination with 3 or 5 g/100 ml acetic acid or sodium diacetate or 3 g/100 ml potassium benzoate, applied individually or as mixtures, did not permit growth before day-90. Other treatments were of variable and lesser effectiveness (20–70 days), whereas in untreated or water-treated (control) bologna L. monocytogenes increased at 6–7 log cfu/cm² at day-20. Based on the antilisterial efficacy and effects of treatments on product pH, nisin with 3 g/100 ml sodium diacetate may be the most promising combination in dipping solutions to control L. monocytogenes on sliced cured pork bologna.     

Determination of phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of native red wines by high performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric methods

A reversed-phase high performance chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of 14 phenolic compounds in native red wines was developed in this study. The identified compounds contained gallic acid, (+)-catechin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, (?)-epicatechin, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, rutin, resveratrol, myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol. The method includes liquid–liquid extraction of acidic pH with ethylacetate. The analysis used a Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (5 μm, 4.6 mm × 250 mm). The chromatographic separation of these compounds performed in a single run by using the mobile phase gradient elution of methanol water mixture (% 0.2 formic acid) at room temperature, with flow rate at 1 mL/min. Detection was carried out by UV–vis and fluorescence detector. Each analysis required an equilibration period of 10 min and a run time of 14 min for completion. The optimized chromatographic method was carefully validated for precision and accuracy. Our findings indicated that the developed HPLC method was precise, accurate, specific and sensitive for simultaneous determination of phenolic compounds. Consequently, the described method was applied to the analysis of six wines from Malatya and Elaz??. Gallic acid was dominant phenolic acid in red wines. (+)-catechin, (?)-epicatechin and p-coumaric acid were the next most abundant phenolics. The highest level of trans-resveratrol among the red wines was found Buzba?? (Bogazkere–Öküzgözü). The red wines were analyzed for total polyphenol content (TP) by Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) method, using gallic acid as standard. Antioxidant activities (AA) of the red wines were measured using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay. There was a very high correlation between AA and TP in all of the wines tested.     

Effect of tomato by-products in the diet of Comisana sheep on composition and conjugated linoleic acid content of milk fat

To evaluate the effect of supplementing the diet of Comisana sheep with by-products from industrial tomato manufacture on the fat composition and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content of milk fat, two groups of 50 ewes each were fed either total mixed ration standard (TMRS) or total mixed ration with added tomato by-products (TMRA). Milk fat composition was determined by high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC). The milk fat content for the animals fed the TMRA diet increased by 6.41% (P < 0.01) after six weeks, compared with the animals fed the TMRS diet. The CLA content in the milk fat for the group of animals fed the TMRA diet was 19.8% (P < 0.05) higher than for those fed the TMRS diet, and reached 1.33 g 100 g^?1 fat, while the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content increased by a 6.43% (P < 0.05) and reached 7.12 g 100 g^?1 fat. The fatty acid composition showed an increase in the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The n ? 3:n ? 6 ratio increased by 13% in the milk from sheep fed with the TMRA diet. These observations were confirmed by triglyceride analysis, which showed a decrease in the amount of short-chain (C₂₈–C₃₂) and medium-chain (C₃₄–C₄₂) triglycerides after six weeks, while the opposite was observed for the long-chain triglycerides (C₄₄–C₅₄).     

Improvement of microwave treatment with immersion of fruit in water to control brown rot in stone fruit

Monilinia spp. are the most important cause of brown rot in stone fruit. Currently, no chemical fungicides are allowed in the European Union to be applied in stone fruit after harvest. Microwave (MW) treatments at 20 kW with fruit immersed in water at 40 °C for 50 or 60 s were selected as effective conditions to control brown rot without affecting the appearance of the fruit. The efficacy of the treatments was analyzed on fruit with different weights and at various infection times and inoculum concentrations. When the MW treatment was applied for 50 s, brown rot control was significantly higher for smaller fruit in comparison with larger fruit and MW efficacy decreased with increasing time between inoculation and treatment from 0 or 24 h to 48 h and inoculum concentration from 10³ to 10⁵ conidia mL^− 1. When the treatment time was increased to 60 s, a better control of brown rot was observed and, in general, none of the studied factors had a significant effect on the efficacy of the treatment. MW treatments were also evaluated on naturally infected fruit; brown rot incidence was significantly reduced to less than 43% when MW treatment was applied for 50 s and to less than 7% when applied for 60 s.Industrial relevanceThis study demonstrated the efficacy of MW treatment to control brown rot in postharvest of stone fruit. A relationship between brown rot reduction and the applied MW energy was also provided, which could be useful for designing specific equipment to process large quantities of fruit in less time without affecting the efficacy of the treatment or the quality of the fruit.     

Use of postharvest UV-B and UV-C radiation treatments to revalorize broccoli byproducts and edible florets

UV-B radiation (5, 10 and 15 kJ m^− 2) treatments, single or combined with UV-C (9 kJ m^− 2), were hereby firstly studied as bioprocessing tools to enhance bioactive compounds of broccoli byproducts (leaves and stalks) compared to edible florets during storage (72 h/15 °C). Leaves showed similar total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (TAC) than florets, and 2.5/14.5 higher glucoraphanin/glucobrassicin contents than florets. UV increased initial TPC and TAC of leaves/stalks up to 31–97/30–75 and 20–120/170–420%, respectively. UV-B10 + C induced the highest TPC increase (110%) in leaves while UV-B10 and UV-B10 + C led to the highest TPC of stalks after 48 h. UV-B10 + C increased (34%) glucobrassicin levels of leaves while UV-B15 and UV-B15 + C induced the highest glucoraphanin levels (131 and 117 mg kg^− 1) in florets after 72 h. Conclusively, single or combined postharvest UV-B and UV-C treatments can revalorize such agricultural byproducts and also add value to edible broccoli parts.Industrial relevanceThis work demonstrates the high potential of the use of postharvest treatments with UV-B and UV-C, optimized as single or combined treatments, to be used as bioprocessing tools to enhance the bioactive compounds of broccoli byproducts (leaves and stalks) being compared to edible florets. Thought this innovative application of this technology such agricultural wastes may be highly revalorized with a cheap technology leading to high production of health-promoting compounds with such eco-sustainable technology whose benefits can be even reach to the pharmaceutical industry.     

Inhibition of the decrease of volatile esters and terpenes during storage of a white wine and a model wine medium by caffeic acid and gallic acid

Caffeic acid and gallic acid were tested as inhibitors of the decrease of volatile acetate esters, ethyl esters and terpenes during storage of a white wine and a model wine medium. Wine and model wine samples were analysed by SPME along with GC–MS. At t = 0, no effect on the concentration of any volatile was observed as a result of adding each phenolic acid in any of wine or model wine samples. Many esters, such as isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, and linalool decreased during storage of Debina-white wine for up to 20 months. Caffeic acid and gallic acid at 60 mg/L inhibited the decrease of these volatiles. Isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate and linalool decreased during storage of the model wine medium containing 0, 20 or 40 mg/L SO₂. Caffeic acid and gallic acid inhibited the decrease of three volatiles; SO₂ inhibited the decrease of isoamyl acetate and ethyl hexanoate. In some cases, SO₂ increased the inhibitory action of two phenolic acids. The inhibitory action of caffeic acid and gallic acid was dose dependent in the range 0–60 mg/L. Caffeic acid was active at 7.5 mg/L while gallic acid at 15 mg/L.Present results indicate that caffeic acid and gallic acid may be taken into account as potent inhibitors of the disappearance of aromatic volatile esters and terpenes in wines at concentrations similar to those existing in wines.     

Effect of ultrasound on the mass transfer and physical changes in brine bell pepper at different temperatures

Mass transfer and physical attributes of red bell pepper were evaluated. Pepper strips were placed into brine of constant concentration at different temperatures (25–55 °C) with immersion times ranging from 15 to 480 min with and without ultrasound treatment. Diffusion coefficients were evaluated for calcium, sodium, citric acid, soluble and total solids, impregnation and water loss. Firmness, kinetic coefficients and color were determined for each treatment. Ultrasound increased the uptake of solutes (p < 0.05) with the exception of calcium, sodium ions, and acidity, where diffusion coefficients did not significantly differ among treatments. Loss of water, total and soluble solids in tissue significantly increased at 55 °C with 47 kHz, with diffusion coefficients of 13.23 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s, 7.26 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s and 14.42 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s, respectively. These increases may be attributed to increased cell wall permeability, facilitating transport of water and solute, as evidenced by product firmness, where ultrasound treatments had a negative effect on firmness.