Effects of Deficit Irrigation, Rootstock, and Roasting on the Contents of Fatty Acids, Phytoprostanes, and Phytofurans in Pistachio Kernels.

Pistachio ( L.) is a drought-tolerant species grown under the semiarid conditions of the Mediterranean basin. For this reason, it is essential to make an exhaustive quantification of yield and quality benefits of the kernels because the regulated deficit irrigation will allow significant water savings with a minimum impact on yield while improving kernel quality.

Effect of preharvest fruit bagging on fruit quality characteristics and incidence of fruit physiopathies in fully irrigated and water stressed pomegranate trees.

Background: This report studied the response of pomegranate fruit under full irrigation (FI) and water stress conditions to bagging with externally glossy, single-layer, cellulosic paper bags, open at the bottom, from the end of fruit thinning to harvest time.

Results: Bagging decreased fruit size and the maturity index, and increased antioxidant activity in FI conditions. Moreover, fruit bagging substantially reduced the incidence of peel sunburn in both irrigation conditions.

Inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase by Spanish extra virgin olive oils: The involvement of bioactive compounds other than oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol.

Despite the wide use of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to combat several diseases, the antidiabetic and anti-cholinesterase activity of Spanish EVOO have not been assessed. In order to evaluate which compounds are responsible for these activities of five Spanish EVOOs, in addition to flavonoids, we investigated for the first time the effect of the contents of carotenoids, fatty acids (FAs), and phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) on four enzymes: α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase. The extracts of these five Spanish EVOOs were found to contain three flavones, three carotenoids, six FAs, and seven classes of PhytoPs.

Effect of the season on the free phytoprostane content in Cornicabra extra virgin olive oil from deficit-irrigated olive trees.

Background: The effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on the phytoprostane (PhytoP) content in extra virgin olive (Olea europaea L., cv. Cornicabra) oil (EVOO) was studied.

Water deficit during pit hardening enhances phytoprostanes content, a plant biomarker of oxidative stress, in extra virgin olive oil.

No previous information exists on the effects of water deficit on the phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) content in extra virgin olive oil from fruits of mature olive (Olea europaea L. cv. Cornicabra) trees during pit hardening.

New UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method for quantitative and qualitative determination of free phytoprostanes in foodstuffs of commercial olive and sunflower oils.

In this work, we propose a new quick and accurate analytical method by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS which is able to identify free phytoprostanes in olive and refined sunflower oils. The recovery provided high extraction efficiencies ranging from 102.90% to 140.

Phytochemical and quality attributes of pomegranate fruits for juice consumption as affected by ripening stage and deficit irrigation.

Background: Pomegranate (PG) is a drought resistant crop, thriving well with scarce water resources. The non-climateric character of PG remarks the importance of determining the optimum harvest time to improve quality and phytochemical properties of PG.

Results: The influence of two different irrigation treatments on physico-chemical and phytochemical parameters of PG was assessed.

Sustained deficit irrigation affects the colour and phytochemical characteristics of pomegranate juice.

Background: No information exists on the consequences of water stress on the pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) tree in terms of the quality and health/nutritional properties of its juice. In this study the influence of two different sustained deficit irrigation treatments on the colour, antioxidant activity and total phenolic compound, total anthocyanin, punicalagin and ellagic acid contents of pomegranate juice was assessed.

Efficiency of a new strategy involving a new class of natural hetero-ligand iron(III) chelates (Fe(III)-NHL) to improve fruit tree growth in alkaline/calcareous soils.

Background: Iron (Fe) chlorosis is a serious problem affecting the yield and quality of numerous crops and fruit trees cultivated in alkaline/calcareous soils. This paper describes the efficiency of a new class of natural hetero-ligand Fe(III) chelates (Fe-NHL) to provide available Fe for chlorotic lemon trees grown in alkaline/calcareous soils. These chelates involve the participation in the reaction system of a partially humified lignin-based natural polymer and citric acid.

Iron deficiency enhances bioactive phenolics in lemon juice.

Background: This study was designed to describe the phenolic status of lemon juice obtained from fruits of lemon trees differing in iron (Fe) nutritional status. Three types of Fe(III) compound were used in the experiment, namely a synthetic chelate and two complexes derived from natural polymers of humic and lignine nature.

Results: All three Fe(III) compounds were able to improve the Fe nutritional status of lemon trees, though to different degrees.

Sap flow, gas exchange, and hydraulic conductance of young apricot trees growing under a shading net and different water supplies.

The experiment was carried out in a research field near Murcia, Spain, over a 3-week period between September 26 and October 16, 2000. Sixteen trees were used in the experiment, eight of which were placed under a rectangular shading net, while the other eight were maintained in the open air. Trees were irrigated once per day and, after October 5th, water was witheld from eight trees (four shaded and four unprotected for 5 days).

High temperature effects on photosynthetic activity of two tomato cultivars with different heat susceptibility.

The functional activities of the photosynthetic apparatus of two tomato cultivars of different thermotolerance were investigated after a short period of high temperature treatment. Seedlings of two tomato genotypes, Lycopersicon esculentum var. Campbell-28 and the wild thermotolerant Nagcarlang, were grown under a photoperiod of 16h at 25 degrees C and dark period of 8h at 20 degrees C.