Influence of an O3-atmosphere storage on microbial growth and antioxidant contents of globe artichoke as affected by genotype and harvest time

Changes in Yield-Related Traits, Phytochemical Composition, and Antioxidant Activity of Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Depending on Its Variety, Fruit Position, and Ripening Stage

The relationship between fruit position, ripening stage, and variety has not been well studied in pepper plants. To understand the interaction of these factors, a diversity of phytochemical traits as well as antioxidant activity were investigated with agronomic traits in eleven hot pepper varieties collected from the upper and lower parts of the plant and harvested at three maturity stages (green, orange, and red). Capsaicin content (CAP) showed a relatively high genetic effect; on the contrary, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity were more affected by the ripening stage and fruit position. The CAP values ranged from 0.29 ('FKbM') to 0.77 ('Bka') mg CAP equivalents g-1 DW. The ripening stage was the predominant factor for TPC, TFC, DPPH, and FRAP. There was no significant interaction between A × FP, A × RS, and FP × RS for all agro-morphological fruit traits. Variety, fruit position, and ripening stage effects are more significant than all interactions calculated. Lower fruit positions in all samples showed a maximum fruit size, whereas phytochemical traits and yield per plant were relevant in the upper parts, and Phytochemical traits and yield per plant were significantly correlated. From PCA and cluster analysis, all varieties showed the highest biochemical and antioxidant levels with moderate fruit size, except the 'Bel' variety that showed the smallest fruit traits with high yields, and the 'FKbM' and 'FKbK' varieties that showed the highest fruit size but low yields. This study supplies information to identify interesting cultivars with considerable levels of bioactive and phytochemical metabolites, which is useful for breeding programs of novel varieties.

Structural and expression analysis of polyphenol oxidases potentially involved in globe artichoke (C. cardunculus var. scolymus L.) tissue browning

Globe artichoke capitula are susceptible to browning due to oxidation of phenols caused by the activity of polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), this reduces their suitability for fresh or processed uses. A genome-wide analysis of the globe artichoke PPO gene family was performed. Bioinformatics analyses identified eleven PPOs and their genomic and amino acidic features were annotated. Cis-acting element analysis identified a gene regulatory and functional profile associated to plant growth and development as well as stress response. For some PPOs, phylogenetic analyses revealed a structural and functional conservation with different Asteraceae PPOs, while the allelic variants of the eleven PPOs investigated across four globe artichoke varietal types identified several SNP/Indel variants, some of which having impact on gene translation. By RTqPCR were assessed the expression patterns of PPOs in plant tissues and in vitro calli characterized by different morphologies. Heterogeneous PPO expression profiles were observed and three of them (PPO6, 7 and 11) showed a significant increase of transcripts in capitula tissues after cutting. Analogously, the same three PPOs were significantly up-regulated in calli showing a brown phenotype due to oxidation of phenols. Our results lay the foundations for a future application of gene editing aimed at disabling the three PPOs putatively involved in capitula browning.

Prophylactic effects of Cynara scolymus L. leaf and flower hydroethanolic extracts against diethylnitrosamine/acetylaminoflourene-induced lung cancer in Wistar rats

The study examines the prophylactic action of artichoke leaf hydroethanolic extract (ALE) and artichoke flower head hydroethanolic extract (AFE) against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)/acetylaminofluorene (AAF)-induced lung cancer in Wistar rats. To chemically induce lung cancer, DEN was injected intraperitoneally twice a week for a fortnight at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), followed by oral supplementation of AAF four times a week for 3 weeks at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. The DEN/AAF-administered rats were orally supplemented with ALE or AFE at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. for 17 weeks starting from the 1st week of DEN injection to the 17th week of the experiment. The lung cancerous injuries resulting from DEN/AAF-administration were significantly improved by the treatment with ALE and AFE as observed in histological examination. In addition, there was a significant reduction in lung lipid peroxidation, with resultant elevation in antioxidant enzymatic activity of glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase as well as glutathione content in DEN/AAF-supplemented rats treated with ALE and AFE as compared to DEN/AAF-administered control. The lung tumor suppressor protein (p53) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA expression significantly increased in the rats treated with ALE and AFE. In conclusion, the finding showed that ALE and AFE produced anti-cancer prophylactic effects against DEN/AAF-induced lung cancer in rats via suppression of oxidative stress and improved apoptotic signal induction.

Active Packaging-Releasing System with Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oil for the Quality Preservation of Ready-to-Cook (RTC) Globe Artichoke Slices

Two globe artichoke genotypes, “Spinoso sardo” and “Opera F1”, have been processed as ready-to-cook (RTC) slices and refrigerated at 4 °C for 12 days (i) to evaluate the suitability to be processed as RTC slices; (ii) to evaluate the effect of a Foeniculum vulgare essential oil (EO) emitter, within an active package system, to delay quality decay, thus extending shelf life; (iii) to estimate the impact of EO emitter on the sensory profile of the RTC slices after cooking. Results revealed that both globe artichoke genotypes possess a good attitude to be processed as RTC product. “Opera F1” showed the best performances for color parameters, texture and chemical indexes, while “Spinoso sardo” showed lower mass loss (ML) over the storage time. The addition of EO emitter slowed down the consumption of O₂, better preserved texture when compared to the control and more effectively control polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and antioxidants’ retention during the cold storage. Microbial counts in control globe artichoke RTC slices were significantly higher than those packed with EO emitter, confirming the inhibiting role played by EO of F. vulgare. In addition, the EO emitter did not influence negatively the sensory profile of RTC globe artichoke slices after microwave cooking.

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) by-products as a source of inulin: how to valorise an agricultural supply chain extracting an added-value compound

This study is aimed at valorizing artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) by-products as source of inulin, a fiber showing relevant prebiotic properties, through the realization of a waste value chain. Starting from artichoke by-products, the inulin fraction was assessed both in terms of total amount and degree of polymerization as a function of the harvest season and storage conditions. These parameters have been found significant at influencing inulin yield of extraction. For the first time, artichoke wastes were proposed to be exploited taking into account the optimal conditions to preserve their high-added chemical value. Our data suggest that Italian farms could obtain from their wastes a total amount of 16 t/year of inulin with an average polymerization degree higher than 40 and would allow the development of a circular economy process within the artichoke supply chain, by exploiting its wastes representing 70% of the total artichoke biomass.

Effect of Ozone Treatment on Flavonoid Accumulation of Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) during Ambient Storage

This study aimed to compare the flavonoid accumulation between ozone-treated and untreated Satsuma mandarin (Citrusunshiu Marc.) fruits. The fruits exposed to gaseous ozone were found to have higher antioxidant activities and content of flavonoid during the storage period by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). To reveal the molecular regulation of flavonoid accumulation by ozone, chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), β-1,3-glucanase (GLU), chitinase (CHT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) were identified and their expression was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). These results support the promising application of ozone treatment as a safe food preservation technique for controlling postharvest disease and extending shelf-life of harvested Satsuma mandarin.

Shelf-life study of ready-to-cook slices of globe artichoke 'Spinoso sardo': effects of anti-browning solutions and edible coating enriched with Foeniculum vulgare essential oil

BACKGROUND

The globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] is a natural source of minerals, fiber, inulin, and polyphenols. A ready-to-cook (RTC) version of this product could improve its commercialization and consumption. In this study, the effects of (i) anti-browning treatments (citric acid 0.5% + ascorbic acid 2%, or cysteine 0.5%, w/v) and (ii) dipping in locust bean gum (LBG) edible coating with or without Foeniculum vulgare essential oil (EO) were evaluated on RTC globe artichoke slices cv. 'Spinoso sardo' during storage (11 days at 4 °C). Fresh weight loss, color, texture, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), microbiological and chemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and sensory descriptors were determined.

RESULTS

The results showed that, despite the antioxidant treatment used, when EO was added to LBG, all microbiological groups underwent an average reduction of 0.50 log CFU g^-1 . Cysteine preserved the antioxidant capacity, color, and texture of samples better than citric acid and ascorbic acid, and inhibited PPO; the addition of EO to LBG enhanced these effects. At the end of the storage period, the overall highest sensory attribute score was attained by the coated globe artichoke samples with EO.

CONCLUSION

The marked efficacy of the LBG edible coating with added F. vulgare EO in maintaining microbiological, physical, chemical, and sensory qualities makes it a promising processing tool for the preservation of ready-to-cook Spinoso sardo globe artichoke slices during storage for 11 days at 4 °C. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Studies on the protective effect of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaf extract against cadmium toxicity-induced oxidative stress, hepatorenal damage, and immunosuppressive and hematological disorders in rats

Our objective was to explore the protective effect of artichoke leaf extract (ALE) against cadmium (Cd) toxicity-induced oxidative organ damage in rats. Male albino Wistar rats were divided into four equal groups of eight animals each. The first group was assigned as a control. Groups 2-4 were orally administered with ALE (300 mg/kg bw), Cd (CdCl₂, 100 mg/L drinking water), and ALE plus Cd, respectively, daily for 4 weeks. After treatment with Cd, the liver and kidney malondialdehyde (MDA) increased significantly compared with the control rats. The sera interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and IL-10, liver transaminase, urea, creatinine, and peripheral neutrophil count were significantly increased in Cd-exposed rats compared to the control group. The reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) decreased in the liver and kidney in Cd-exposed group. In combination treatment, Cd and ALE significantly improved immune response, an antioxidant system, and hepatorenal function with a significant decline in MDA. In conclusion, ALE ameliorates the immunosuppressive and hepatorenal oxidative injury stimulated by Cd in rats. These results suggest that artichoke has shown promising effects against adverse effects of Cd toxicity.

Effect of nitrogen fertilisation on the overall quality of minimally processed globe artichoke heads

BACKGROUND

Although nitrogen (N) fertilisation is essential for promoting crop yield, it may also affect the produce quality. Here, the influence of three N fertiliser rates (0 kg ha^-1 as a control, 200 kg ha^-1 and 400 kg ha^-1 referred to as N₀ , N₂₀₀ and N_400, respectively) on the overall quality of minimally processed globe artichoke heads was investigated during refrigerated storage for 12 days.

RESULTS

Throughout the storage time, N fertilised samples had higher inulin contents than those unfertilised. In addition, the respiratory quotient of N₂₀₀ and N₄₀₀ samples was 2-fold and 2.5-fold lower than N₀ ones, whose values were close to the normal range for vegetables. All the samples reported good microbiological standards, although N₂₀₀ and N₄₀₀ achieved lower mesophilic and psychotropic counts than N₀ throughout the storage time. After 8 and 12 days of refrigerated storage, the N₂₀₀ samples showed the highest scores of positive sensory descriptors.

CONCLUSION

A fertiliser level of 200 kg N ha^-1 is suitable for obtaining minimally processed globe artichoke heads with good nutritional, sensory and microbiological quality, characterised by low endogenous oxidase activities. Proper packaging systems and procedures are, however, crucial for extending the product shelf-life and, thus, promoting its exportation on a wider scale. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.