Nitrogen fertilisation effects on technological parameters and carotenoid, tocol and phenolic acid content of einkorn ( Triticum monococcum L. subsp. monococcum ): A two-year evaluation

Influence of Agronomic Practices on the Antioxidant Compounds of Pigmented Wheat (Triticum aestivum spp. aestivum L.) and Tritordeum (× Tritordeum martinii A. Pujadas, nothosp. nov.) Genotypes

Twelve pigmented wheat genotypes, one tritordeum, and one common wheat were grown in three field experiments under varying nitrogen (N) fertilization rates to investigate the contributions of genotype, environment, and fertilization on the levels of phenolic acids, anthocyanins, carotenoids and antioxidant capacity of the grains. Soluble phenolic acids increased significantly (+16%) in the environment with high soil N content, while bound phenolic acids and anthocyanins decreased (-16 and -57%). N fertilization affected the agronomic and qualitative traits but had limited effects on some bioactive compounds (bound phenolic acids and anthocyanins). The greatest differences appeared among the color groups and within the same color types, with the black group showing the most anthocyanins and phenolic acids (34.4 and 1207 mg·kg-1) and the highest antioxidant capacity. Some of the cultivars could be promising for the development of innovative supply chains and the production of functional foods, as they showed good yield and quality performances, and good antioxidant features.

European Database of Carotenoid Levels in Foods. Factors Affecting Carotenoid Content

Many studies indicate that diets including carotenoid-rich foods have positive effects on human health. Some of these compounds are precursors of the essential nutrient vitamin A. The present work is aimed at implementing a database of carotenoid contents of foods available in the European market. Factors affecting carotenoid content were also discussed. Analytical data available in peer-reviewed scientific literature from 1990 to 2018 and obtained by HPLC/UHPLC were considered. The database includes foods classified according to the FoodEx2 system and will benefit compilers, nutritionists and other professionals in areas related to food and human health. The results show the importance of food characterization to ensure its intercomparability, as large variations in carotenoid levels are observed between species and among varieties/cultivars/landraces. This highlights the significance of integrating nutritional criteria into agricultural choices and of promoting biodiversity. The uncertainty quantification associated with the measurements of the carotenoid content was very rarely evaluated in the literature consulted. According to the EuroFIR data quality evaluation system for food composition tables, the total data quality index mean was 24 in 35, reflecting efforts by researchers in the analytical methods, and less resources in the sampling plan documentation.

Characteristics of Technological Properties of Grain and Flour from Ancient Varieties of Wheat (Einkorn, Emmer and Spelt)

The study presents assessment of commodity characteristics of grains from ancient varieties of wheat (einkorn, emmer and spelt) in comparison to grains of the conventional wheat cultivar Arkadia. The findings related to the grain of einkorn and emmer were very similar, and far worse than those related to spelt grain; the latter were found with better ratings, sometimes even in comparison to the conventional wheat grain (e.g. the highest mass-weight density). Similar relationships were observed between the flours produced by milling the grains. Analysis of the indirect baking quality indicators showed that flours from einkorn and emmer can effectively be used for baking purposes, however they present low technological value. The flour from emmer wheat was found to be the poorest, which was confirmed e.g. by the low gluten number, gluten index, Zeleny’s index, and high gluten spreadability. Spelt flour was found to present moderate technological value. Based on the results it can be concluded that by using adequate modification in the process of dough kneading and fermentation it will be possible to produce high quality baked goods from ancient wheat grains.

Phenolic acid content and in vitro antioxidant capacity of einkorn water biscuits as affected by baking time

Aim of this research was to study the evolution of heat damage, phenolic acid content and in vitro antioxidant capacity of whole meal einkorn water biscuits baked at 205 °C for increasing times (10 min steps) from 25 to 75 min. The heat damage was gauged by determining furosine, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural and glucosylisomaltol (GLI) contents. Furosine increased up to 50 min baking, when HMF started to form; furfural augmented only after 65 min treatment, whereas GLI did not change. An unknown compound, apparently related to the severity of the heat load, aroses through the aldolic condensation of HMF with the acetone used for the extraction of phenolic acids; hence the use of acetone-based solvents in thermally processed cereal products should be avoided. The conjugated phenolic acids ferulic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic and syringaldehyde and the bound phenolic acids ferulic, p-coumaric, syringic, and p-hydroxybenzoic were identified in water biscuits. The stronger heating treatments led to an increase of the soluble conjugated compounds, but did not influence the bound fraction. The in vitro antioxidant capacity of water biscuits augmented significantly as baking time increased, likely for the formation of antioxidant compounds as a consequence of heat damage.

Nitrogen availability and genotype affect major nutritional quality parameters of tef grain grown under irrigation

Worldwide demand for tef (Eragrostis tef) as a functional food for human consumption is increasing, thanks to its nutritional benefits and gluten-free properties. As a result, tef in now grown outside its native environment in Ethiopia and thus information is required regarding plant nutrition demands in these areas, as well as resulting grain health-related composition. In the current work, two tef genotypes were grown in Israel under irrigation in two platforms, plots in the field and pots in a greenhouse, with four and five nitrogen treatments, respectively. Nutritional and health-related quality traits were analyzed, including mineral content, fatty acid composition, hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidative capacity, total phenolic content and basic polyphenolic profile. Our results show that tef genotypes differ in their nutritional composition, e.g. higher phenolic contents in the brown compared to the white genotype. Additionally, nitrogen availability positively affected grain fatty acid composition and iron levels in both experiments, while negatively affecting total phenolics in the field trials. To conclude, nitrogen fertilization is crucial for crop growth and productivity, however it also implicates nutritional value of the grains as food. These effects should be considered when fertilizing tef with nitrogen, to optimize both crop productivity and nutritional effects.

Influence of Agricultural Management on Phytochemicals of Colored Corn Genotypes ( Zea mays L.). Part 1: Nitrogen Fertilization

In this study, the influence of nitrogen (N) fertilization (170 versus 300 kg of N/ha) on the content of bioactive compounds of whole-meal flour of 10 different colored corn genotypes was investigated. Considerable differences in antioxidant capacity and phytochemical concentrations were observed among genotypes. Higher N fertilization rates significantly ( p < 0.05) increased the content of both total cell-wall-bound phenolics and xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin). Nevertheless, the main phenolic acids (ferulic, p-coumaric, and sinapic acids) as well as the antioxidant capacity and content of β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene, and total anthocyanins did not show significant differences as far as the N fertilization rate is concerned. For corn cultivation, the application of high N fertilization rates, generally carried out to obtain higher grain yields, could positively influence the content of some bioactives particularly in years characterized by high rainfall levels responsible for N leaching from the soil.

Influence of Agricultural Management on Phytochemicals of Colored Corn Genotypes ( Zea mays L.). Part 2: Sowing Time

Among the agronomic practices carried out in corn cultivation, the early sowing time is increasingly used by farmers of temperate regions to improve yield and reduce mycotoxin contamination of corn grains. The present study determined the influence of sowing time on the phytochemical content of grains of 10 colored genotypes of corn. There was a significant improvement of both grain yield (+26%), thousand kernel weight (+3%), and test weight (+2%) in plots sown early. The early sowing also significantly influenced the chemical composition of corn grains, with an increase in the concentration of cell-wall-bound phenolic acids (+5%) and β-cryptoxanthin (+23%) and a decrease in the concentration of lutein (-18%) and total anthocyanins (-21%). Environmental conditions that occurred during grain development significantly influenced the phytochemical content of corn grain, and early spring sowing could impart advantages in terms of both productivity and content of some antioxidants of whole-meal corn flour.

Current Trends in Ancient Grains-Based Foodstuffs: Insights into Nutritional Aspects and Technological Applications

For centuries, ancient grains fed populations, but due to their low yield, they were abandoned and replaced by high-yielding species. However, currently, there is a renewed interest in ancient wheat and pseudocereal grains from consumers, farmers, and manufacturers. Ancient wheat such as einkorn, emmer, spelt, and Kamut®, are being reintegrated because of their low fertilizer input, high adaptability and important genetic diversity. New trends in pseudocereal products are also emerging, and they are mostly appreciated for their nutritional outcomes, particularly by the gluten-free market. Toward healthier lifestyle, ancient grains-based foodstuffs are a growing business and their industrialization is taking 2 pathways, either as a raw ingredient or a functional ingredient. This paper deals with these grain characteristics by focusing on the compositional profile and the technological potential.