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Special Issue "Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2023 | Viewed by 7284

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anna Sadowska

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Guest Editor

Department of Functional and Organic Food, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska Str. 159c, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: functional food; food design; bioactive compounds; fruits; drying methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Katarzyna Najman

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Functional and Organic Food, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska Str. 159c, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: bioactive compounds; antioxidant properties; new analytical methods

Prof. Dr. Franciszek Świderski

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Co-Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruits, vegetables, and their products are prized for their sensory values, and they play a very important role in our diet. They provide nutrients, bioactivity, and serve a number of pro-health and dietary functions while forming the basis of daily nutrition for vegetarians and vegans. A significant portion of fruits and vegetables, especially those included among the so-called "super foods", can also be classified as functional foods because, in addition to providing nutrients, they have a health-promoting effect. The high level of biologically active compounds present in fruits and vegetables and their products can protect the human body against free radicals, eliminating the effects of oxidative stress, as well as being able to diminish non-infected chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes type II, and obesity.

A significant proportion of fruits, vegetables and their products are characterized by a high water activity, which results in their low shelf life and requires the use of a number of methods that show a different effect on their technological properties, nutritional value, content of bioactive compounds and sensory features. The use of modern preservation methods, including minimal processing methods, enables the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables to be extended while maintaining a high level of freshness, which is of increasing interest among both food producers and consumers.

Taking all of the above into account, in this Special Issue, all reviews and research articles on the functional properties of fruit and vegetables and their products will be appreciated.

Dr. Anna Sadowska
Dr. Katarzyna Najman
Prof. Dr. Franciszek Świderski
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

fruits
vegetables
functional food
bioactive properties
preserved methods

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Improvement of Hot Air Dried Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Product Quality: Optimization of Drying and Blanching Process by Experimental Design

Nuriye Altınay Perendeci

Can Ertekin

and

Ahmet Naci Onus

Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1849; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091849 (registering DOI) - 21 Sep 2023

Viewed by 88

Abstract

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) is a plant species belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, growing in tropical regions and containing health-promoting beneficial compounds. In the current study, bitter gourds prepared for drying were sliced in three different thicknesses (6, 8 and 10 mm) and dried in a hot-air dryer at three different temperatures (60, 70 and 80 °C) to preserve their medicinal efficacy. In the experiments, the samples were subjected to blanching at 93.5 °C and 2% salt water for 0, 2.5 and 5 min, and drying processes were conducted. After the drying process, drying time, total color change (∆E), total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant activity (TAA), and vitamin C properties were examined. The highest levels of TPC and TAA were found at lower drying air temperatures (DATs), and while these values increased with longer blanching times at lower DATs, they decreased with longer blanching times at higher DATs. According to the different drying temperatures used, it was discovered that the total color change peaked at 70 °C and that vitamin C levels declined as DAT rose. The optimal drying conditions for the 3D response surface methodology include 60 °C DAT, a slice thickness of 10 mm, and without blanching to maximize TPC, TAA and vitamin C content and minimize drying time and ∆E. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves)

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Open AccessArticle

Physicochemical Properties and Evaluation of Antioxidant Potential of Sugar Beet Pulp—Preliminary Analysis for Further Use (Future Prospects)

Andrzej Baryga

Rafał Ziobro

Dorota Gumul

Justyna Rosicka-Kaczmarek

and

Karolina Miśkiewicz

Agriculture 2023, 13(5), 1039; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13051039 - 11 May 2023

Viewed by 1015

Abstract

High content of pro-health constituents in fruit and vegetable pomaces has led to their utilization as raw materials in food production. They are used mostly in dried form, which is microbiologically stable and allows their storage throughout a longer period. Nevertheless, some materials of these kind are still undervalued, among them sugar beet pulp, which is produced during sugar production in large quantities, often posing an environmental threat, and has been traditionally used for feeding animals. Earlier studies on chemical composition suggested that sugar beet pulp could be highly valuable in terms of health-promoting aspects. Therefore, in this work, research was directed to prove the nutritional potential of this raw material. Thus, an attempt was made to characterize sugar beet pulp in terms of its nutritional and carbohydrate profile, as well as its health-promoting qualities, with particular emphasis on the effect of the extraction on the content of polyphenols and phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavonols, and also their antioxidant activity, measured by ABTS and FRAP methods. The soluble and insoluble fraction of dietary fiber and total dietary fiber were also determined in the pulp. It was found that sugar beet pulp is a valuable source of nutrients (around 10% protein, 7% fat, 8% sugar, 4% ash), dietary fiber (nearly 70%), and has significant amounts of sugars present as free saccharides (fructose and glucose) and polysaccharide residues (arabinose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose, and glucose). In addition, it is a source of polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids and has a high health-promoting potential regardless of the applied extraction method. Therefore, we may suggest that sugar beet pulp could become an ingredient for pro-health functional food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves)

Open AccessArticle

Peel to Flesh Bioactive Compounds Ratio Affect Apple Antioxidant Potential and Cultivar Functional Properties

Monika Sawicka

Piotr Latocha

and

Barbara Łata

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020478 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1029

Abstract

More than ten thousand apple cultivars with high variability in the quality traits and year-round availability place apples at the forefront of consumed fruits. Yet consumers and producers alike are still looking for new apple cultivars with specific quality attributes such as plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as a high health-promoting potential. The model plants were three cultivars: a new ‘Chopin’ and an old ‘Granny Smith’, scab resistant cultivars with green peel, and a red-skinned cultivar ‘Gala Schniga’. Apple peel and flesh were analyzed separately during two growing seasons: 2016 and 2017. The total ascorbate and phenolics as well as individual phenolic compounds, such as (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, phloridzin, and rutin concentrations, proved to be highly tissue-type and cultivar dependent. The apple of the ‘Chopin’ and ‘Granny Smith’ cultivars expressed much lower skin-to-flesh antioxidant potential differences as compared to ‘Gala Schniga’. The lowest differences between tissue types were observed in the case of chlorogenic acid and flavan-3-ols, followed by total phenolics and ascorbate concentrations. Except for phloridzin, ‘Gala Schniga’ exhibited the highest differences in global and individual phenolic compound concentrations as well as total antioxidant capacity between the apple peel and flesh. ‘Chopin’ was definitely distinguished by the highest concentration of ascorbate in both the peel and the flesh and expressed a higher concentration of flavanols, especially compared to ‘Granny Smith’. In contrast to ‘Gala Schniga’, ‘Chopin’ was richer in chlorogenic acid, (+)-catechin, and (−)-epicatechin in the flesh. The total antioxidant capacity of the green-peel apple cultivars was similar to that of the red-peel one. A narrower range of differences between the concentration of antioxidants in apple peel and flesh could mean better health-promoting properties and might be related to a greater resistance to environmental stress factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves)

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Open AccessArticle

Effect of Various Drying Methods on Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties of Quince Fruit (Cydonia oblonga Mill.)

Bożena Waszkiewicz-Robak

and

Arkadiusz Szterk

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020446 - 14 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1270

Abstract

The quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), due to its valuable bioactive properties and high health-promoting potential, is becoming more and more popular for the prevention of many free radical diseases. Due to the high hardness of the flesh and its bitterness and astringency, quinces are rarely eaten in the form of fresh fruit, and much more often in the form of various preserves, or in the form of dried additives, e.g., to the tea. Heat treatment (including drying) affects not only the content of bioactive compounds, but also the antioxidant activity and organoleptic characteristics. Therefore, this study examined the physicochemical properties of quinces (including the content of dry matter, soluble solids (°Brix), water activity (a_w), pH, total acidity and color changes (in the L*a*b* space)), fresh and dried by various methods, i.e., freeze-drying and convection at 50 °C and 70 °C. In addition, the effect of various drying conditions on the content of selected bioactive compounds, i.e., tannins, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids and total polyphenols, was assessed, as well as the antioxidant properties of fresh quinces and quinces dried under different conditions. Based on the research, it can be concluded that the applied processes of the dehydration of quinces significantly changed both the physicochemical properties and the content of biologically active ingredients and antioxidant properties, while both fresh and dried fruit provide nutritionally valuable bioactive ingredients and show high antioxidant potential. Considering the great taste and bioactive qualities of the common quince, introducing it to the daily diet, whether in a traditional form (dried fruit, fruit preserves) or in the form of dietary supplements, can be an important element in the prevention of many civilization diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves)

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Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition, Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties of Avocado (Persea americana) Seed and Its Potential Use in Functional Food Design

Marta Siol

and

Anna Sadowska

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020316 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2253

Abstract

The appropriate use of avocado seed waste after industrial processing could reduce the problem of overconsumption and food waste in accordance with the “zero waste” concept. The presented study evaluates the physicochemical and bioactive properties of avocado seed and its possible use in functional food design, for example, cereal snacks in the form of cookies. The profile of polyphenol and lutein content was determined by chromatographic methodology, and the phenolic compounds content and antioxidant properties of the avocado seed powder were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The chemical composition (content of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fat) and physicochemical properties, i.e., water activity, water holding capacity, and solubility in water of avocado seed powder, were examined. According to the fiber content (21.6 g/100 g) and bioactive compounds present in the avocado seed powder (content of phenolic 62.1 mg GAE/1 g, antioxidant potential (122.4 mmol Trolox/100 g), and low solubility in water (16.2%), it could be considered a valuable additive to cereal snacks. Our designed cereal products with various amounts of added avocado seed powder (6%, 12%, and 18%) showed that 6% added powder promoted an almost five-fold increase in the polyphenol content and four-fold higher antioxidant potential of the snacks compared to the control samples. In addition, the lowest level addition of avocado seed powder increased the dietary fiber content of the product to 4%; hence, they adhered to the nutrition claim of “source of fiber” in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves)

Open AccessArticle

Functional Properties of Fruit Fibers Preparations and Their Application in Wheat Bakery Products (Kaiser Rolls)

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1715; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101715 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 956

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increase in consumer interest in functional foods enriched with health-promoting ingredients, which include dietary fiber. Therefore, the present study investigated the functional properties of fruit fiber preparations, i.e., cocoa, chokeberry, and apple fiber preparations, then designed wheat bakery products, kaiser rolls, with these fibers and evaluated the designed products. The fiber preparations selected for the study were evaluated for water binding properties (WHC), solubility (WSI), total polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity using a spectrophotometric method. In the designed bakery products, the weight losses occurring during baking were determined, specific mass, and hardness were evaluated, and sensory evaluation was carried out using a descriptive method. The tested fiber preparations showed varying water solubility, ranging from approximately 17% for cocoa fiber to approximately 30% for chokeberry one. The highest values, both in polyphenol content and antioxidant properties, were characteristic for chokeberry fiber, at 7.0 mg GAE/1 g and 10.1 Trolox/100 g, respectively, while the lowest values were for apple fiber (1.6 mg GAE/1 g, 3.6 Trolox/100 g). Baked products, kaiser rolls, with the proportion of the tested preparations at a lower addition level (3% flour replacement) had more favorable sensory characteristics than those containing a higher proportion of fiber (6% flour replacement). Considering all the tested fiber preparations, the rolls with the addition of chokeberry fiber preparation were the most favorable in terms of sensory characteristics. As the proportion of apple and cocoa fiber preparations in the rolls increased, the hardness and intensity of the bitter taste also increased. The designed bakery products could be a valuable addition to the assortment of semi-confectionery breads (yeast doughs), where the unfavorable bitter taste could be masked by the addition of, e.g., dried fruits (cranberries, raisins), nuts, sunflower seeds, or fruit filling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Functional Properties of Fruit and Vegetables and Their Preserves)

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