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Agriculture
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Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety
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Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Product Quality and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 5380

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Isabel Lara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Postharvest Unit, University of Lleida - AGROTÈCNIO-CERCA Center, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Interests: cuticle; cell wall; flavor; fruit ripening; fruit quality; postharvest biology and technology of fruit; fruit cuticles as modulators of post harvest quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Claudia E. Moggia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plant Breeding and Phenomics Center, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Universidad de Talca, Talca P.O. Box 747, Chile
Interests: postharvest physiology and technology of fruit; fruit ripening; maturity indexes; fruit quality; long-term storage of fruit

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture is defined as the art and science of growing crops and raising livestock, including the manufacturing of plant and animal products for use by humans. This activity provides not only raw food and ornamental produce, but also a plethora of derived edible products, as well as fabrics and building materials.

This Special issue aims to gather high-quality articles that contribute novel insights into all topics related to the composition, quality, safety, and security of agricultural produce and derived products (fresh-cut products, oil, wine, juices, etc.). We welcome submissions that address all aspects of science and technology related to produce quality (chemistry, sensory, pathology, nutritional, health-promoting properties), postharvest handling, processing and manipulation (quality evaluation, preservation, storage, packaging, commercial handling, trade, and distribution).

Both original research and review papers are welcome. In order to encourage broader participation and to attract a wider range of high-quality submissions, publication charges for all accepted papers will be waived. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Isabel Lara
Dr. Claudia E. Moggia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • horticultural produce, including flowers and herbs
  • crop quality
  • food chemistry
  • food quality
  • food safety and security
  • food processing and engineering

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 435 KiB  
Article
Field Assessment of Lamium album in Reducing Mycotoxin Biosynthesis in Winter Wheat Infected by Fusarium culmorum
by Pascaline Aimee Uwineza, Maria Kwiatkowska, Romuald Gwiazdowski, Łukasz Stępień, Marcin Bryła and Agnieszka Waśkiewicz
Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 647; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050647 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 340
Abstract
Fungicides play a crucial role in conventional agriculture for disease control, but their prolonged use raises health and environmental concerns. Fusarium culmorum (F. culmorum), a major wheat pathogen causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Fusarium crown rot (FCR), poses significant mycotoxigenic [...] Read more.
Fungicides play a crucial role in conventional agriculture for disease control, but their prolonged use raises health and environmental concerns. Fusarium culmorum (F. culmorum), a major wheat pathogen causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Fusarium crown rot (FCR), poses significant mycotoxigenic threats. The application of natural plant extracts has been proven to fight against phytopathogenic fungi. This study aimed to a field experiment that was carried out at the Field Experimental Station of the Institute of Plant Protection—National Research Institute in Winna Góra, Poland, during the 2022/2023 season to evaluate the potential of Lamium album (L. album) flower extract as a foliar spray against mycotoxigenic fungi in two winter wheat varieties: Arkadia and Julius. The supercritical carbon dioxide extraction method (SC-CO2) was employed to obtain the L. album flower extract. Ergosterol (ERG) and mycotoxin accumulation in the harvested wheat grains were analyzed using chromatography-based methods. The results demonstrated a notable reduction in ERG content in the field plots treated with L. album flower extract, from 26.07 µg/g (control group) to 8.91 µg/g (extract-treated group) for Arkadia and from 70.02 µg/g (control group) to 30.20 µg/g (extract-treated group) for Julius. The treatment with L. album reduced mycotoxin biosynthesis in both varieties, with deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) production significantly decreased. Additionally, Arkadia exhibited greater resistance to Fusarium infection, and the antifungal effect of L. album was more pronounced than in the Julius variety, which proved to be more sensitive. In conclusion, L. album flower extract exhibited promising antifungal effects in field experiments to fight against F. culmorum in winter wheat varieties, suggesting a potential alternative to synthetic fungicides. However, as complete prevention of mycotoxin contamination was not achieved, further research is warranted to optimize extract concentrations and conduct long-term analyses to consider this plant extract as a sustainable control agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
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16 pages, 1526 KiB  
Article
Food Authentication: The Detection of Arbutus unedo and Olea europaea Leaves as an Admixture of Oregano Using LAMP- and Duplex LAMP-Based Test Systems with Lateral-Flow Assays
by Nathalie Holz, Nils Wax, Boris A. Illarionov, Margarita Iskhakova and Markus Fischer
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040597 - 09 Apr 2024
Viewed by 613
Abstract
The Mediterranean herb oregano is one of the most frequently adulterated foods. Often morphologically similar leaf material is used as a filler, which can generally be detected using DNA-based methods. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has high potential for point-of-care testing as it requires [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean herb oregano is one of the most frequently adulterated foods. Often morphologically similar leaf material is used as a filler, which can generally be detected using DNA-based methods. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has high potential for point-of-care testing as it requires only a simple device for sample incubation and is less sensitive to inhibition by co-isolated metabolites compared to conventional PCRs (polymerase chain reactions). In this work, we have developed two LAMP assays for the specific detection of the adulterants olive (Olea europaea) and strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo). The combination with a rapid isolation protocol and LFAs (Lateral-flow assays) as a visualization technique provides a reliable indication of possible adulteration. It has also been shown that it is possible to estimate the level of contamination and to perform the LAMP/LFA assay with DNA isolation in less than 30 min. As a further option, a duplex LAMP/LFA assay was developed that allows both contaminants to be detected in parallel, making the rapid test system even more cost-effective and user-friendly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
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16 pages, 2833 KiB  
Article
Storage Conditions of Refrigerated Prickly Pears in Small Processing Industries
by Goretti L. Díaz-Delgado, Elena M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, M. Pilar Cano and M. Gloria Lobo
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040594 - 09 Apr 2024
Viewed by 383
Abstract
Prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica), which are well known for their beneficial properties for human health, are the subject of many studies due to their high content of bioactive compounds. However, the presence of spines on the fruit’s surface is a factor [...] Read more.
Prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica), which are well known for their beneficial properties for human health, are the subject of many studies due to their high content of bioactive compounds. However, the presence of spines on the fruit’s surface is a factor that limits consumption. Therefore, the viability and nutritional quality of peeled and packaged white, orange, and pink prickly pears were studied during storage. Refrigerated whole fruits stored at 8 °C and 85% RH for 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks were electrically peeled and packaged with micro-perforated film. At each time point, their microbial quality; physical parameters, such as hardness, texture, and color; and chemical parameters, including pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids content, sugar content, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant capacity, and total phenol content, were analyzed. The mesophilic aerobic counts were lower than the values established by Spanish legislation (7 log (CFU/g f.w.)) until day 8 after packaging (or until day 6 after 4 weeks of storage). The hardness, texture, pH, sugar content, ascorbic acid content, and antioxidant capacity decreased significantly between day 0 and day 8 after packaging, independently of the number of weeks for which the whole fruits had been refrigerated previously. Furthermore, the changes in the parameters analyzed for whole fruits during storage were less remarkable. The evaluation of the sensory features was positive throughout the preserved period. The minimally processed prickly pears retained suitable microbial, nutritional, and sensory qualities when the whole fruits had been refrigerated for 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks, facilitating their management in small processing companies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
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12 pages, 269 KiB  
Article
Nutritional, Utility, and Sensory Quality and Safety of Sunflower Oil on the Central European Market
by Kristina Nakonechna, Vojtech Ilko, Markéta Berčíková, Vladimír Vietoris, Zdeňka Panovská and Marek Doležal
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040536 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 614
Abstract
In the quality monitoring of 18 sunflower oil samples from the EU market, 14 were refined and 4 were cold-pressed. They demonstrated high quality of technological processing with low values of trans-unsaturated fatty acids, acid value, and peroxide value and also met [...] Read more.
In the quality monitoring of 18 sunflower oil samples from the EU market, 14 were refined and 4 were cold-pressed. They demonstrated high quality of technological processing with low values of trans-unsaturated fatty acids, acid value, and peroxide value and also met the limits set by legislation in the content of process contaminants 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) esters and glycidyl esters. Measurements of oxidative stability showed a difference in utility value. The average induction period of the oils from the traditional varieties was 2.6 h, predisposing them to cold cooking or short-term frying, while the 11.8 h of the four high oleic sunflower oils (HOSO) indicates the possibility of long-term heat stress. The nutritional benefit is the average vitamin E content of 663 mg/kg oil. The overall sensory quality of the samples was evaluated by a 12-member panel of trained assessors. On the seven-point category scale, the oils were of good to exceptional quality. The cold-pressed oils (CPOs) differed in having, on average, lower trans-unsaturated fatty acid content, process contaminants at unmeasurable levels, and, on average, higher vitamin E concentrations. The specific organoleptic properties of the CPOs were characterized by a pleasant nutty and sunflower seed flavor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
17 pages, 8286 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Wheat Sprout Attributes Using “Intensification of Vaporization by Decompression to the Vacuum”, an Innovative Drying–Texturizing Technology
by Helga Francis, Espérance Debs, Richard G. Maroun and Nicolas Louka
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040515 - 23 Mar 2024
Viewed by 623
Abstract
Highly valued for their nutritional benefits, sprouts are characterized by high water content, which promotes microbial proliferation, potentially leading to toxicity and a reduced shelf life. To address this challenge, the present study explores the application of a novel drying–texturizing approach, named IVDV [...] Read more.
Highly valued for their nutritional benefits, sprouts are characterized by high water content, which promotes microbial proliferation, potentially leading to toxicity and a reduced shelf life. To address this challenge, the present study explores the application of a novel drying–texturizing approach, named IVDV (Intensification of Vaporization by Decompression to the Vacuum), to sprouts. This technique would enable faster drying of the sprouts and better preservation of their nutritional content, compared to traditional hot-air drying. Using Response Surface Methodology, optimal IVDV parameters (saturated steam pressure P, processing time t, and water content W) for wheat sprouts were defined, with a focus on preserving vitamins, proteins, and lipids, and optimizing the expansion ratio. This optimization process identified optimal experimental conditions at 5.5 bars, a duration of 15 s, and 8.8% d.b. water content. Under these conditions, the use of IVDV endowed the expanded sprouts with a crunchier and more friable texture. In addition, it significantly improved the preservation of vitamins B6 and E by 412% and 42%, respectively, compared to traditional mild hot-air drying, without significantly affecting vitamin B2, proteins, and lipids. When combined with conventional hot-air drying, IVDV not only enhanced the preservation of the sprouts’ nutritional content but also reduced drying time and energy consumption. This marks a significant advancement in sprouts preservation techniques, paving the way for novel potential applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
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21 pages, 4636 KiB  
Article
Screening of Maize Varieties with High Biomass and Low Accumulation of Pb and Cd around Lead and Zinc Smelting Enterprises: Field Experiment
by Peiyi Zeng, Shujuan He, Liping He, Muqing Yang, Xian Zhu and Min Wu
Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030423 - 06 Mar 2024
Viewed by 763
Abstract
In the long-term production process of lead and zinc smelting enterprises, atmospheric subsidence leads to the accumulation of heavy metals in surrounding farmland, which poses a serious threat to the growth of crops and food safety. Given the knowledge that heavy metal pollution [...] Read more.
In the long-term production process of lead and zinc smelting enterprises, atmospheric subsidence leads to the accumulation of heavy metals in surrounding farmland, which poses a serious threat to the growth of crops and food safety. Given the knowledge that heavy metal pollution in cultivated land does not support treatment and restoration, determining how to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products is the main problem facing the agricultural industry at present. Previous studies have mainly focused on the low accumulation of heavy metals in maize varieties, while the removal of heavy metals from soil through high biomass has been studied less. In order to identify the maize varieties that demonstrate high removal and low accumulation of heavy metals, 29 maize varieties were planted in soil contaminated with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), and the growth status of the maize varieties and the absorption and transport of Pb and Cd by different tissues were studied. The results showed that heavy metals had the least effect on the growth of the Longhuangbai3, Jinqiuyu 35, Jinyi 418, and Qiuqing 88 varieties, and the content of Pb and Cd in maize varieties was in the order leaf > stem > root > grain. It was found that soil remediation and safe production can be taken into account in the results of the Qiuqing 88 (Pb, Cd), Fengdeng 2025 (Cd), and Yayu 719 (Pb, Cd) varieties. Moreover, the Xinzhongyu 801 (Cd) and Longdan 1701 (Pb) varieties demonstrated high metal accumulation in the edible part, which poses a potential risk to human health; thus, they are not recommended for local cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
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Review

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26 pages, 1328 KiB  
Review
Applications of Ionic Liquids in the Field of Agriculture: A Review
by Zijun Wang, Xin Qin, Hongqiang Dong, You Liang, Zhongyang Huo, Kun Qian and Fengping Yang
Agriculture 2023, 13(12), 2279; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13122279 - 15 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1318
Abstract
This review delves into the diverse applications of ionic liquids (ILs) in modern agriculture, focusing on their pivotal roles in the extraction of natural products and pesticides, as well as their substantial significance in sustainable pesticide delivery systems. The reported extraction methods include [...] Read more.
This review delves into the diverse applications of ionic liquids (ILs) in modern agriculture, focusing on their pivotal roles in the extraction of natural products and pesticides, as well as their substantial significance in sustainable pesticide delivery systems. The reported extraction methods include ILs and their modified materials as solvents in dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, solid-phase dispersion, and solid-phase microextraction. The study categorizes ILs according to their utility as herbicides, microbicides, food repellents, and plant growth regulators. This review investigates the use of ILs as plant immunity inducers to elevate the systemic acquired resistance in crops, thereby augmenting their intrinsic ability to defend against plant pathogens. Furthermore, the review explores the application of ILs in pesticide delivery systems, emphasizing their ability to enhance efficacy while promoting environmental sustainability. The biodegradability and toxicity aspects of ILs are also discussed, shedding light on their potential as eco-friendly alternatives in agricultural practices. In conclusion, this comprehensive overview underscores the multifaceted contributions of ILs in agriculture, from efficient extraction methods to the development of innovative and sustainable pesticide delivery systems. As the agricultural landscape evolves towards environmentally conscious practices, the integration of ILs presents a promising avenue for enhancing productivity while minimizing ecological impact. As the agricultural industry seeks innovative and sustainable solutions, the nuanced exploration of ILs in this review highlights their potential to address multiple challenges in modern farming practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Agricultural Product Quality and Safety)
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