Effects of Hot Air Drying on the Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Microgreens.

Cruciferous microgreens are recognized for their high content of phytochemicals, particularly glucosinolates. Their high moisture content and water activity make them highly perishable after harvest and highlight the need for effective preservation methods that maintain their nutritional quality. This study evaluated the impact of hot air drying at 45°C, 65°C, or 95°C compared to freeze-drying on the content and bioaccessibility of nutrients and phytochemicals in radish microgreens.

Radish Microgreen Metabolomic Profile in Response to Zinc Biofortification and Light Intensity.

Zinc deficiency is a global health issue, and agronomic biofortification is a promising strategy to enhance the bioaccessibility of Zn in edible crops. Microgreens, with their short growth cycle, high nutrient-density, and low antinutrient content, are ideal candidates for Zn-enrichment via fertigation. While controlled environments allow light modulation to optimize yield and quality, limited information exists on how Zn-enrichment and light together influence metabolite biosynthesis.

Light intensity and Zinc biofortification differentially impact the metabolomic profile of pea microgreens.

Zinc (Zn)-enriched microgreens obtained through agronomic biofortification may be used to address Zn-deficiency affecting 17% of the global population. However, little is known on how alternative agronomic biofortification strategies may impact their metabolomic profile. We investigated the metabolic responses of Zn-enriched pea microgreens grown under varying ZnSO rates (0, 5, 10, and 15 mg/L) and light intensities (100, 200, 300, and 400 μmol/m/s Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) using targeted metabolomics.

Nutritional Composition of Post-Catastrophic Foods.

In addition to current challenges in food production arising from climate change, soil salinization, drought, flooding, and human-caused disruption, abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios (ASRS), e.g., a nuclear winter, supervolcano eruption, or large asteroid or comet strike, are catastrophes that would severely disrupt the global food supply and decimate normal agricultural practices.

Impacts of the Ban on the Soil-Applied Fumigant Methyl Bromide.

The loss of the soil fumigant methyl bromide (MeBr) and adoption of soil fumigant alternatives has been challenging for farmers, particularly for those crops in which pathogens previously controlled by MeBr have emerged as significant problems, but it has resulted in some unanticipated benefits for the scientific community and the environment. Applauded as one of the most effective environmental agreements to date, the universally accepted Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances has had a significant impact on the environment, reducing the release of halogenated compounds from anthropogenic sources enough to mitigate global warming by an estimated 1.1°C by 2021.

Enhancing crop resilience by harnessing the synergistic effects of biostimulants against abiotic stress.

Plants experience constant exposed to diverse abiotic stresses throughout their growth and development stages. Given the burgeoning world population, abiotic stresses pose significant challenges to food and nutritional security. These stresses are complex and influenced by both genetic networks and environmental factors, often resulting in significant crop losses, which can reach as high as fifty percent.

Yield performance, mineral profile, and nitrate content in a selection of seventeen microgreen species.

Introduction: Originally regarded as garnish greens, microgreens are increasingly valued for their nutritional profile, including their mineral content.

Methods: A study was conducted under controlled environmental conditions utilizing a selection of seventeen microgreen species belonging to seven different botanical families to investigate the genetic variation of macro- and micro-minerals and nitrate (NO ) content. Plants were grown in a soilless system using a natural fiber mat as the substrate.

Organic waste compost and spent mushroom compost as potential growing media components for the sustainable production of microgreens.

Microgreens are emerging specialty crops becoming increasingly popular for their rich nutrient profile and variety of colors, flavors, and textures. The growing medium is a significant key factor in microgreen yield, quality, and sustainability. The widespread use of peat-based media raises questions regarding the environmental sustainability of microgreens production, and new substrates that are more sustainable are required.

Zinc biofortification through seed nutri-priming using alternative zinc sources and concentration levels in pea and sunflower microgreens.

Micronutrient deficiencies caused by malnutrition and hidden hunger are a growing concern worldwide, exacerbated by climate change, COVID-19, and conflicts. A potentially sustainable way to mitigate such challenges is the production of nutrient-dense crops through agronomic biofortification techniques. Among several potential target crops, microgreens are considered suitable for mineral biofortification because of their short growth cycle, high content of nutrients, and low level of anti-nutritional factors.

Quantifying the effects of anaerobic soil disinfestation and other biological soil management strategies on nitrous oxide emissions from raised bed plasticulture tomato production.

Soilborne pests are a major obstacle that must be overcome for the production of horticultural crops. Methyl bromide (MBr) was an effective preplanting soil broad-spectrum biocide, but its use has been banned due to its role in depleting the ozone layer. As a result, sustainable alternative methods for controlling soilborne pathogens and pests are needed.

The Compositional Aspects of Edible Flowers as an Emerging Horticultural Product.

Edible flowers are becoming very popular, as consumers are seeking healthier and more attractive food products that can improve their diet aesthetics and diversify their dietary sources of micronutrients. The great variety of flowers that can be eaten is also associated with high variability in chemical composition, especially in bioactive compounds content that may significantly contribute to human health. The advanced analytical techniques allowed us to reveal the chemical composition of edible flowers and identify new compounds and effects that were not known until recently.

The Effect of Nitrogen Input on Chemical Profile and Bioactive Properties of Green- and Red-Colored Basil Cultivars.

In the present study, three red-colored (Dark Opal, Basilico Rosso, and Red Basil) and one green-colored landrace (Mitikas) of basil ( L.) were grown under four nitrogen regimes, namely Control (no fertilizer added), 200 ppm, 400 ppm, and 600 ppm of nitrogen (N). Fresh yield varied depending on N input following a quadratic function in all four genotypes, and green basil performed better compared to the red cultivars.

Organic Amendments for Pathogen and Nematode Control.

The loss of methyl bromide as a soil fumigant and minimal advances in the development and registration of new chemical fumigants has resulted in a resurgence of interest in the application of organic amendments (OAs) for soilborne plant pathogen and plant-parasitic nematode management. Significant progress has been made in the characterization of OAs, application of strategies for their use, and elucidation of mechanisms by which they suppress soilborne pests. Nonetheless, their utility is limited by the variability of disease control, expense, and the logistics of introducing them into crop production systems.

Wild and Cultivated subsp. : A Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds.

subsp. (DC.) Runemark is a wild edible species endemic to Greece.

Natural Antioxidants, Health Effects and Bioactive Properties of Wild Allium Species.

Background: There is an increasing interest from the pharmaceutical and food industry in natural antioxidant and bioactive compounds derived from plants as substitutes for synthetic compounds. The genus Allium is one of the largest genera, with more than 900 species, including important cultivated and wild species, having beneficial health effects.

Objective: The present review aims to unravel the chemical composition of wild Allium species and their healthrelated effects, focusing on the main antioxidant compounds.

Grown to be Blue-Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Colored Vegetables. Part II: Leafy, Fruit, and Other Vegetables.

The current trend for substituting synthetic compounds with natural ones in the design and production of functional and healthy foods has increased the research interest about natural colorants. Although coloring agents from plant origin are already used in the food and beverage industry, the market and consumer demands for novel and diverse food products are increasing and new plant sources are explored. Fresh vegetables are considered a good source of such compounds, especially when considering the great color diversity that exists among the various species or even the cultivars within the same species.

Grown to be Blue-Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Colored Vegetables. Part I: Root Vegetables.

During the last few decades, the food and beverage industry faced increasing demand for the design of new functional food products free of synthetic compounds and artificial additives. Anthocyanins are widely used as natural colorants in various food products to replenish blue color losses during processing and to add blue color to colorless products, while other compounds such as carotenoids and betalains are considered as good sources of other shades. Root vegetables are well known for their broad palette of colors, and some species, such as black carrot and beet root, are already widely used as sources of natural colorants in the food and drug industry.

Phytoestrogens, phytosteroids and saponins in vegetables: Biosynthesis, functions, health effects and practical applications.

Phytoestrogens are non-steroidal secondary metabolites with similarities in structure and biological activities with human estrogens divided into various classes of compounds, including lignans, isoflavones, ellagitannins, coumestans and stilbenes. Similarly, phytosteroids are steroidal compounds of plant origin which have estrogenic effects and can act as agonists, antagonists, or have a mixed agonistic/antagonistic activity to animal steroid receptors. On the other hand, saponins are widely distributed plant glucosides divided into triterpenoid and steroidal saponins that contribute to plant defense mechanism against herbivores.

Chemical composition and bioactive properties of Cichorium spinosum L. in relation to nitrate/ammonium nitrogen ratio.

Background: Nitrogenous fertilizers may affect the yield and quality of leafy vegetables via the application rate and nitrogen form. In the present study, the effect of the nitrate:ammonium nitrogen ratio in the nutrient solution on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of Cichorium spinosum leaves was evaluated. For this purpose, C.

Dissipation of fomesafen in fumigated, anaerobic soil disinfestation-treated, and organic-amended soil in Florida tomato production systems.

Background: Fumigated, anaerobic soil disinfestation-treated (ASD), and organic-amended soil management strategies have been investigated as potential methyl bromide (MBr) alternatives for controlling diseases, nematodes, and weeds in soil. Nutsedge and broadleaf weed control using fomesafen has been reported to be comparable to MBr in normal cropping systems. There is no information on the fate of fomesafen used in combination with alternative practices.

Vegetable Organosulfur Compounds and their Health Promoting Effects.

Background: Trends in modern pharmaceutical science show an increase in demand for new drugs and diet supplements derived from natural products, while during the last decades, great research is conducted regarding the natural compounds and their medicinal and bioactive properties. Organosulfur compounds are present in many plants and their bioactive properties have been used in folk and traditional medicine throughout the centuries. Not until recently, modern science confirmed and revealed the chemical compounds that are responsible for these properties, the chemistry involved in their biosynthesis and the main mechanisms of action.