From 'Farm to Fork': Exploring the Potential of Nutrient-Rich and Stress-Resilient Emergent Crops for Sustainable and Healthy Food in the Mediterranean Region in the Face of Climate Change Challenges.

In the dynamic landscape of agriculture and food science, incorporating emergent crops appears as a pioneering solution for diversifying agriculture, unlocking possibilities for sustainable cultivation and nutritional bolstering food security, and creating economic prospects amid evolving environmental and market conditions with positive impacts on human health. This review explores the potential of utilizing emergent crops in Mediterranean environments under current climate scenarios, emphasizing the manifold benefits of agricultural and food system diversification and assessing the impact of environmental factors on their quality and consumer health. Through a deep exploration of the resilience, nutritional value, and health impacts of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as quinoa, amaranth, chia, moringa, buckwheat, millet, teff, hemp, or desert truffles, their capacity to thrive in the changing Mediterranean climate is highlighted, offering novel opportunities for agriculture and functional food development.

Valorization of Peach Fruit and Wine Lees through the Production of a Functional Peach and Grape Juice.

The valorization of agri-food products not only represents important economic and environmental benefits but can also be a source of potentially profitable, functional, and safe ingredients. This study aimed to valorize peach fruit and wine lees (WL) by producing functional juice. WL were incorporated at different concentrations (1.

Selection of a Probiotic for Its Potential for Developing a Synbiotic Peach and Grape Juice.

Due to recent interest in the potential of probiotics as health promoters and the impact of health and environmental concerns on eating habits, non-dairy probiotic food products are required. This study aimed to evaluate the viability of different probiotic microorganisms in peach and grape juice (PGJ) with or without the prebiotic inulin and their antimicrobial activity against the foodborne pathogen and the juice spoilage microorganism . Firstly, the viability of seven probiotic strains was studied in PGJ with an initial concentration of 10 CFU/mL for 21 days at 4 °C and for 3 days at 37 °C.

Exploring the Nutritional Potential of Microalgae in the Formulation of Bakery Products.

Microalgae have positioned themselves as an innovative and sustainable source of bioactive compounds and high nutritional value. The selection of a suitable food carrier is important to ease its consumption, and to preserve bioactivity through food processing. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of different microalgae in baked products.

Effect of Spirulina in Bread Formulated with Wheat Flours of Different Alveograph Strength.

Consumers within the EU are increasingly asking for natural and healthier food products, which are additive-free and environmentally friendly. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of Spirulina ( sp.) in bread formulated with four wheat flours with different alveograph strengths.

Valorization of Local Legumes and Nuts as Key Components of the Mediterranean Diet.

Legumes and nuts are components of high importance in the diet of many countries, mainly those in the Mediterranean region. They are also very versatile and culturally diverse foods found all over the world, acting as a basic protein source in certain countries. Their genetic diversity is needed to sustain the food supply and security for humans and livestock, especially because of the current loss of habitats, species, and genetic diversity worldwide, but also because of the ever present need to feed the increasing human population.

Application of an innovative water-assisted ultraviolet C light technology for the inactivation of microorganisms in tomato processing industries.

We aimed to study the efficacy of a water-assisted UVC light device (WUVC) as an innovative clean technology for the disinfection of fresh sound tomatoes and processing wash water and water turbidity was evaluated as a critical parameter. First, wash waters with different turbidities (from 0.4 to 828 NTU) were inoculated with Listeria innocua and treated in the WUVC device at different dosages.

Water UV-C treatment alone or in combination with peracetic acid: A technology to maintain safety and quality of strawberries.

Disinfection of fruits is one of the most important steps since they are going to be eaten fresh-or minimally-processed. This step affects quality, safety, and shelf-life of the product. Despite being a common sanitizer in the fruit industry, chlorine may react with organic matter leading to the formation of toxic by-products.

Bioaccessibility of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity of fresh or minimally processed modern or traditional lettuce ( L.) varieties.

Modern city lifestyle is characterized by an increased demand for fresh or minimally processed foods. Lettuce ( L.), mainly iceberg lettuce, is the main vegetable used during the manufacture of fresh-cut salads.

Effects of long-term controlled atmosphere storage, minimal processing, and packaging on quality attributes of ( L.).

are the immature floral stems of the second-year onion ( L.) resprouts. Modified atmosphere packaging or vacuum packaging are suitable alternatives to preserve fresh-cut vegetables.

Effect of ultrasound processing on the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of selected vegetables.

Ultrasound processing can result in cell wall disruption, facilitating the release of the cellular content. Therefore, we hypothesized that sonication of vegetables could be used as a pre-treatment to increase the bioaccessibility of phenolic and antioxidant compounds. Overall, sonication (40 kHz, 250 W, 4 °C, 20 min) did not affect the main physicochemical parameters of tomato, lettuce, zucchini, and green and red pepper (< 0.

Strawberry sanitization by peracetic acid washing and its effect on fruit quality.

The risk posed by outbreaks associated with strawberries together with the safety issues of by-products from chlorine disinfection in the fruit industry has led to a search for alternative sanitizers. The disinfection capacity of peracetic acid (PA) at three concentrations (20, 40 and 80 ppm) and washing times (1 and 2 min) was compared to sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm) (NaClO) treatments and a water control, and its influence on the physico-chemical, biochemical and nutritional quality of strawberries was also studied. Counts on total aerobic mesophilic microorganisms were comparable between NaClO and PA.

Assessing water-assisted UV-C light and its combination with peroxyacetic acid and Pseudomonas graminis CPA-7 for the inactivation and inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica in fresh-cut 'Iceberg' lettuce and baby spinach leaves.

The effectiveness of ultraviolet C light (UV-C) delivered in water (WUV) or in peroxyacetic acid (PAA) for the inactivation and inhibition of L. monocytogenes and S. enterica in ready-to-eat 'Iceberg lettuce' and baby spinach leaves, was evaluated throughout chilled storage in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Evaluation of Pseudomonas graminis CPA-7 as a biopreservation method for fresh-cut pear: Physicochemical, enzymatic, and nutritional quality.

Biological preservation methods with bacterial antagonists have emerged as alternatives to chemical sanitizers for extending shelf-life and reducing the population of pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, calcium plays an important role in maintaining the quality of fruit, and postharvest calcium treatments might determine the potential of fruit for processing. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the postharvest application of calcium and biopreservation with the CPA-7 strain of Pseudomonas graminis on the quality parameters of fresh-cut pears.

Effects of thermal and non-thermal processing of cruciferous vegetables on glucosinolates and its derived forms.

vegetables, which include broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts, are known for their high glucosinolate content. Glucosinolates and their derived forms namely isothiocyanates are of special interest in the pharmaceutical and food industries due to their antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and anticarcinogenic properties. These compounds are water soluble and heat-sensitive and have been proved to be heavily lost during thermal processing.

Evaluation of postharvest calcium treatment and biopreservation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on the quality of fresh-cut 'Conference' pears.

Background: Biological preservation with probiotic bacteria has arisen as an alternative to control the growth of foodborne pathogens on food. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of postharvest calcium application and biopreservation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on the quality and bioaccessibility of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity in fresh-cut pears.

Results: The immersion of whole pears in a calcium chloride solution did not provide added value.

Biochemical and physiological changes during fruit development and ripening of two sweet cherry varieties with different levels of cracking tolerance.

The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical and metabolic changes, related to oxidative stress, ethylene and respiration, cell wall modification and primary metabolism, between a high ('Prime Giant') and a low ('Cristalina') cracking susceptible sweet cherry cultivar during growth and ripening. While cherries are referred as a non-climacteric fruit, our results show that an increase of endogenous ethylene production at earlier fruit developmental stages is parallel to colour development and softening during growth. Higher cracking susceptibility was clearly associated to a higher fruit growth rate and accompanied by an increase net CO and ethylene production, on a cherry basis, leading to an enhanced accumulation of oxidative stress markers (i.

Recovery of steroidal alkaloids from potato peels using pressurized liquid extraction.

A higher yield of glycoalkaloids was recovered from potato peels using pressurized liquid extraction (1.92 mg/g dried potato peels) compared to conventional solid-liquid extraction (0.981 mg/g dried potato peels).

Exploring the effects of pulsed electric field processing parameters on polyacetylene extraction from carrot slices.

The effects of various pulsed electric field (PEF) parameters on the extraction of polyacetylenes from carrot slices were investigated. Optimised conditions with regard to electric field strength (1-4 kV/cm), number of pulses (100-1500), pulse frequency (10-200 Hz) and pulse width (10-30 μs) were identified using response surface methodology (RSM) to maximise the extraction of falcarinol (FaOH), falcarindiol (FaDOH) and falcarindiol-3-acetate (FaDOAc) from carrot slices. Data obtained from RSM and experiments fitted significantly (p < 0.

Observations on the water distribution and extractable sugar content in carrot slices after pulsed electric field treatment.

The impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) processing conditions on the distribution of water in carrot tissue and extractability of soluble sugars from carrot slices was studied. Time domain NMR relaxometry was used to investigate the water proton mobility in PEF-treated carrot samples. Three distinct transverse relaxation peaks were observed in untreated carrots.

Optimization of pulsed electric field pre-treatments to enhance health-promoting glucosinolates in broccoli flowers and stalk.

Background: The effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment variables (electric field strength and treatment time) on the glucosinolate content of broccoli flowers and stalks was evaluated. Samples were subjected to electric field strengths from 1 to 4 kV cm(-1) and treatment times from 50 to 1000 µs at 5 Hz.

Results: Data fitted significantly (P < 0.

Antioxidant activity guided separation of major polyphenols of marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) using flash chromatography and their identification by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Marjoram extracts have been separated into polar and nonpolar parts using liquid-liquid extraction. Both polar and nonpolar parts of the extracts were further fractionated by flash chromatography. The obtained fractions (90 polar and 45 nonpolar fractions) were investigated for their antioxidant activities by 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assays.

High-intensity pulsed electric fields processing parameters affecting polyphenoloxidase activity of strawberry juice.

High-intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) were applied to strawberry juice to study the feasibility of inactivating polyphenoloxidase (PPO). Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of HIPEF processing, in which total treatment time (1000 to 2000 μs), pulse frequency (50 to 250 Hz), pulse width (1.0 to 7.