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Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food

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A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Postharvest Biology, Quality, Safety, and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 28102

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Dr. Alessandra Durazzo

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CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Interests: bioactive compounds; natural products; nutraceuticals; antioxidants; dietary supplements; food quality; nutrition; food composition databases; bioavailability, metabolic pathway; nanoformulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Massimo Lucarini

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Guest Editor

CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Interests: natural compounds; nutraceuticals; natural products; food science and nutrition; food composition databases; bioaccesibility; dietary intake
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural crops and products are an important source of compounds of nutritional and nutraceutical interest for human nutrition. Studies on different factors influencing the food quality of horticultural crops under different agricultural production systems are welcome. The investigation on pre- and postharvest factors under the food product quality perspective represent one of the main focuses of the Special Issue. Conventional and innovative techniques should be taken into account. New models of horticultural commodities should be analyzed, and new monitoring parameters should be proposed. Studies on classification of horticultural products are invited.

The quality of horticultural products should be explored from local and rural communities to urban ones. Studies on the use and applications of horticultural products and waste/byproducts are welcome. Attention should be given to sustainable crop production systems.

The effect of climate change on horticultural production and product quality should be taken into account.

A comprehensive image of horticultural systems and product status will be given in this Special Issue through a multidisciplinary approach that involves agronomy, chemical science, food science, and nutrition. Trends and challenges on horticultural status will be delineated and promoted. We invite you to submit to this Special Issue all type of papers, i.e., original research, reviews, and opinions.

Dr. Alessandra Durazzo
Dr. Massimo Lucarini
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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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 food
chemical properties
nutritional quality
bioactive compounds
applications

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 457 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food

by Alessandra Durazzo and Massimo Lucarini

Horticulturae 2022, 8(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8010003 - 21 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2182

Abstract

The Special Issue “Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food” is here presented [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

19 pages, 8784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Construction of Volatile Profiles of Eight Popular Peach Cultivars Produced in Shanghai Using GC-MS and GC-IMS

by Xia Wang, Xiongwei Li, Mingshen Su, Minghao Zhang, Yang Hu, Jihong Du, Huijuan Zhou, Xianan Zhang, Zhengwen Ye and Xuelian Yang

Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030382 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1501

Abstract

Peach (Prunus persica L.) is an economically important fruit crop worldwide due to its pleasant flavor. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are vital factors for assessing fruit quality. Here, we constructed the VOC profiles for the top eight popular commercial peach cultivars produced in Shanghai by combining gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), odor activity value and gas chromatograph-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). Seventy VOCs were detected using GC-MS, of which twenty-three were commonly found in eight peach cultivars, including hexanal, nonanal, benzaldehyde, 2-hexenal, butyl acetate, hexyl acetate, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, linalool, β-myrcene, D-limonene, 1-hexanol, 3-hexenol, 2-hexenol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, γ-octalactone, δ-decalactone, γ-hexalactone, γ-decalactone, γ-dodecalactone, β-ionone, 2-octanone, 2-ethyl furan and 2,4-ditert-butyl phenol. A total of 17 VOCs were screened on the basis of OAV ≥ 1 and the top 5 of this contribution were γ-decalactone, β-ionone, hexanal, 2-hexenal and linalool. Lactones had the highest OAV in HJML and terpenoids had the highest OAV in JC. JXIU had the lowest OAV of lactones and terpenoids. Based on the range of their OAV values, the flavor evaluation standard of Shanghai high-quality peach cultivars can be established, which is also a reference for breeding excellent offspring. Twenty-six VOCs were detected using GC-IMS, and the largest proportion were aldehydes. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that Hikawa Hakuho (HH) and Jinchun (JC) were distant from the other samples, indicating that their volatiles were more distinct. These results provide a foundation for improving our understanding of aroma compositions in these high-quality peach cultivars, which might also provide a reference for future design breeding to improve fruit flavor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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14 pages, 27744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonal Variations in the Starch Properties of Sweet Potato Cultivars

by Thaís Paes Rodrigues dos Santos, Magali Leonel, Luciana Alves de Oliveira, Adalton Mazetti Fernandes, Sarita Leonel and Jason Geter da Silva Nunes

Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030303 - 23 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1577

Abstract

Starch is widely used in the food and non-food industries, and this is related to its physicochemical characteristics. In the coming years, climate changes will become unpredictable, and these conditions may affect the process of starch biosynthesis and polymer properties. The sweet potato starch market has grown substantially in recent years and understanding the environmental impacts on starch characteristics will contribute to advances for the sector. Herein, the effects of the growing season on the structural, morphological, and physicochemical properties of sweet potato starches were evaluated. Sweet potato trials with two Brazilian cultivars (Canadense and Uruguaiana) were installed in the dry season (planting in March and harvesting in July) and rainy season (planting in October and harvesting in March). Regardless of the cultivar, starches isolated from plants grown in the rainy season have a more ordered structure, with higher gelatinization temperatures, thermal stability, and resistant starch content. Starches from plants grown in the dry season have a higher percentage of small granules with lower crystallinity and lower gelatinization temperatures. These findings can be useful as early knowledge of these changes can help the supply chain to better plan and target suitable markets for naturally modified sweet potato starches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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21 pages, 4087 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Variation in Yield, Berry Distribution and Chemical Attributes of Coffea arabica Beans among the Canopy Strata of Four Genotypes Cultivated under Contrasted Water Regimes

by Miroslava Rakocevic, Maria Brigida dos Santos Scholz, Ricardo Antônio Almeida Pazianotto, Fabio Takeshi Matsunaga and José Cochicho Ramalho

Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020215 - 06 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1596

Abstract

Water availability, light, management practices, and harvest time impacts on Coffea arabica L. yield and bean quality remain uncertain. It was hypothesized that the soil water and light availability could impact berry distribution, yield, and bean chemical attributes within the plant canopy. Therefore, it was aimed to study berry yield, berry distribution, and bean chemical traits along the canopy strata of four coffee genotypes (Iapar 59, Catuaí 99 and two Ethiopian wild accessions, ‘E083’ and ‘E027’), cultivated with (IRR) and without irrigation (NI) in the two initial harvest years. The maximum height of berry occurrence was lower in NI than in IRR plants in both harvest years. In the 2nd harvest year, higher leaf-to-fruit ratio was found under NI than under IRR for all genotypes, except for Catuaí 99, while the most regular berry distribution among canopy strata was obtained in IRR ‘E083’, the highest bean yield in IRR ‘E083’ and Iapar 59, and the highest percent of useful bean biomass in NI Catuaí 99. The reduced lipid content under IRR was more important in the 1st (all genotypes) than in the 2nd harvest year (Iapar 59 and ‘E027’). As a novelty, chemical bean composition was additionally impacted by light availability along the canopy strata. Proteins declined from bottom (shaded) to upper (highly light exposed) strata, regardless of genotype and harvest year. Similar stratification was observed in caffeine in the 2nd year. Although some traits were somewhat changed among strata, no substantial quality changes occurred, thus allowing that harvest might include the entire plant and not only some specific strata. Iapar 59 and ‘E083’ showed chemical composition usually associated with high bean quality, with the highest lipid, sucrose, and soluble sugar contents, and the lowest caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and phenolic components among four genotypes, but Iapar 59 plants were less affected in their yield under NI. Based on additional responses from space occupation and yield only under IRR, the wild accession ‘E083’ must be considered in future breeding programs as promising material for intensive input conditions. High bean quality and the less variated yield under lower soil water availability qualified the Iapar 59 as the most prominent among the four genotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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14 pages, 1195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Detailed Comparative Study on Some Physicochemical Properties, Volatile Composition, Fatty Acid, and Mineral Profile of Different Almond (Prunus dulcis L.) Varieties

by Okan Levent

Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060488 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1771

Abstract

In the present investigation, the main purpose of the research was to reveal the differences among the almond genotypes in terms of their physicochemical properties, volatile composition, fatty acid, and mineral profile. For that reason, ten different almond genotypes originated from different countries were subjected to relevant analysis. The results showed that the total oil, protein, and ash levels of the almond samples ranged between 30.84–41.43%, 17.43–22.72%, and 2.90–3.40%, respectively. Additionally, total phenolic content of the samples was in the range of 38.7–101.03 mg GAE/100 g sample. It was revealed that the almond samples were rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, and oleic acid was the major one with levels of 61.22–77.63%. For all samples, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus were the major minerals, and the highest concentration was for potassium with levels of 6192.08–11,046.05 mg/kg. Volatile profile analysis showed that the toluene, 4-octanone, pinacol, and 2-methylpentanal were the dominant volatile compounds for all almond genotypes. The results revealed that the different almond varieties showed significant differences depending on the origin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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17 pages, 5806 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth, Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Postharvest Qualities of Leaf Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as Affected by Cultivar and Amount of Applied Nutrient Solution

by Jung-Soo Lee, Dulal Chandra and Jinkwan Son

Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050436 - 13 May 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3421

Abstract

The effects of different nutrient solution quantities on growth, physicochemical, nutritional, and postharvest qualities of lettuce were investigated. Two differently pigmented Korean leaf lettuce cultivars “Geockchima” and “Cheongchima” were grown in soilless perlite culture supplied with 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 mL·d⁻¹·plant⁻¹ nutrient solutions. Several growth parameters (plant height, leaf number, fresh weight, dry matter) were evaluated. The highest lettuce growth was observed when plants were supplied with 1000 mL·d⁻¹·plant⁻¹. Cultivating lettuces in the lowest nutrient solution quantity showed higher dry matter, crude fiber, osmolality, chlorophyll, and anthocyanin contents. Upon increasing the nutrient solution, the crispiness, greenness, and levels of ascorbic acid, nitrogen, and potassium, increased, while phosphorus and magnesium were unaffected, and calcium content declined. Postharvest qualities were better maintained in lettuces irrigated with the least amount of nutrient solution, extending their shelf life. We conclude that lettuce can be grown with 1000 mL·d⁻¹·plant⁻¹ for higher yield, and short-term storage and/or transportation. However, when lettuces need to be stored for a certain period, such as long-distance shipment, they should be cultivated with a limited nutrient solution, which requires further detailed investigation. The results of this study can be applied for distributing, storing, transporting, and marketing lettuce. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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14 pages, 1158 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Yield and Compositional Profile of Eggplant Fruits as Affected by Phosphorus Supply, Genotype and Grafting

by Rosario Paolo Mauro, Silvia Rita Stazi, Miriam Distefano, Francesco Giuffrida, Rosita Marabottini, Leo Sabatino, Enrica Allevato, Claudio Cannata, Federico Basile and Cherubino Leonardi

Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040304 - 03 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2452

Abstract

The present experiment addressed the effects of two phosphorus regimes (30 and 90 kg ha⁻¹, hereafter P₃₀ and P₉₀) on yield and composition of eggplant fruits in ‘Birgah’ and ‘Dalia’, whether or not these cultivars were grafted onto Solanum torvum ‘Espina’. The P₃₀ regime did not reduce yield, and promoted fruits’ dry matter and total phenols content, along with their concentrations of macronutrients, mesonutrients (S and Na) and micronutrients (mostly Cu, B, Zn); however, their Fe concentrations were depressed. The rootstock ‘Espina’ increased fruit yield, dry matter content, epicarp chroma (in ‘Birgah’) and Ca content, together with their concentrations of B and Zn (especially at P₃₀), but reduced their Fe content, mostly under P₃₀. Thus, the reduced P supply and grafting proved to be effective tools to enhance fruit yield, carpometric and almost all nutritional traits in eggplant, in a framework of more sustainable crop management. However, the reduced fruit concentration of Fe suggests that the affinity of the rootstock with specific micro minerals should be taken into account, along with the option to adopt complementary practices (e.g., targeted micronutrient fertilizations) to manage the micro mineral composition of eggplants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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16 pages, 3787 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality Characteristics of Oolong Tea Products in Different Regions and the Contribution of Thirteen Phytochemical Components to Its Taste

by Zhihui Wang, Shuang Gan, Weijiang Sun and Zhidan Chen

Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040278 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5173

Abstract

Regionality is a term used in the tea industry to describe the particular style of tea produced by a growing region. Determining the characteristics of the tea of specific regions can help growers predict tea plant quality before harvesting and eventually production. As such, in this study, we collected representative Oolong tea samples from 15 regions in 8 countries. Quantitative description analysis (QDA) and a flavor wheel were used to analyze their sensory characteristics. Chemometrics was used to screen the phytochemical components that significantly contribute to the taste of Oolong tea. We preliminarily obtained 35 sensory characteristic descriptors and constructed a flavor wheel for Oolong tea. We found that Oolong tea in each region has unique sensory quality characteristics. The content of thirteen phytochemical components of Oolong tea in different regions widely varied, and the average coefficient of variation was 45.56%. Among of them, we found the largest difference in free amino acids. We identified the relationship between taste sub-attributes, and the thirteen phytochemical components was found through correlation analysis. Finally, we selected phytochemical components with significant effects on five taste sub-attributes that were selected from the thirteen detected phytochemical components. The construction of the Oolong tea flavor wheel can help realize the qualitative and quantitative sensory evaluation of Oolong tea from different origins and contribute to the quality identification and directional improvement of Oolong tea products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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10 pages, 4172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Bioactive Compounds and Fatty Acid Profile of Bitter Apple Seed Oil Obtained in Hot, Arid Environments

by Mukesh Kumar Berwal, Chet Ram, Pawan Singh Gurjar, Jagan Singh Gora, Ramesh Kumar, Ajay Kumar Verma, Dhurendra Singh, Boris Basile, Youssef Rouphael and Pradeep Kumar

Horticulturae 2022, 8(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8030259 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2500

Abstract

Bitter apple or tumba (Citrullus colocynthis L.) is a prostrate annual herb belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It is highly tolerant against multiple abiotic stresses like drought, heat, and soil salinity and can easily grow on very marginal soil, even on sand dunes in hot, arid regions. Tumba fruit is a fleshy berry 5–10 cm in diameter and of a pale yellow color at ripening. The tumba fruit used in this research was harvested from the ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner research farm. The seeds were separated, and their oil was extracted to analyze its physical characteristics and composition (phytochemical compounds, fatty acid profile, etc.). The seeds of the tumba fruit contained 23–25% golden-yellow-colored oil with a specific gravity of 0.92 g/mL. The extracted oil contained appreciable amounts of phytochemical (bioactive) compounds like phenolics (5.39 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (938 mg catechin eq./100 g), carotenoids (79.5 mg/kg), oryzanol (0.066%), and lignans (0.012%), along with 70–122 mg AAE/100 g total antioxidant activity (depending on the determination method). The results of fatty acid profiling carried out by GC-MS/MS demonstrated that tumba seed oil contained about 70% unsaturated fatty acids with more than 51% polyunsaturated fatty acids. It mainly contained linoleic acid (C18:2n6; 50.3%), followed by oleic acid (C18:1n9; 18.0%), stearic acid (C18:0; 15.2%), and palmitic acid (C16:0; 12.4%). Therefore, this oil can be considered as a very good source of essential fatty acids like omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid), whereas it contains a lower concentration of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) and hydroxy polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, it also contains some odd chain fatty acids like pentadecanoic and heptadecanoic acid (C15:0 and C17:0, respectively), which have recently been demonstrated to be bioactive compounds in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. The results of this study suggest that tumba seed oil contains several health-promoting bioactive compounds with nutraceutical properties; hence, it can be an excellent dietary source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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16 pages, 3378 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effects of Yeast Product Addition and Fermentation Temperature on Lipid Composition, Taste and Mouthfeel Characteristics of Pinot Noir Wine

by Quynh Phan, Aubrey DuBois, James Osborne and Elizabeth Tomasino

Horticulturae 2022, 8(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8010052 - 06 Jan 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2244

Abstract

Lipids have important impacts on wine sensory. By targeting the lipid sources in wine, mainly from grape tissues and yeast cell walls, it was possible to alter the wine lipid profile thus potentially changing the final product quality. This research examined the changes of wine total lipids, lipid composition and sensory characteristics of Pinot noir wines in response to the winemaking factors, fermentation temperature and yeast product addition. Pinot noir grapes were fermented at 16 °C and 27 °C. After fermentation, Oenolees^® yeast product was added to the wines at three levels (0 g/L, 0.5 g/L and 1.0 g/L). The six wine treatments were subjected to chemical analyses measuring total lipids and an untargeted lipidomic approach analyzing lipid composition. High temperature fermentation wines had significantly higher total lipid content. Random forest analysis distinguished the wine groups based on the 25 main lipids, including free fatty acids, acylcarnitines, diglycerides, triglycerides and phospholipids. Taste and mouthfeel characteristics of each treatment were assessed using descriptive analysis and check-all-that-apply (CATA) techniques. Multivariate analyses showed that changing fermentation temperature significantly impacted sweetness and drying perception in Pinot noir wines. Yeast product addition had nuanced effects on wine lipid profiles and sensory perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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Review

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12 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

UVA and UVB Radiation as Innovative Tools to Biofortify Horticultural Crops with Nutraceuticals

by Daniel A. Jacobo-Velázquez, Melissa Moreira-Rodríguez and Jorge Benavides

Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050387 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2190

Abstract

The consumption of fruits and vegetables is related to the prevention and treatment of chronic–degenerative diseases due to the presence of secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical activity. Most of these secondary metabolites, also known as nutraceuticals, are present in low concentrations in the plant tissue. Therefore, to improve the health benefits of horticultural crops, it is necessary to increase their nutraceutical content before reaching consumers. Applying ultraviolet radiation (UVR) to fruits and vegetables has been a simple and effective technology to biofortify plant tissue with secondary metabolites. This review article describes the physiological and molecular basis of stress response in plants. Likewise, current literature on the mechanisms and effects of UVA and UVB radiation on the accumulation of different bioactive phytochemicals are reviewed. The literature shows that UVR is an effective tool to biofortify horticultural crops to enhance their nutraceutical content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Properties, Nutritional Quality, and Bioactive Components of Horticulture Food)

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