Development of Innovative Candied Chestnuts from Three Chestnut Cultivars Grown in Portugal

Compositional profiling and sensory analysis of cauliflower by-products-enriched muffins

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) by-products (leaves, stems, stalks) (CBP) were successfully utilized in muffins as a model system and their feasibility of incorporation was investigated. CBP powder-based muffin formulations were made by the progressive replacement of wheat flour (WF) with 10%, 20%, and 30% of CBP. The physicochemical, pasting properties, antioxidant potential, textural characteristics, and sensorial attributes were analyzed. Substitution of CBP significantly (p < .05) resulted in an upsurge in crude protein, crude fiber, minerals, total phenolics, and total flavonoid contents, as well as total antioxidant activity values of muffins. The pasting properties were influenced by monitoring an increase in peak, breakdown, final, and setback viscosities. Although the addition of an increasing amount of CBP improved the nutritional characteristics, however, the increased level of replacement (>10%) had significant adverse effects on baking and physical characteristics. The specific loaf volume of the developed muffins decreased the crumb color which became darker, and enriched muffins were hardened in texture. Furthermore, sensory evaluation confirmed the positive effects of CBP incorporation only up to 10%. Overall, present results highlighted that supplementation of wheat muffins with 10% CBP is a beneficial approach to enrich them with nutrients and intensify their antioxidant potential.

Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Nutritional and Phenolic Composition Interactions with Chestnut Flavor Physiology

The European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), is an environmentally and economically important species in Europe, mainly for fruit production. The chestnut fruit is well-known for its nutritional properties, namely its high concentration of carbohydrates (starch) and its low-fat content, as well as being one of the few fruits that do not contain gluten. Due to its chemical and nutritional characteristics beneficial to health, the sweet chestnut is a food recommended at different levels. The biochemistry of the mouth and nose of a human being is very complex. However, understanding the different interactions between the biochemistry of our sensory organs and food helps us to comprehend certain concepts, such as flavor and how it is involved in the sensory evaluation of the chestnuts. For the selection of high-quality products, it is necessary to develop reliable methods both from a qualitative and sensory point of view, and chestnut is a fruit with unique sensory characteristics that can be used in various gastronomic dishes, from main courses to desserts.

Controlled Atmosphere Improves the Quality, Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Yellow Peach during the Shelf Life

Controlled atmosphere (CA) has been demonstrated to maintain the shelf-life quality of fruits, but its effect on the antioxidant activities and phenolic content of yellow peach is not comprehensive. This study analyzed the role of CA on the quality of shelf period, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of "Jinxiu" yellow peach. Yellow peach was left under specific aeration conditions (3.5-4% CO2, 2-3% O2, 92-95.5% N2, 1 ± 0.5 °C) and the control (1 ± 0.5 °C) for 21 d, to observe changes in physiological parameters of the fruit during 10 d of the shelf life (25 ± 1 °C). The result showed that CA reduced the weight loss rate (WLR), decay rate (DR), and browning index (BI) of yellow peaches. Furthermore, the CA held a high level of total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenol content (TPC) and phenolic content in the fruit. Antioxidant analysis showed that polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme activity was lower and free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) and antioxidant enzyme activities (POD and PAL) were higher in the CA group. Combining the results of significance analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) clearly identified the differences between the CA group and the control group. The results showed that the CA could maintain higher phenolic content and reduce the oxidation of yellow peach fruit and enhance fruit quality by affecting the antioxidant activities of yellow peach.