Strawberry and human health: effects beyond antioxidant activity

"Effect of Sunset Yellow on Testis: Molecular Evaluation, and Protective Role of Coenzyme Q10 in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats"

In recent years, Sunset Yellow (SY) has been widely used as a food additive, sparking debates about its potential toxicity. This research aims to investigate SY's effects at both the molecular and histopathological levels, along with the protective benefits of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation in male rat testes. Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 7) and given daily oral gavages for six weeks. The groups included: a low dose of Sunset Yellow (2.5 mg/kg/day), a high dose of Sunset Yellow (70 mg/kg/day), CoQ10 (10 mg/kg/day), CoQ10 with the low dose of Sunset Yellow, CoQ10 with the high dose of Sunset Yellow, and deionized water as a control. After anesthesia, the rats' testes were removed for molecular and histological analysis. The findings showed a dose-dependent rise in the expression of oxidative stress genes (Sod, Gpx, and Cata) and a notable decrease in the expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (Star) gene (P value < 0.05) with increasing SY doses. Histological results supported these outcomes. Additionally, there was no significant distinction between rats treated with CoQ10 along with low doses of Sunset Yellow (CoQ10+LD) and control rats given low doses of Sunset Yellow (SY-LD). Conclusions: This study illustrates that SY, as an artificial food dye, has harmful effects on the male reproductive system, while the utilization of CoQ10 can alleviate the negative impacts of SY exposure.

Analyzing Strawberry Preferences: Best-Worst Scaling Methodology and Purchase Styles

This research has investigated Italian consumers' preferences for and purchasing behaviors of strawberries utilizing the Best-Worst Scaling methodology (BWS). This approach enables the key factors that influence strawberry purchasing decisions to be identified and different choice groups to be characterized. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted on a sample of 496 respondents living in the metropolitan area of Milan (North Italy). The declared preferences of the individuals for 12 strawberry characteristics, divided into intrinsic, extrinsic, and credence attributes, were first measured. A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was then performed to identify different clusters of consumers according to the individuals' preferences. Subsequently, the heterogeneity of the clusters was tested, using the Chi-square test, and sociodemographic characteristics and purchasing habits were considered. The results suggest that the most important attribute in the choice of strawberries was appearance, highlighting the importance of preserving it throughout the supply chain, followed by one of the increasingly important aspects of diets, which is health benefits. The attribute considered the least important was the brand. This study demonstrates, from a holistic point of view, that sociodemographic characteristics, food habits, and perceptions of different strawberry attributes influence consumers' preferences and behaviors. Practical implications suggest a new prospective for communication marketing strategies for producers, creating a better brand identity and highlighting in their marketing all of the aspects that consumers would like to know about the fruits they choose as quality certifications.

Overview of the distinctive characteristics of strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry in berries, berry wines, and berry spirits

Red berries have gained popularity as functional and nutritious food due to their health benefits, leading to increased consumer demand and higher production, totaling over 11,000 ktons for strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries combined in 2021. Nutritionally, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries present high levels of vitamin C (9.7-58.8 mg/100 g dry weight [dw]), folates (6-24 µg/100 g dw), and minerals (96-228 mg/100 g dw). Due to their perishable nature, producers have utilized alcoholic fermentation to extend their shelf life, not only increasing the lifespan of red berries but also attracting consumers through the production of novel beverages. Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry wines possess low alcohol (5.5-11.1% v/v), high acidity (3.2-17.6 g/L), and interesting bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, polysaccharides, and melatonin. Distillation holds tremendous potential for reducing food waste by creating red berry spirits of exceptional quality. Although research on red berry spirits is still in the early stages, future studies should focus on their production and characterization. By incorporating these factors, the production chain would become more sustainable, profitable, and efficient by reducing food waste, capitalizing on consumer acceptance, and leveraging the natural health-promoting characteristics of these products. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of strawberry, blueberry, and red raspberry in berries, wines, and spirits, with a focus on their chemical composition and production methods.

A View on the Chemical and Biological Attributes of Five Edible Fruits after Finishing Their Shelf Life: Studies on Caco-2 Cells

We studied five common perishable fruits in terms of their polyphenols dynamic, minerals distribution, scavenger activity and the effects of 50% ethanolic extracts on the viability of Caco-2 cells in vitro, over a period of time between T = 0 and T = 5/7 days, typically the end of their shelf life. Altogether, there were few changes found, consisting of either an increase or a decrease in their chemical and biological attributes. A slow decrease was found in the antioxidant activity in apricot (-11%), plum (-6%) and strawberry (-4%) extracts, while cherry and green seedless table grape extracts gained 7% and 2% antioxidant potency, respectively; IC50 values ranged from 1.67 to 5.93 μg GAE/μL test extract. The cytotoxicity MTS assay at 24 h revealed the ability of all 50% ethanol fruit extracts to inhibit the Caco-2 cell viability; the inhibitory effects ranged from 49% to 83% and were measured at 28 µg GAE for strawberry extracts/EES, from 22 µg to 45 µg GAE for cherry extracts/EEC, from 7.58 to 15.16 µg GAE for apricot extracts/EEA, from 12.50 to 25.70 µg GAE for plum extracts/EEP and from 21.51 to 28.68 µg GAE for green table grape extracts/EEG. The MTS anti-proliferative assay (72 h) also revealed a stimulatory potency upon the Caco-2 viability, from 34% (EEA, EEG) and 48% (EEC) to 350% (EES) and 690% (EEP); therefore fruit juices can influence intestinal tumorigenesis in humans.

Advances in genomics and genome editing for improving strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa)

The cultivated strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa, is a recently domesticated fruit species of economic interest worldwide. As such, there is significant interest in continuous varietal improvement. Genomics-assisted improvement, including the use of DNA markers and genomic selection have facilitated significant improvements of numerous key traits during strawberry breeding. CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing allows targeted mutations and precision nucleotide substitutions in the target genome, revolutionizing functional genomics and crop improvement. Genome editing is beginning to gain traction in the more challenging polyploid crops, including allo-octoploid strawberry. The release of high-quality reference genomes and comprehensive subgenome-specific genotyping and gene expression profiling data in octoploid strawberry will lead to a surge in trait discovery and modification by using CRISPR/Cas. Genome editing has already been successfully applied for modification of several strawberry genes, including anthocyanin content, fruit firmness and tolerance to post-harvest disease. However, reports on many other important breeding characteristics associated with fruit quality and production are still lacking, indicating a need for streamlined genome editing approaches and tools in Fragaria ×ananassa. In this review, we present an overview of the latest advancements in knowledge and breeding efforts involving CRISPR/Cas genome editing for the enhancement of strawberry varieties. Furthermore, we explore potential applications of this technology for improving other Rosaceous plant species.

Effects of Supplemental Lighting on Flavonoid and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Strawberry Flesh Revealed via Metabolome and Transcriptome Co-Analysis

The spectral composition of light influences the biosynthesis of flavonoids in many plants. However, the detailed composition of flavonoids and anthocyanins and the molecular basis for their biosynthesis in strawberry fruits under two light-quality treatments, red light supplemented with blue light (RB) and ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation, remain unclear. In this study, the content of flavonoids and anthocyanins was significantly increased in strawberry fruits under RB light and UVB, respectively. The content of flavonoids and anthocyanins in strawberry fruits under UVB light was dramatically higher than that in strawberry fruits irradiated with RB light, and a total of 518 metabolites were detected by means of LC-MS/MS analysis. Among them, 18 phenolic acids, 23 flavonoids, and 8 anthocyanins were differentially accumulated in the strawberry fruits irradiated with red/blue (RB) light compared to 30 phenolic acids, 46 flavonoids, and 9 anthocyanins in fruits irradiated with UVB. The major genes associated with the biosynthesis of flavonoids and anthocyanins, including structural genes and transcription factors (TFs), were differentially expressed in the strawberry fruits under RB and UVB irradiation, as determined through RNA-seq data analysis. A correlation test of transcriptome and metabolite profiling showed that the expression patterns of most genes in the biosynthesis pathway of flavonoids and anthocyanins were closely correlated with the differential accumulation of flavonoids and anthocyanins. Two TFs, bZIP (FvH4_2g36400) and AP2 (FvH4_1g21210), induced by RB and UVB irradiation, respectively, exhibited similar expression patterns to most structural genes, which were closely correlated with six and eight flavonoids, respectively. These results indicated that these two TFs regulated the biosynthesis of flavonoids and anthocyanins in strawberry fruit under RB light and UVB, respectively. These results provide a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the accumulation of flavonoids and anthocyanins and the molecular basis for their biosynthesis in strawberry fruits under RB light and UVB.

Sour Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): A Bibliometric Review of Its Bioactive Profile, Health Benefits and Trends in Food and Medicine Applications

Research on the comprehensive utilization of sour jujube and its beneficial properties to human health has attracted extensive attention. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the bioactive profile of sour jujube and future trends in applications. The research advancements within this field from 2000 to 2023 were addressed using the Web of Science database and VOSviewer. Among the 322 results, the most frequent keywords of bioactivity are flavonoids, antioxidants, saponins, insomnia, polyphenols, terpenoids and anti-inflammatory; the most studied parts of sour jujube are seeds, fruits and leaves; the published articles with high citations mainly focus on identification, biological effects and different parts distribution of bioactive compounds. The bioactivity of various parts of sour jujube was reviewed considering their application potential. The seeds, rich in flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids, exhibit strong effects on central nervous system diseases and have been well-developed in pharmacology, healthcare products and functional foods. The pulp has antioxidant properties and is used to develop added-value foods (e.g., juice, vinegar, wine). The leaves can be used to make tea and flowers are good sources of honey; their extracts are rich sources of flavonoids and saponins, which show promising medicinal effects. The branches, roots and bark have healing properties in traditional folk medicine. Overall, this study provides a reference for future applications of sour jujube in food and medicine fields.

High-Power Ultrasound (HPU) and Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) in the Hurdle Concept for the Preservation of Antioxidant Bioactive Compounds in Strawberry Juice-A Chemometric Evaluation-Part II

In this work, the influence of high-power ultrasound (HPU) followed by pulsed electric field (PEF) in the hurdle concept (HPU + PEF) on the content of biologically active compounds (BACs) and antioxidant activity in strawberry juices stored at 4 °C/7 days was investigated. The HPU was performed with an amplitude of 25% and pulse of 50% during 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 min, while the PEF was performed with an electric field strength of 30 kV cm-1 and frequency of 100 Hz during 1.5, 3 and 4.5 min. The results obtained indicate that the synergy of the mechanisms of action for technologies in the hurdle concept plays a critical role in the stability of BACs and antioxidant activity. Juices treated with HPU + PEF hurdle technology and kept at 4 °C for 7 days showed a statistically significant decrease in all BACs, antioxidant capacity and pH. Shorter HPU + PEF treatment times favored the preservation of BACs in juices. Regarding total phenolic compounds, flavonols, condensed tannins and antioxidant capacity, optimization of hurdle parameters showed that a shorter HPU treatment time of 2.5 min provided the best yield of these compounds. In summary, by optimizing and adjusting the parameters of the HPU/PEF technology, it is possible to produce functional strawberry juice.

On the Assessment of Strawberries' Shelf-Life and Quality, Based on Image Analysis, Physicochemical Methods, and Chemometrics

The aim of the present study was to evaluate Marisol strawberries' (Fragaria × ananassa) physicochemical quality and shelf-life during storage, using an integrated analytical approach. More specifically, the research aimed to assess the strawberries' color, texture, and nutritional quality, over an 11-day storage period, employing physicochemical analyses, spectrophotometric assays, Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, image analysis, and statistical tools. The results revealed significant changes in the outer surface texture and color characteristics, indicating spoilage progression. Physicochemical parameters such as water activity, moisture content, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid content exhibited significant alterations, influencing the taste profile and freshness perception. Antioxidant and antiradical activities showed fluctuations, suggesting a potential decrease in phenolic content during storage. Moreover, the ATR-FTIR spectra findings confirmed the results regarding the moisture content, soluble solids, and total phenolic content. The integration of physicochemical and image analysis-derived features through a principal component analysis (PCA) enabled the accurate classification of samples based on storage days. Regression analysis, using these features, successfully predicted the storage day with high accuracy. Overall, this integrated analytical approach provided valuable information on the estimation of Marisol strawberries' shelf-life and the prediction of their quality deterioration, contributing to better fruit management and the minimization of discards.

Plant-based foods and hepatocellular carcinoma: A review on mechanistic understanding

Regardless of etiology, hepatocarcinogenesis is frequently preceded by a distinctive sequence of chronic necroinflammation, compensatory hepatic regeneration, development of hepatic fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis. The liver being central immunomodulators, closely maintains immunotolerance. Any dysregulation in this management of immunotolerance is a hallmark of chronic hepatic disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Apart from other malignancies, hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 90% of liver cancers. Several emerging evidences have recognized diet as lifestyle associated risk factor in HCC development. However, natural compounds have the potential to fight hepatoma aggressiveness via inhibition of cellular proliferation and modulation of oncogenic pathways. This review aimed to identify the several plant-based foods for their protective role in HCC prevention by understating the molecular mechanisms involved in inhibition of progression and proliferation of cancer. Information from relevant publications in which several plant-based foods demonstrated protective potential against HCC has been integrated as well as evaluated. For data integration, Science direct, Google scholar, and Scopus websites were used. Nutrition-based approaches in the deterrence of several cancers offer a substantial benefit to currently used medical therapies and should be implemented more often as an adjunct to first-line medical therapy. Furthermore, the inclusion of these plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices) may improve general health and decline cancer incidence.

Deciphering the regulatory network of the NAC transcription factor FvRIF, a key regulator of strawberry (Fragaria vesca) fruit ripening

The NAC transcription factor ripening inducing factor (RIF) was previously reported to be necessary for the ripening of octoploid strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fruit, but the mechanistic basis of RIF-mediated transcriptional regulation and how RIF activity is modulated remains elusive. Here, we show that FvRIF in diploid strawberry, Fragaria vesca, is a key regulator in the control of fruit ripening and that knockout mutations of FvRIF result in a complete block of fruit ripening. DNA affinity purification sequencing coupled with transcriptome deep sequencing suggests that 2,080 genes are direct targets of FvRIF-mediated regulation, including those related to various aspects of fruit ripening. We provide evidence that FvRIF modulates anthocyanin biosynthesis and fruit softening by directly regulating the related core genes. Moreover, we demonstrate that FvRIF interacts with and serves as a substrate of MAP kinase 6 (FvMAPK6), which regulates the transcriptional activation function of FvRIF by phosphorylating FvRIF at Thr-310. Our findings uncover the FvRIF-mediated transcriptional regulatory network in controlling strawberry fruit ripening and highlight the physiological significance of phosphorylation modification on FvRIF activity in ripening.

Use of coconut sugar as an alternative agent in osmotic dehydration of strawberries

This study aimed to evaluate coconut sugar (CS) as an alternative osmotic agent to sucrose for the osmotic dehydration (OD) of strawberries. OD was performed by immersing strawberries cut into 13.6 ± 0.4 mm edge cubes in osmotic solutions of CS or sucrose, at two different concentrations (40% and 60%, w/w), with and without application of vacuum (AV) in the first 20 min of the process. The total OD time was 300 min. Evaluations of the kinetics of solid gain (SG), water loss (WL), and weight reduction (WR) were performed at 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min. SG, WL, and WR increased over the OD time and showed values of up to 7.94%, 63.40%, and 55.94%, respectively. AV increased WL, WR, shrinkage, pH, and total color difference and decreased anthocyanin, ascorbic acid (AA), phenolic, and antioxidant contents. The higher concentration led to higher SG, WL, WR, shrinkage, hardness, and lower moisture content, water activity, anthocyanin, AA, phenolic, and antioxidant contents. The use of CS instead of sucrose had little influence on strawberry properties, except pH and color responses. The optimal treatment was using a 60% CS solution without AV, showing a very distinct color change, hardness increased by approximately 4.5 times and maintenance of acidity, anthocyanins, AA, total phenolics, and antioxidants of 38.0%, 39.6%, 11.8%, 30.0%, 31.1%, and 30.3%, respectively, compared to fresh strawberries. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Osmotic dehydration of fruit is a process traditionally carried out using sucrose. However, increasing health concerns have made consumers seek alternative sugars to sucrose. The use of coconut sugar made it possible to produce osmo-dehydrated strawberries different from the traditional one, maintaining product quality and process efficiency.

Quantifying Chilling Injury on the Photosynthesis System of Strawberries: Insights from Photosynthetic Fluorescence Characteristics and Hyperspectral Inversion

Chilling injury can adversely affect strawberry bud differentiation, pollen vitality, fruit yield, and quality. Photosynthesis is a fundamental process that sustains plant life. However, different strawberry varieties exhibit varying levels of cold adaptability. Quantitatively evaluating the physiological activity of the photosynthetic system under low-temperature chilling injury remains a challenge. In this study, we investigated the effects of different levels of chilling stress on twenty photosynthetic fluorescence parameters in strawberry plants, using short-day strawberry variety "Toyonoka" and day-neutral variety "Selva" as representatives. Three dynamic chilling treatment levels (20/10 °C, 15/5 °C, and 10/0 °C) and three durations (3 days, 6 days, and 9 days) were applied to each variety. WUE, LCP, Y(II), qN, SIFO2-B and rSIFO2-B were selected as crucial indicators of strawberry photosynthetic physiological activity. Subsequently, we constructed a comprehensive score to assess the strawberry photosynthetic system under chilling injury and established a hyperspectral inversion model for stress quantification. The results indicate that the short-day strawberry "Toyonoka" exhibited a recovery effect under continuous 20/10 °C treatment, while the day-neutral variety "Selva" experienced progressively worsening stress levels across all temperature groups, with stress severity higher than that in "Toyonoka". The BPNN model for the comprehensive assessment of the strawberry photosynthetic system under chilling injury showed optimal performance. It achieved a stress level prediction accuracy of 71.25% in 80 validation samples, with an R2 of 0.682 when fitted to actual results. This study provides scientific insights for the application of canopy remote sensing diagnostics of strawberry photosynthetic physiological chilling injury in practical agricultural production.

Volatile Profile of Strawberry Fruits and Influence of Different Drying Methods on Their Aroma and Flavor: A Review

Strawberries are the most popular berry fruit in the world, due to their distinctive aroma, flavor, and known health properties. Because volatile substances play a large role in strawberry flavor, even little alterations can have a big impact on how the fruit tastes. Strawberries are thought to have a complex aroma. Fresh strawberry fruits contain more than 360 volatile compounds, including esters, furans, terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and sulfur compounds. Despite having far lower concentrations than esters, terpenoids, furanones, and sulfur compounds, all have a considerable impact on how people perceive the aroma of strawberries. With a focus on the active aroma components and the many analytical methods used to identify them, including gas chromatography, electronic nose sensing, and proton-transfer- reaction mass spectrometry, the present review's aim was to provide a summary of the relevant literature. Additionally, strawberry fruits are frequently dried to create a powder in order to increase their shelf life. Consequently, the impact of various drying techniques on strawberries' volatile profile was investigated in the current review. This review can be considered a good reference for research concerning the aroma profile of strawberries. It helps to better understand the complex aroma and flavor of strawberries and provides a guide for the effects of drying processing.

The Impact of Acute Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation on Biomass Accumulation and Secondary Metabolites Production in Cotinus coggygria Scop. and Fragaria × ananassa Duch. Red Callus Cultures

Cotinus coggygria Scop. (smoketree) and Fragaria × ananassa Duch. (strawberry) are two industrially important species due to their composition in bioactive compounds. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute low-dose gamma irradiation (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 Gy) on two red callus cultures established in smoketree and strawberry. The biomass production, dry weight, content of phenols, flavonoids, monomeric anthocyanins', index of anthocyanins polymerization and antioxidant activity were evaluated. For the smoketree callus, a negative correlation between irradiation doses and callus biomass accumulation was observed. For the strawberry callus, irradiation did not significantly affect the accumulation of the biomass. An increased dry weight was observed in irradiated smoketree callus, while for treated strawberry callus, a decrease was recorded. Irradiation with 30 Gy was stimulative for polyphenols' accumulation in both cultures; however, the increase was significant only in the strawberry callus. The flavonoids increased in the 30 Gy strawberry variants, while it significantly decreased in smoketree callus irradiated with 35 and 40 Gy. In irradiated strawberry callus, except for the 25 Gy variant (1.65 ± 0.4 mg C-3-GE/g DW), all treatments caused an increase in anthocyanins' accumulation. In smoketree, except for the 15 Gy variant (2.14 ± 0.66 mg C-3-GE/g DW), the irradiation determined an increase in anthocyanins synthesis, with the highest value being seen in the 20 Gy variant (2.8 ± 0.94 mg C-3-GE/g DW). According to UPLC-HRMS investigations, an unidentified compound increased by 99% at the 30 Gy dose in strawberry callus, while in smoketree, maslinic acid increased by 51% after irradiation with 40 Gy. The results of this study showed, for the first time, the differential response of two performant callus cultures to low-dose gamma irradiation, a biotechnological method that can be used to stimulate the synthesis of important flavonoids and triterpenes.

Selection of Short-Day Strawberry Genotypes through Multivariate Analysis

Strawberries are produced in tropical regions using imported cultivars adapted to temperate and subtropical climates. These cultivars, under tropical conditions, produce below their genetic potential. Through multivariate analyses, the objective was to evaluate and select short-day strawberry genotypes based on intraspecific crosses, product characteristics, and fruit quality. The genotypes were obtained from the cross between 'Camino Real' (female parent) and the first-generation genotypes RVCA16, RVCS44, RVFS06, RVFS07, and RVDA11 (male parent), obtained in previous selections. The experimental design consisted of augmented blocks with standard controls, consisting of first-generation genotypes and commercial cultivars. The fruits were harvested and evaluated for productivity and post-harvest characteristics: total fruit mass (MTF), total number of fruits (TFN), average fruit mass (AFM), commercial fruit mass (CFM), fruit commercial number (CFN), average commercial mass of fruits (ACFM), total soluble solids (TSS), firmness (F), brightness (L), hue angle (°Hue), and chroma (C). The selection index of Mulamba and Mock (1978) was used with an intensity of 3% to obtain superior genotypes and submitted to multivariate analysis for comparative purposes. Of the 1500 genotypes evaluated, it was possible to select 44 genotypes with characteristics superior to the 13 controls. The RVDA11CR59 genotype showed better values for the attributes of interest, but the RVCS44CR population, from the cross between 'Camino Real' × RVCS44 ('Camarosa' × 'Sweet Charlie'), obtained the highest number (16) of individuals among those selected. Significant traits had high heritability but were not necessarily reflected in high selection gain. Coefficients of genetic variation were high, indicating sufficient genetic variability to select genotypes for these traits. When multivariate analyses were used, it was possible to group the selected genotypes into the same cluster according to the similarity and balance in the responses to the evaluated variables, demonstrating that these analyses help other parameters choose superior genotypes. The multivariate analysis allowed the selection of more balanced genotypes for production and post-harvest traits for tropical climates.

Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry-Based Profiling of Secondary Metabolites in Two Unexplored Eminium Species and Bioactivity Potential

The study aimed at the metabolite profiling and evaluation of antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanol extracts from flowers, leaves, and tubers of unexplored Eminium intortum (Banks & Sol.) Kuntze and E. spiculatum (Blume) Schott (Araceae). A total of 83 metabolites, including 19 phenolic acids, 46 flavonoids, 11 amino, and 7 fatty acids were identified by UHPLC-HRMS in the studied extracts for the first time. E. intortum flower and leaf extracts had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (50.82 ± 0.71 mg GAE/g and 65.08 ± 0.38 RE/g, respectively). Significant radical scavenging activity (32.20 ± 1.26 and 54.34 ± 0.53 mg TE/g for DPPH and ABTS) and reducing power (88.27 ± 1.49 and 33.13 ± 0.68 mg TE/g for CUPRAC and FRAP) were observed in leaf extracts. E. intortum flowers showed the maximum anticholinesterase activity (2.72 ± 0.03 mg GALAE/g). E. spiculatum leaves and tubers exhibited the highest inhibition towards α-glucosidase (0.99 ± 0.02 ACAE/g) and tirosinase (50.73 ± 2.29 mg KAE/g), respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that O-hydroxycinnamoylglycosyl-C-flavonoid glycosides mostly accounted for the discrimination of both species. Thus, E. intortum and E. spiculatum can be considered as potential candidates for designing functional ingredients in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

FaMYB123 interacts with FabHLH3 to regulate the late steps of anthocyanin and flavonol biosynthesis during ripening

In this work, we identified and functionally characterized the strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) R2R3 MYB transcription factor FaMYB123. As in most genes associated with organoleptic properties of ripe fruit, FaMYB123 expression is ripening-related, receptacle-specific, and antagonistically regulated by ABA and auxin. Knockdown of FaMYB123 expression by RNAi in ripe strawberry fruit receptacles downregulated the expression of enzymes involved in the late steps of anthocyanin/flavonoid biosynthesis. Transgenic fruits showed a parallel decrease in the contents of total anthocyanin and flavonoid, especially malonyl derivatives of pelargonidin and cyanidins. The decrease was concomitant with accumulation of proanthocyanin, propelargonidins, and other condensed tannins associated mainly with green receptacles. Potential coregulation between FaMYB123 and FaMYB10, which may act on different sets of genes for the enzymes involved in anthocyanin production, was explored. FaMYB123 and FabHLH3 were found to interact and to be involved in the transcriptional activation of FaMT1, a gene responsible for the malonylation of anthocyanin components during ripening. Taken together, these results demonstrate that FaMYB123 regulates the late steps of the flavonoid pathway in a specific manner. In this study, a new function for an R2R3 MYB transcription factor, regulating the expression of a gene that encodes a malonyltransferase, has been elucidated.

Variability in 'Capri' Everbearing Strawberry Quality during a Harvest Season

Strawberries are appreciated by consumers for their characteristic taste and health benefits, which enhance their demand throughout the year. Everbearing strawberries can produce fruits for a longer period and could thus meet this demand, but the fruit quality depends on environmental factors and the cultivar. This study focused on the effect of environmental conditions on the physical attributes and the composition of everbearing Capri cultivar fruit harvested from the end of June to the end of October. A positive correlation was observed between temperature and organic acid content (r = 0.87), and a positive correlation was observed between sunshine duration, anthocyanin (r = 0.87) and phenolic compound contents (r = 0.89). Additionally, the composition of sugars was affected by the environmental conditions. While strawberries harvested towards the end of October, when lower temperatures predominated, were larger in size and had a higher sugar/acid ratio, fruit harvested in the middle of August, when there were longer periods of sunshine, had higher anthocyanin and phenolic compound contents. In conclusion, strawberries with higher sugar/acid ratios are obtained when temperatures are lower, while strawberries exposed to longer periods of sunshine are richer in health-promoting compounds.

Strawberry Fragaria x ananassa cv. Festival: A Polyphenol-Based Phytochemical Characterization in Fruit and Leaf Extracts

Berry fruits are an important dietary source of health-promoting antioxidant polyphenols. Interestingly, berry leaves of diverse species, including strawberries, have shown higher bioactive phytochemical content in the leaves than in the fruit. Moreover, the vegetative part of the plants is usually discarded, representing a presumably large source of underutilized bioactive biomass. In this investigation, the polyphenol profiles of tropical highland strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa cv. Festival) leaves and fruits were compared by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (UHPLC-DAD) and mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The total polyphenol strawberry leaf extracts exhibited a 122-fold-higher total polyphenol content and 13-fold higher antioxidant activity (ORAC) than strawberry fruits, and they showed evidence of possible photoprotective effects against UV damage in human melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28) and in murine embryo fibroblasts (NIH/3T3), together with promising anti-proliferative activities against the same melanoma cells. Seven polyphenols were confirmed by HPLC-DAD in the leaf extracts, with differences depending on fraction solubility. Moreover, three substituted quercetin derivatives, three substituted kaempferol derivatives, two anthocyanins, and catechin were confirmed in the soluble fraction by HPLC-MS. Given their higher total polyphenol content and bioactive activities, underutilized strawberry Festival leaves are a potential source of apparently abundant biomass with prospective bioactive applications.

Stillage Waste from Strawberry Spirit Production as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Potential

The production of fruit distillates generates solid residues which are potentially rich in bioactive compounds worthy of valorization and exploitation. We report herein the in vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of an extract obtained from the waste of fermented strawberry distillate production. The main low molecular weight phenolic components of the extract were identified as ellagic acid and p-coumaric acid using spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis. The extract exhibited high antioxidant properties, particularly in the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and a high total phenolic content (TPC). It was also able to induce an antiproliferative effect on different human cancer cell lines. A strong decrease in viability in human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells through a rapid and massive apoptosis were observed. Moreover, at an early time (<30 min), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and inactivation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway were detected. Notably, the antiproliferative activity of the sample was comparable to that observed with an analogous extract prepared from unfermented, fresh strawberries. These results bring new opportunities for the valorization of fruit distillery by-products as low-cost resources for the design of bioactive formulations of comparable value to that from fresh food.

Improvement in color expression and antioxidant activity of strawberry juice fermented with lactic acid bacteria: A phenolic-based research

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on color expression and antioxidant activity of strawberry juice from the perspective of phenolic components. The results showed that both Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus were able to grow in strawberry juice, promote the consumption of rutin, (+)-catechin and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, and increase the content of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid compared to group control. Lower pH environment in fermented juice was likely to enhance the color performance of anthocyanins and increase its parameters a* and b*, making the juice appear orange color. In addition, the scavenging capacity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant capacity (FRAP) were improved and closely related to polyphenolic substances and strain's metabolites in fermented juice.

Evaluation of water-assisted UV-C light and its additive effect with peracetic acid for the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica and murine norovirus on whole and fresh-cut strawberries during shelf-life

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the present study was to examine the inactivation of Salmonella enterica (50 μL; 10⁹  CFU g^-1 ), Listeria monocytogenes (50 μL; 10⁹  CFU g^-1 ), and murine norovirus (MNV-1; 50 μL; 10⁷ 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀ ) mL^-1 ) on whole and fresh-cut strawberries after 2 min disinfection treatments (water (H₂ O), chlorine 200 mg L^-1 (NaClO), water-assisted ultraviolet-C (UV-C) (WUV), and the combination WUV and 40 mg L^-1 of PA (WUV + PA)) in a water tank (15 L) equipped with 4 UV-C lamps (17.2 W each), and after 7 days of cold storage (4 and 10 °C). For MNV-1, dry UV-C treatment (DUV) was also tested. For all UV-C treatments, an irradiation dose of 1.3 kJ m^-2 was used.

RESULTS

When strawberries were washed with WUV, L. monocytogenes and S. enterica were reduced by 2.8 and 2.2 log CFU g^-1 , respectively. The addition of 40 mg L^-1 of PA to WUV (WUV + PA) increased the reduction range of L. monocytogenes and S. enterica by 1.9 and 0.8 log, respectively. Regarding the wash water, no pathogens were recovered after the WUV + PA treatment (detection limit 50 CFU mL^-1 ). Depending on storage conditions (7 days at 4 or 10 °C), reductions observed were 0.5 to 2.0 log for S. enterica and 0.5 to 3.0 log for L. monocytogenes. The reductions in MNV-1 titer after disinfection treatments ranged from 1.3 to 1.7 log. No significant differences between storage conditions were observed for MNV-1: titers did not decline or were reduced up to 0.3 log after 7 days of cold storage.

CONCLUSION

The three-way action for disinfecting strawberries by UV-C irradiation and PA, plus the physical removal of the microorganisms by agitated water, are effective against foodborne pathogens on strawberries and water wash. During storage, WUV had a larger impact on the inactivation kinetics of S. enterica. Storage had little impact on MNV-1 inactivation. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect-Directed Profiling of Strawberry Varieties and Breeding Materials via Planar Chromatography and Chemometrics

Strawberries are an important fruit in the European diet because of their unique taste and high content of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. The anthocyanins are known to be colorful phenolics in strawberries. In 17 samples of six strawberry cultivars produced in Serbia, i.e., the common varieties Alba, Asia, and Clery as well as promising breeding materials (11.29.11, 11.34.6, and 11.39.3), the anthocyanin profile as well as antimicrobial and antioxidative activity profiles were determined. All investigated extracts showed antioxidative and antibacterial activities against Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri. The responses were quite similar in number and intensity. The HPTLC-DPPH• scavenging assay and HPTLC-Aliivibrio fischeri bioassay coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry identified pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (Pg-3-glc) as the main anthocyanin and prominent antioxidative and antimicrobial compound in strawberries. The density functional theory calculations at the M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p) level showed that Pg-3-glc quenches free radicals via sequential proton loss electron transfer mechanism in water and in pentyl ethanoate, where the 5-OH group is the most reactive site for proton and hydrogen atom transfer. The results were confirmed via spectrophotometry. The highest total phenolic content was found in Clery and 11.39.3, while statistically significant differences between the genotypes regarding the antioxidant activity were not confirmed. Although very similar in the anthocyanin, antioxidative, and antimicrobial profile patterns, the strawberry genotypes were successfully classified using principal component analysis.

Pre- and Post-Harvest Conditions Affect Polyphenol Content in Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)

The strawberry fruit contains abundant polyphenols, such as anthocyanins, flavan-3-ol, and ellagitannin. Polyphenol enrichment improves the quality of strawberries and leads to a better understanding of the polyphenol induction process. We measured the total polyphenol content of strawberry fruits under different growth conditions, developmental stages, and treatment conditions during pre-harvest and post-harvest periods. High fruit polyphenol content was observed in cold treatment, which was selected for further analysis and optimization. A transcriptome analysis of cold-treated fruits suggested that the candidate components of polyphenols may exist in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Coverage with a porous film bag excluded the effects of drought stress and produced polyphenol-rich strawberry fruits without affecting quality or quantity. The degree of stress was assessed using known stress indicators. A rapid accumulation of abscisic acid was followed by an increase in superoxide dismutase and DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) activity, suggesting that the strawberry fruits responded to cold stress immediately, reaching the climax at around 6 days, a trend consistent with that of polyphenol content. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanism of post-harvest polyphenol accumulation and the value of strawberries as a functional food.

Monitoring and dietary exposure assessment of pesticide residues in strawberry in Beijing, China

In this study, 142 pesticide residues in 245 strawberry samples, gathered from farmers markets or supermarkets in Beijing from June 2017 to May 2018, were investigated. The samples were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). According to the validation data, including linearity, recovery, precision and measurement uncertainty, the method performed well in monitoring pesticide residues and complied with the requirements of the European Guideline SANTE/11813/2017. Among the strawberry samples, 26.0% contained at least one pesticide residue, four of which contained pesticide residues that exceeded the maximum residue limit of China. Carbendazim, pyrimethanil and azoxystrobin were the most frequently detected pesticides in the strawberry samples. Lower bound, middle bound and upper bound values were used to replace left-censored results. In the worst-case scenario, the hazard index (HI) for adults and children was 0.91% and 3.62%, respectively. Carbofuran, bifenazate and pyraclostrobin were identified as the top three contributors to HI.

Discontinuously Dewetting Solvent Arrays: Droplet Formation and Poly-Synchronous Surface Extraction for Mass Spectrometry Imaging Applications

We describe a new liquid tissue stamping method called poly-synchronous surface extraction (PSSE) that utilizes an omniphobic substrate patterned with hydrophilic surface energy traps (SETs), which when wet with a solvent form a dense microdroplet array. When contacted with a tissue sample, each droplet locally extracts analytes from the tissue surface, which subsequentially can be analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) or ambient ionization-MS techniques. Optimization of the patterned surface with six different solvents was carried out to increase the droplet density, height, and reproducibility of volume deposition. Once optimized, sister slices of a strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) were spatially extracted using the PSSE technique and the chemical distribution of selected compounds was analyzed with both MALDI-IMS and a lower resolution but faster ambient liquid microjunction surface sampling probe (LMJ-SSP) approach. Heat maps for target analytes for the PSSE approach are compared to those produced using traditional MALDI-IMS analysis. The PSSE method aligned well with direct analysis and demonstrated the potential to increase the speed of ambient MS tissue imaging techniques by decreasing the number of steps required for sample preparation.

The Promising Therapeutic and Preventive Properties of Anthocyanidins/Anthocyanins on Prostate Cancer

As water-soluble flavonoid derivatives, anthocyanidins and anthocyanins are the plants pigments mostly rich in berries, pomegranate, grapes, and dark color fruits. Many bioactivity properties of these advantageous phytochemicals have been reported; among them, their significant abilities in the suppression of tumor cells are of the promising therapeutic features, which have recently attracted great attention. The prostate malignancy, is considered the 2nd fatal and the most distributed cancer type in men worldwide. The present study was designated to gather the preclinical and clinical studies evaluating potencies of anthocyanidins/anthocyanins for the treatment and prevention of this cancer type for the first time. In general, findings confirm that the anthocyanins (especifically cyanidin-3-O-glucoside) indicated higher activity against prostatic neoplasms compared to their correlated anthocyanidins (e.g., delphinidin); in which potent anti-inflammatory, apoptosis, and anti-proliferative activities were analyzed. Complementary anti-prostate cancer assessment of diverse naturally occurred anthocyanidins/anthocyanins and their synthetically optimized derivatives through preclinical experiments and eventually confirmed by clinical trials can promisingly lead to discover natural-based chemotherapeutic drug options.

High Resolution Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping and Whole Genome Sequencing Enable the Design of an Anthocyanidin Reductase-Specific Homoeo-Allelic Marker for Fruit Colour Improvement in Octoploid Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)

Fruit colour is central to the sensorial and nutritional quality of strawberry fruit and is therefore a major target in breeding programmes of the octoploid cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). The red colour of the fruit is caused by the accumulation of anthocyanins, which are water-soluble flavonoids. To facilitate molecular breeding, here we have mapped with high resolution fruit colour quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (COLOUR, scored visually as in selection programmes) and associated flavonoid metabolic QTLs (5 anthocyanins compounds together with 8 flavonols and flavan-3-ols) to specific subgenomes of cultivated strawberry. Two main colour-related QTLs were located on the LG3A linkage group (Fragaria vesca subgenome). Genetic mapping, transcriptome analysis and whole genome sequencing enabled the detection of a homoeo-allelic variant of ANTHOCYANIDIN REDUCTASE (ANR) underlying the major male M3A COLOUR and pelargonidin-3-glucoside (PgGs) QTLs (up to ∼20% of explained variance). Consistent with previously published functional studies, ANR transcript abundance was inversely related with PgGs content in contrasted progeny individuals. Genetic segregation analyses further indicated that a molecular marker designed using an 18 bp deletion found in the 5'UTR of the candidate ANR homoeo-allelic variant is effective in identifying genotypes with intense red fruit colour. Our study provides insights into the genetic and molecular control of colour-related traits in strawberry and further defines a genetic marker for marker-assisted selection of new strawberry varieties with improved colour. The QTLs detected and the underlying candidate genes are different from those described to date, emphasising the importance of screening a wide diversity of genetic resources in strawberry.

Small berries as health-promoting ingredients: a review on anti-aging effects and mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans

Aging is an inevitable, irreversible, and complex process of damage accumulation and functional decline, increasing the risk of various chronic diseases. However, for now no drug can delay aging process nor cure aging-related diseases. Nutritional intervention is considered as a key and effective strategy to promote healthy aging and improve life quality. Small berries, as one of the most common and popular fruits, have been demonstrated to improve cognitive function and possess neuroprotective activities. However, the anti-aging effects of small berries have not been systematically elucidated yet. This review mainly focuses on small berries' anti-aging activity studies involving small berry types, active components, the utilized model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), related signaling pathways, and molecular mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to propose effective strategies to evaluate the anti-aging effects of small berries and provide guidance for the development of anti-aging supplements from small berries.

Unique distribution of ellagitannins in ripe strawberry fruit revealed by mass spectrometry imaging

Ellagitannins (ETs) are hydrolysable tannins composed of a polyol core, primarily glucose, which is esterified with hexahydroxydiphenic acid (HHDP), and in some cases, gallic acid. ETs are the major phenolic compounds found in strawberries and may contribute to the health-related properties of strawberries, because of their strong antioxidative activity. However, their distribution in the strawberry fruit remains unclear. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI–MSI) was used to visualize ETs in ripe strawberry fruits. Five peaks, corresponding to the m/z values of ET [M−H]⁻ ions detected in the MALDI–MS spectrum of strawberry extracts, were identified as strictinin, pedunculagin, casuarictin, davuriicin M₁, and an unknown ET using MALDI–tandem MS (MS/MS). In addition, liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–MS/MS of the extracts revealed the presence of pedunculagin isomers and the unknown ET. Ion images of these five ETs were reconstructed using MALDI–MSI. Strictinin was widely distributed in and around the achene seed coats, while the other ETs were dispersed in and around the seed coats, and at the bottom of the receptacle; pedunculagin was distributed in the epidermis and pith, whereas casuarictin, the unknown ET, and davuriicin M₁ were distributed in the pith. Moreover, MALDI–MSI of a casuarictin standard indicated that in-source fragmentation weakly affected the ion images. The results suggest that the distribution of ETs depends on the presence or absence of their constituents, namely galloyl units, HHDP, and bis-HHDP. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first report on the visualization of ETs in plant tissues using MSI, MALDI–MSI may be a useful tool for analyzing the distribution of ETs in the strawberry fruit.

•

The ellagitannins (ETs) in strawberry fruits were identified.

•

MALDI-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS were used.

•

The ETs identified in the fruits were visualized using MALDI-MSI.

•

The ETs showed unique distributions in the seeds and the lower receptacle.

•

The distribution of ETs depends on their constituents: galloyl units and HHDP.

Ex Vivo Fecal Fermentation of Human Ileal Fluid Collected After Wild Strawberry Consumption Modulates Human Microbiome Community Structure and Metabolic Output and Protects Against DNA Damage in Colonic Epithelial Cells

SCOPE

Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) are richer in (poly)phenols than common commercial strawberry varieties, e.g., Fragaria × ananassa. (Poly)phenols and their microbiota-derived metabolites are hypothesized to exert bioactivity within the human gut mucosa. To address this, the effects of wild strawberries are investigated with respect to their bioactivity and microbiota-modulating capacity using both in vitro and ex vivo approaches.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Ileal fluids collected pre- (0h) and post-consumption (8h) of 225 g wild strawberries by ileostomates (n = 5) and also in vitro digested strawberry varieties (Fragaria vesca and Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) supernatants are collected. Subsequent fermentation of these supernatants using an in vitro batch culture proximal colon model reveals significant treatment-specific changes in microbiome community structure in terms of alpha but not beta diversity at 24 h. Nutri-kinetic analysis reveals a significant increase in the concentration of gut microbiota catabolites, including 3-(4hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid, 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid, and benzoic acid. Furthermore, post-berry ileal fermentates (24 h) significantly (p < 0.01) decrease DNA damage (% Tail DNA, COMET assay) in both HT29 cells (∼45%) and CCD 841 CoN cells (∼25%) compared to untreated controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Post berry consumption fermentates exhibit increased overall levels of (poly)phenolic metabolites, which retains their bioactivity, reducing DNA damage in colonocytes.

Herbal drugs and natural bioactive products as potential therapeutics: A review on pro-cognitives and brain boosters perspectives

Memory, one of the most vital aspects of the human brain, is necessary for the effective survival of an individual. 'Memory' can be defined in various ways but in an overall view, memory is the retention of the information that the brain grasps. Different factors are responsible for the disbalance in the brain's hippocampus region and the acetylcholine level, which masters the memory and cognitive functions. Plants are a source of pharmacologically potent drug molecules of high efficacy. Recently herbal medicine has evolved rapidly, gaining great acceptance worldwide due to their natural origin and fewer side effects. In this review, the authors have discussed the mechanisms and pharmacological action of herbal bioactive compounds to boost memory. Moreover, this review presents an update of different herbs and natural products that could act as memory enhancers and how they can be potentially utilized in the near future for the treatment of severe brain disorders. In addition, the authors also discuss the differences in biological activity of the same herb and emphasize the requirement for a higher standardization in cultivation methods and plant processing. The demand for further studies evaluating the interactions of herbal drugs is mentioned.

Strawberry fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Romina) juice attenuates oxidative imbalance with concomitant modulation of metabolic indices linked to male infertility in testicular oxidative injury

This study investigated the protective properties of strawberry fruit on testicular oxidative injury. Oxidative injury was induced in vitro in testicular tissue homogenates by incubation with ferrous sulphate (FeSO₄ ) in the presence and absence of strawberry fruit extract (SFE) for 30 min at 37˚C, with gallic acid serving as the standard antioxidant drug. Induction of oxidative injury significantly reduced glutathione, cholesterol and triglyceride levels; and inhibited SOD, catalase and ENTPDase activities when compared to normal control. It also led to exacerbated nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, LDL-cholesterol levels, acetylcholinesterase, ATPase and lipase activities. These effects were, however, reversed following treatment with SFE when compared to the untreated control, except for cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Additionally, the induction of the oxidative injury led to alterations in testicular lipid metabolites that were accompanied by the activation of α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid metabolic pathways. While SFE treatment had no significant impact on the altered metabolites, it repressed pathways for mitochondrial beta-oxidation of long-chain saturated fatty acids and plasmalogen synthesis. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of SFE revealed the presence of rutin, caffeic acid, p-coumarin and cinnamic acid. These data imply the protective potentials of strawberry fruits against testicular oxidative injury.

Berry fruits as source of pectin: Conventional and non-conventional extraction techniques

Three non-conventional extraction techniques (enzyme-assisted with cellulase, citric acid ultrasound-assisted and enzyme-ultrasound-assisted treatment) and conventional citric acid extraction were applied to obtain pectin from raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and redcurrant, and were compared in terms of extraction yields and physicochemical properties of the extracted pectins. Except for pectin from raspberry, conventional citric acid extraction led to the highest extraction yield (~8%) and, for the same berries, the lowest pectin recovery was found for the extraction with cellulase (~4%). Regarding the structural characteristics of pectins, enzymatically extracted pectins from redcurrant and strawberry exhibited the highest levels of galacturonic acid (≥73%) whereas, in general, this monosaccharide was found from 51 to 69% in the rest of samples. Although, ultrasound-assisted extraction did not improve pectin yield, it minimized the levels of "non-pectic" components leading to the obtainment of purer pectin. The different monomeric composition and the wide range of molecular weight of the obtained pectins pointed out their usefulness in different potential food applications (e.g., thickening, gelling ingredients) and biological activities. This has been evidenced by the differences found in their physicochemical and techno-functional characteristics. Finally, it can be considered that the berries here studied are efficient sources of pectin.

Lotus seeds (Nelumbinis semen) as an emerging therapeutic seed: A comprehensive review

Nelumbinis semen is commonly known as lotus seeds that have been used as a vegetable, functional food, and medicine for 7,000 years. These are low caloric, a rich source of multiple nutrients and bioactive constituents, which make it a unique therapeutic food. N. semen plays an important part in the physiological functions of the body. Nowadays, people are more conscious about their health and desire to treat disease naturally with minimal side effects. So, functional foods are getting popularity due to a wide range of essential constituents, which are associated to decrease the risk of chronic diseases. These bioactive compounds from seeds are involved in anti-adipogenic, antioxidant, antitumor, cardiovascular, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-fertility, anti-microbial, anti-viral, hypoglycemic, etc. Moreover, the relationship between functional compounds along with their mechanism of action in the body, their extraction from the seeds for further research would be of great interest.

Sensory and Physicochemical Quality, Residual Fungicide Levels and Microbial Load in 'Florida Radiance' Strawberries from Different Disease Control Treatments Exposed to Simulated Supply Chain Conditions

Strawberries are greatly appreciated for their flavor and health-promoting properties. However, current agricultural and postharvest handling practices may result in decreased fruit quality. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of conventional or reduced fungicide applications on the quality of 'Florida Radiance' strawberries exposed to supply chain conditions. Strawberries held under steady temperature had better sensory and physicochemical quality than fruit exposed to supply chain conditions, regardless of the disease control treatment. Strawberries from the reduced fungicide treatment were firmer, lost less moisture, had higher sugar and higher or similar bioactive contents than fruit from the conventional treatment. Sensory scores were better for reduced fungicide fruit held under steady temperature conditions than other treatments at the consumer level. Microbial load increased during the supply chain but results strongly suggest that washing the fruit significantly reduces the microbial load and residual fungicide levels (fludioxonil, cyprodinil, pyraclostrobin, and captan) on the fruit. Overall, the use of reduced fungicide applications to control strawberry disease constitutes a promising alternative to conventional practices. It will help reduce costs by reducing labor and the amount of fungicides used while maintaining overall strawberry quality. Moreover, avoiding abusive and fluctuating temperature conditions during the supply chain will extend shelf-life and reduce strawberry waste.

Correlation Among Phenotypic Parameters Related to the Growth and Photosynthesis of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) Grown Under Various Light Intensity Conditions

The objective of this study was to investigate characteristics of phenotypic parameters such as physiology, yield, and fruit quality responses of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) to various light intensity conditions (VLICs), and to determine the correlations among these phenotypic parameters. Strawberry plants were cultivated in a smart greenhouse separated into four areas, three of which were completely shaded by curtains from 20:00 until 10:00 (3 hS), 12:00 (5 hS), and 14:00 (7 hS), respectively. The fourth area was a non-shaded control treatment (0 hS). The ambient light intensities during the experimental period for the 0, 3, 5, and 7 hS treatments were 1,285, 1,139, 770, and 364 mol⋅m^-2, respectively. Strawberry plants grown under low light intensity conditions experienced decreases in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and sugar accumulation compared to the 0 hS. Petiole generation and fruit yield were also sharply decreased in proportion to the degree of decrease in light intensity. In contrast, photosynthetic pigment content was shown to increase under low light conditions. Organic acid contents (excluding acetic acid) and leaflet size did not change significantly under low light conditions compared to the 0 hS. Changes to light intensity are considered to induce changes to the phenotypic characteristics of strawberry plants to favor growth using the energy and carbon skeletons obtained through respiration and photosynthesis. In the 7 hS treatment, where light intensity was drastically reduced, NPQ, qP, and R _Fd values as chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters were significantly lowered, which could indicate their measurement as an important technique to check the stress response of plants grown in low light conditions.

Immunomodulatory effect of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in allergic conditions in vitro and in vivo

We found that strawberry extract suppressed immunoglobulin (Ig) E production in vitro and in vivo, and identified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as one of the IgE suppressor in the extract. We report here the effect of GAPDH on various Ig productions in vitro and in vivo. GAPDH suppressed IgE and enhanced IgA, IgG and IgM productions in ovalbumin (OVA)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Oral administration of GAPDH at 10 mg/kg/day to OVA-induced allergy model mice tended to decrease total IgE level and increase total IgA and IgG levels in sera, and also decreased OVA-specific IgE and IgG levels. It is known that the increase of total IgA as well as the decrease of total and specific IgE is important for alleviating allergic symptoms. In addition, GAPDH accelerated IgA production and increased some cytokine secretions such as IL-4, TGF-β1 and IFN-γ in the OVA-immunized mice spleen lymphocytes. These cytokines involved in the class-switching, IgA enhancement, and IgE suppression, respectively, supporting above results. Our study suggests a possibility that oral administration of GAPDH may induce the immunomodulation in allergic responses.

Effect of Food Processing on Antioxidant Potential, Availability, and Bioavailability

Antioxidants are understood to play a key role in disease prevention; because of this, research and interest in these compounds are ever increasing. Antioxidative phytochemicals from natural sources are preferred, as some negative implications have been associated with synthetic antioxidants. Beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, to name a few, are important sources of phytochemicals, which have purported health benefits. The aforementioned plant sources are reportedly rich in bioactive compounds, most of which undergo some form of processing (boiling, steaming, soaking) prior to consumption. This article briefly reviews selected plants (beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables) and the effects of processing on the antioxidant potential, availability, and bioavailability of phytochemicals, with research from our laboratory and other studies determining the health benefits of and processing effects on bioactive compounds.

Visualizing the distribution of strawberry plant metabolites at different maturity stages by MALDI-TOF imaging mass spectrometry

This study aimed to visualize differences in the distribution of citric acid, soluble sugars, and anthocyanins in strawberries at four different maturity stages (green to red strawberries) by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF IMS). Results demonstrated citric acid and sugars are evenly distributed in the entire fruit at all maturity stages, while most of anthocyanins are mainly located in the periphery of fruit with increased abundance in red strawberries, indicating a correlation with the colour attributes. Sugar in red strawberries (11.92 brix) increased by two-fold compared to the green ones (6.23 brix). Finally, absolute quantitation of each compound from HPLC analyses support the quantitative results from MALDI-TOF IMS. The results provide a deeper understanding in the changes and distribution of phytochemicals during the growth of strawberries, and demonstrates the usefulness of IMS for plant breeding and postharvest technology.

Plant-Derived Natural Antioxidants in Meat and Meat Products

The global meat industry is constantly evolving due to changes in consumer preferences, concerns and lifestyles, as well as monetary, geographical, political, cultural and religious factors. Part of this evolution is the introduction of synthetic antioxidants to increase meat and meat products' shelf-life, and reduce meat spoilage due to lipid and protein oxidation. The public perception that natural compounds are safer and healthier per se has motivated the meat industry to replace synthetic antioxidants with plant-derived ones in meat systems. Despite several promising results from in vitro and in situ studies, the effectiveness of plant-derived antioxidants against lipid and protein oxidation has not been fully documented. Moreover, the utility, usability, marketability and potential health benefits of natural antioxidants are not yet fully proven. The present review aims to (i) describe the major chemical groups of plant-derived antioxidants and their courses of action; (ii) present the application of spices, herbs and fruits as antioxidants in meat systems; and (iii) discuss the legislative framework, future trends, challenges and limitations that are expected to shape their acceptance and mass exploitation by the meat industry.

Comparative transcriptome and metabolome analyses of two strawberry cultivars with different storability

Postharvest storability is an important trait for breeding strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). We evaluated the postharvest fruit quality of five strawberry cultivars (‘Durihyang’, ‘Kingsberry’, ‘Maehyang’, ‘Seolhyang’, and ‘Sunnyberry’) and identified differences in their fruit ripening during the transition from the big-green to fully-red stage between two cultivars with the highest (‘Sunnyberry’) and lowest (‘Kingsberry’) storability, using comparative transcriptome and -metabolome analysis. The differentially expressed genes revealed transcriptome changes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and cell walls. Consistently, the metabolites of both cultivars showed general changes during ripening along with cultivar-specific characteristics in sugar and amino acid profiles. To identify the genes responsible for storability differences, we surveyed the expression of transcription factors, and found that the expression levels of WRKY31, WRKY70, and NAC83 correlated with delayed senescence and increased storability. Among them, the expression levels of NAC83, and its downstream target genes, in the five cultivars suggested that NAC83 expression can be used to predict postharvest strawberry fruit storability.