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Background This report studied the response of pomegranate fruit under full irrigation (FI) and water stress conditions to bagging with externally glossy, single‐layer, cellulosic paper bags, open at the bottom, from the end of fruit thinning to harvest time. Results Bagging decreased fruit size and the maturity index, and increased antioxidant activity in FI conditions. Moreover, fruit bagging substantially reduced the incidence of peel sunburn in both irrigation conditions. Conclusion The delay in fruit growth and ripening as a result of pomegranate fruit bagging is outweighed by the very important commercial benefit in terms of the reduced incidence of peel sunburn and the increase in fruit antioxidant activity. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND The working hypothesis of the present study was that, by proper simultaneous control of irrigation (hydroSOStainable products) and crop load (thinning), it is possible to promote the accumulation of bioactive compounds and improve fruit appearance (size and weight). The effects of (i) irrigation status [T0, 120% ETc (estimated crop evapotranspiration); T1, 60% ETc during fruit growth and ripening] and (ii) crop load (A0, no thinning; A1, thinning) on yield and fruit quality were evaluated in two pomegranate cultivars (Wonderful, Wond and Mollar de Elche, ME). RESULTS Thinning was effective in increasing the size and weight of fruits. Unfortunately, neither punicalagin, nor total polyphenolic content were positively affected by irrigation and thinning. T1A1 Wond fruits were characterized by high sugar content (glucose and fructose), together with high fruit size and weight. Furthermore, T1A1 ME fruits were characterized by high contents of alcohols and monoterpenoids (providing vegetal and citric flavor notes) and key sensory attributes (color, fruity and fresh pomegranate). CONCLUSION The final recommendation was to use the treatment T1A1 [simultaneous combination of deficit irrigation during fruit growth and ripening (T1) and thinning (A1)], although the positive results were cultivar-dependent.

This study aimed to assess the biological activities and secondary compound composition from Algerian Crithmum maritimum and, therefore, to better characterize local medicinal plants. The aerial parts were investigated regarding their mineral, antioxidant and essential oil content, and composition. The C. maritimum aerial parts contained high levels of potassium, calcium, manganese, and iron. The phenolic fraction was composed by at least 10 identified hydroxycinnamic acids that exhibited scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS+. Moreover, the C. maritimum essential oil had a strong antimicrobial activity. The essential oil was composed by a least 10 molecules comprising monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes.

Fil: Cardinal, Paula. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Zamora, María Clara. Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Zamora, María Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientıficas y Tecnicas; Argentina Fil: Chambers, Edgar. Universidad Estatal de Kansas. Centro de Análisis Sensorial; Estados Unidos Fil: Carbonell Barrachina, Ángel. Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche. Departamento Tecnologıa Agroalimentaria. Grupo Calidad y Seguridad Alimentaria; España Fil: Hough, Guillermo. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Abstract: The objective of this study was to measure the sensory acceptability and obtain check-all-that-apply (CATA) responses for fruit-flavored powdered juices, with three different consumer segments: children and women who could be considered target populations, and a convenience sample of foodscience- related consumers (FSRC). The study was conducted with a total of 550 consumers in four cities: Alicante (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Manhattan (U.S.A.) and 9 de Julio (Argentina). The products were reconstituted powdered juices with the following flavors: apple, cherry, grape, grapefruit, orange and pear. Overall, FSRC consumers had the lowest acceptability scores for these products. Regarding CATA results, multiple correspondence analysis showed cherry and grape juices were associated to artificial-flavor and artificial-color, with the FSRC respondents being mainly responsible for the use of these descriptors. Pear and orange were considered to have natural-flavor and good-color, mainly by children and women. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the effect of “sample,” “city” and “consumer segment” on the percentage of checks given to each descriptor. The “consumer segment” effect was significant for nearly all descriptors, with FSRC checking samples differently to women and children

Lantana camara L. is a widespread plant species mostly native to subtropical and tropical regions of the world. In this study, insecticidal and repellent activities of L. camara essential oil were evaluated against Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Col: Bruchidae). Analysis of chemical composition by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed high amounts of sesquiterpenes, mainly α-humelene (23.3%) and cis-caryophyllene (16.2%). The results showed that the essential oil of L. camara has strong repellent activity against adults of C. maculatus at all tested concentrations. After 2 and 4 h, 97.4 and 100% repellency was seen at highest concentrations of 0.4 μL cm-2, respectively. Moreover, the oil was found to be toxic to adults when applied by fumigation. Responses varied with the gender of insect and exposure time. The LC50 values were 282.7 and 187.9 μL L-1 for females and males, respectively. An increase in the exposure time from 3 to 24 h caused increasing in mortality from 23.6 to 100% in males and from 14.1 to 97.1% in females, at highest concentration (1160 μL L-1). According to these results, L. camara essential oil may be useful as an alternative for bean protection against C. maculatus. Lantana camara L. es una especie vegetal nativa de las regiones subtropicales y tropicales del mundo. En este estudio se evaluaron las actividades insecticida y repelente del aceite esencial de L. camara contra Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius). El análisis de la composición volátil de este aceite esencial mediante cromatografía de gas/ espectrometría de masa (GC/MS) demostró la presencia de elevadas cantidades de sesquiterpenos, principalmente α-humuleno (23.3%) y ci’s-cariofileno (16.2%). Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que el aceite esencial de L. camara tiene una elevada actividad repelente contra los adultos de C. maculatus a todas las concentraciones ensayadas. Después de 2 y 4 h la concentración de 0.4 μL cm-2 causó 97,4% y 100% de actividad repelente, respectivamente. Además, este aceite esencial fue tóxico para los adultos cuando se aplicó mediante fumigación. Las respuestas a este tratamiento dependieron del sexo del insecto y del tiempo de exposición. Los valores de LC50 fueron 282,7 y 187,9 μL L-1 para hembras y machos, respectivamente. Un incremento del tiempo de exposición desde 3 a 24 h causó un aumento de la mortalidad de 23,6% a 100% en machos y desde 14,1% a 97,1% en hembras, a la mayor concentración ensayada (1160 μL L-1). De acuerdo a estos resultados, podemos concluir que el aceite esencial de L. camara puede ser una alternativa útil en la protección de legumbres contra los ataques de C. maculatus

The effects of organic farming on antioxidant activity, CIE L*a*b* color, carotenoids composition, minerals contents, vitamin C and sensory quality of Orogrande mandarin juices were studied. Independent of the farming type, mandarin juices can be considered as good source of some important nutrients, such as potassium and antioxidant chemicals, for example, b-cryptoxanthin. Organic farming of mandarins resulted in juices with higher antioxidant activity, total carotenoids concentrations, minerals (Ca, K and Fe) contents, vitamin C content, more appealing and intense orange color and better sensory quality. For instance, organic Orogrande juice contained significantly (p

The &ldquo, Pero de Ceheg&iacute, n&rdquo, is an ancient local variety of apple grown in Murcia (Spain). In this study, microsatellites markers showed evidence of a unique profile that has never been reported before in other Spanish apple germplasm collections. Five &ldquo, clones were evaluated and compared with two commercial apple varieties, &ldquo, Fuji&rdquo, and &ldquo, Golden Delicious&rdquo, to assess its marketing potential. For this, the physical (weight, height, and width of the fruit, moisture content, firmness, and color of the fruit, among others), and chemical (total soluble solids, total acidity, and maturity index) properties of the fruits were evaluated. In addition, the content of bioactive compounds such as total polyphenol content, total antioxidant activity using the ABTS+, DPPH&bull, and FRAP methods, and the sugar profile were analyzed, and their sensory profile was also evaluated. Physico-chemical differences were found within the &ldquo, clones and between the commercial varieties. &ldquo, had a high firmness, high total soluble solids, very low total acidity, high FRAP antioxidant capacity, and more sucrose content in comparison with &ldquo, These distinctive characteristics and the good appearance of the fruit make this variety a marketable product that will increase the offering of traditional, local, but underutilized fruit varieties.

Despite the centrality of staple grains for human well-being, both as a source of nutrients and of toxic ions, there is little understanding of where and how elements vary, and if there are particular elements that correlate. Here, for shop bought polished (white) rice, we comprehensively characterized trace (arsenic species, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, rubidium and zinc) and macro-nutrients (calcium, chlorine, potassium, phosphorus and sulphur) for grain purchased in 18 countries, across four continents, a total of 1045 samples. This was to investigate if there were any major differences between geographic location and elemental content, and to observe if there were any patterns in elemental distribution. Greatest variation in the median was observed for the non-essential rubidium (15-fold) and arsenic species (fivefold). Rubidium was the highest in the Americas, lowest in Europe, while inorganic arsenic (iAs) and dimethylarsonic acid (DMA) were low for Africa and high in the South American and European continents. The highest concentrations of cadmium were found in Asian samples, and lowest in South America, with variation within these regions. At the extremes of individual counties, China had fivefold higher concentrations than the global median, while Tanzania was fourfold lower than this value. Calcium, potassium, molybdenum and phosphorus were the highest in European and lowest in African grain, though the fold-differences were relatively low, ~ 0.2, while iron was the highest in African grain and lowest in European, Asian and South American grain, with a ~ twofold difference. Selenium was also higher in Africa versus other regions, and copper, manganese and zinc were the highest in American grain. Factor analysis showed that copper, cadmium, molybdenum, rubidium and selenium were strongly associated together, and these element’s factor loadings were diametrically opposed to less tightly associated calcium, chlorine, manganese, potassium, phosphorus and sulphur. Stepwise additions linear region analysis was performed on log-transformed concentrations to investigate cadmium associations in more detail. Selenium was the greatest predictor of cadmium concentration, followed by molybdenum, accounting for over 50% of the contribution to the adjusted R2. Arsenic species were only weakly correlated with other elements. The implications for these findings with respect to dietary nutrition are discussed. Vietnamese rice was notable in being deficient in macro- and micro-nutrients while also being elevated in cadmium at a median of 0.02 mg/kg, with China though still having a median that is ~ 2.5-fold this concentration. These Chinese concentrations are of particular concern as the 75th percentile for China is 0.1 mg/kg, a value that triggers regulatory action for rice products.

Green, Andy J. et al., One of cadmium’s major exposure routes to humans is through rice consumption. The concentrations of cadmium in the global polished (white), market rice supply-chain were assessed in 2270 samples, purchased from retailers across 32 countries, encompassing 6 continents. It was found on a global basis that East Africa had the lowest cadmium with a median for both Malawi and Tanzania at 4.9 μg/kg, an order of magnitude lower than the highest country, China with a median at 69.3 μg/ kg. The Americas were typically low in cadmium, but the Indian sub-continent was universally elevated. In particular certain regions of Bangladesh had high cadmium, that when combined with the high daily consumption rate of rice of that country, leads to high cadmium exposures. Concentrations of cadmium were compared to the European Standard for polished rice of 200 μg/kg and 5% of the global supply-chain exceeded this threshold. For the stricter standard of 40 μg/kg for processed infant foods, for which rice can comprise up to 100% by composition (such as rice porridges, puffed rice cereal and cakes), 25% of rice would not be suitable for making pure rice baby foods. Given that rice is also elevated in inorganic arsenic, the only region of the world where both inorganic arsenic and cadmium were low in grain was East Africa.

La escasez de agua dulce se considera uno de los mayores riesgos a nivel mundial. Siendo la agricultura uno de los principales consumidores de agua dulce que debe adaptarse a la falta de este recurso natural. Las almendras hidroSOStenibles se producen a partir de almendros cultivados usando estrategias de riego deficitario controlado (RDC). Está científicamente demostrado que las almendras generadas mediante RDC tienen contenidos mayores de compuestos bioactivos y mínimas mermas en la producción. En consecuencia, el objetivo de este estudio experimental fue investigar cómo puede afectar la información hidroSOStenibles en la aceptabilidad del consumidor y a sus preferencias con respecto al consumo de almendras tostadas. Para ello, se utilizó la misma muestra codificada como “convencional” e “hidroSOStenible” y se trabajó con 100 participantes de Sevilla, España (región con altos niveles de estrés hídrico) versus 100 consumidores de Donostia/San Sebastián (España) y otros 100 consumidores de Wrocław, Polonia (regiones sin estrés hídrico). Se preguntó por la aceptación, preferencia, razones de elección de la muestra preferida y sobre la disponibilidad a pagar por la almendra tostada hidroSOStenible. Los resultados mostraron que la aceptación de los consumidores fue influenciada significativamente por la información hidroSOStenible, recibiendo siempre estas almendras puntuaciones más altas en todos los parámetros. El efecto del logotipo tuvo un impacto en la aceptación de los consumidores para aquellos que pertenecieron a áreas con escasez de agua (Sevilla), pero no para aquellos de Wrocław o Donostia. Tanto el género masculino como el femenino, los centennials y los millennials, puntuaron más alto las supuestas almendras hidroSOStenibles. Sin embargo, el género femenino tuvo más predisposición a encontrar similitudes entre las muestras, mientras que la generación X no estuvo realmente influenciada por el efecto del logotipo hidroSOStenible. En general, las muestras hidroSOStenibles fueron las más preferidas y el 71, 87 y 73 % de los consumidores de Wrocław, Sevilla y Donostia, respectivamente, estuvieron dispuestos a pagar más por ellas. Lo que nos lleva a concluir que independientemente de la zona y país que se vive, los consumidores están muy concienciados sobre la escasez de los recursos naturales estando dispuestos a pagar más por unos productos generados de forma sostenible y amistosa con el medio ambiente. The shortage of fresh water is thought to be one of the biggest global risks worldwide. Agriculture being one of the main consumers of fresh water that must adapt to this natural resource. HydroSOStainable almond are produced from almond trees grown under regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) conditions. It is scientifically proven that almonds generated under RDI have higher contents of bioactive compounds and minimal yield losses. Consequently, the objective of this study was to investigate how hydroSOStainable information can affect consumer acceptability and preferences regarding the consumption of roasted almonds. For this, the same sample coded as “conventional” and “hydroSOStainable” was used and the experiment was done with 100 participants from Seville, Spain (region with high levels of water stress) versus 100 consumers from Donostia, Spain and another 100 consumers from Wrocław, Poland (regions without water stress). They were asked about the acceptance, preference, reasons for choosing the preferred sample and about their willingness to pay for the hydroSOStainable roasted almond. The results showed that consumer acceptance was significantly influenced by the hydroSOStainable information, these almonds always receiving higher scores on all parameters. The logo effect had an impact on consumer acceptance for those who belonged to areas with water scarcity (Seville), but not for those from Wrocław or Donostia. The Penalty biplots corroborated that consumers who gave a higher score to hydroSOStainable roasted almonds were clearly influenced by the logo effect, as no improvements were observed for any of the labeled samples. Both men and women, centennials, and millennials, rated higher the hydroSOStainable labelled samples. However, the female gender was more willing to find similarities between the samples, while the generation X was not really influenced by the effect of the hydroSOStainable logo. In general, the hydroSOStainable labelled samples were the most preferred and 71, 87 and 73% of consumers in Wrocław, Seville and Donostia, respectively, were willing to pay a higher price for them. Which leads us to conclude that regardless of the area and country in which they live, consumers are very aware of the scarcity of natural resources, being willing to pay more for products generated in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Los pigmentos desempeñan un papel clave en el aposematismo, atracción, mimetismo, camuflaje y protección contra la radiación UV. Dentro de los pigmentos que desarrollan estas funciones están los omocromos. Los omocromos, al igual que otros pigmentos, producen color en el organismo que los sintetiza, así como ejercer diversas actividades biológicas. Los omocromos pueden actuar como antioxidantes y su mecanismo antioxidante generalmente sigue los siguientes mecanismos: pueden unir metales y ejercer actividad quelante, y pueden actuar como antioxidantes primarios eliminando radicales, como el oxígeno singlete y los aniones superóxido. Para explorar una nueva fuente de compuestos con múltiples potenciales, el objetivo de esta tesis doctoral fue documentar el potencial antioxidante y antimicrobiano de forma in vitro, así como de forma aplicada en la formulación de paté de atún. Pigments play a key role in aposematism, attraction, mimicry, camouflage and protection against UV radiation. Among the pigments that develop these functions are the ommochromes. Ommochromes, like other pigments, produce color in the organism that synthesizes them, as well as exercising various biological activities. Ommochromes can act as antioxidants and their antioxidant mechanism generally follows the following mechanisms: they can bind metals and exert chelating activity, and they can act as primary antioxidants by eliminating radicals, such as singlet oxygen and superoxide anions. To explore a new source of compounds with multiple potentials, the objective of this doctoral thesis was to document the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential in vitro, as well as in the form of tuna pâté.

El cultivo de la almendra está muy arraigado en todo el mundo gracias a que es un producto cuyas técnicas de manejo no son muy complejas y resiste bien a las condiciones climáticas adversas, lo que es decisivo para elegir la variedad que se cultiva. En el caso de España, tradicionalmente, se ha cultivado la variedad “Guara” característica por su cáscara dura y su morfología amigdaloide. Desde hace unos años hasta ahora se están cultivando en regadío para aumentar su producción, pero los problemas de escasez de agua han hecho que se tengan que buscar otras alternativas para su cultivo. Por lo tanto, en este trabajo compararon diferentes métodos de cultivo: regadío, secano, ecológico y convencional para ver cómo afectan a los parámetros de calidad de la almendra tales como: el rendimiento, las características morfológicas, la textura y la composición en minerales, ácidos grasos, ácidos orgánicos y azúcares, actividad antioxidante y polifenoles. Tras realizar los análisis de las 6 muestras se concluyó que las almendras cultivadas en régimen de secano destacaron por tener un contenido más alto en compuestos bioactivos. Almond cultivation is deeply rooted throughout the world because it is a product whose management techniques are not very complex and withstands adverse weather conditions, which is decisive when choosing the variety to grow. Traditionally, "Guara" was one of the most cultivated variety in Spain, due to the nutritional and sensorial properties, for its hard shell and amygdaloid morphology. Since many years ago, irrigation is used in order to increase the yield production. However, as water scarcity is considered the highest global risk worldwide and agriculture is one of the main freshwater consumers, the Mediterranean agriculture must find alternatives to cope with this situation. Therefore, in this work, different cultivation methods were compared: irrigated, rainfed, ecological and conventional to see how they affect almond quality parameters such as: yield, morphological characteristics, texture and composition in minerals, fatty acids, organic acids and sugars, antioxidants and polyphenols. After the analysis of 6 samples growth in different agronomic conditions, it was observed that samples growth in water stress conditions were characterized by a higher accumulation of bioactive compounds.

Quinces are attracting interest due to their health promoting properties. In this thesis research started with quality parameters, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and the main sensory parameters determined in six Spanish quince clones. Quinces are high in phytic, malic and quinic acids, as well as in fructose, sorbitol and glucose, giving them an intriguing balance between sourness, astringency and sweetness. Total polyphenol content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were found to be significantly higher in quince peel than in pulp in both hydrophilic (H-TAA) and lipophilic (L-TAA) extracts; for example, the TPCpeel / TPCpulp ratio was equal to 4.7. The predominant fatty acids were linoleic (54.7%) and oleic (35.5%) acids, which reflected in a ratio of ~9–10 unsaturated to saturated fatty acids. The studied parameters were finally used to establish appropriate applications for quinces: (i) PUM fruits are better suited for preparation of functional quince-based products because of their high TPC and TAA (e.g. 5810 mg gallic acid kg−1peel and 5430 mg Trolox kg−1peel), while (ii) other clones, such as OHM14, ZM6 and OHM13, are appropriate for fresh consumption because of their equilibrated levels of sourness and sweetness and their high quince flavor. Next step of this research was to find and analyze quince based processed product. Phytochemical profiles of 24 quince liquors have been analyzed as technological variant combinations. Liquors were obtained after macerating quinces from three varieties (Vranja, ALM3 and ZM2), with or without skin, at two ratios of quince:ethanol (50:50 and 25:75), and at two alcohol content (60% and 30%). Polyphenols were identified by LC-PDA-QTOF/MS and quantified by UPLC-PDA and UPLC-FL. A total of 18 polyphenolic compounds were identified and classified as 5 flavan-3-ols, 5 phenolic acids, and 8 flavonols. Flavan-3-ols were the most abundant group followed by hydroxycinnamates and flavonols. The highest contents of total polyphenols (1000 mg/100 mL) and antioxidant activity (37.1 mmol Trolox/100 mL) were found in the liquors prepared using fruits with skin and 50:50 quince:ethanol ratio. Quinces skin was the main source of phenolic acids, and especially flavonols. Quince liquor's high antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content may be considered as a promising new alcoholic beverage. Final step of this research was to find best drying preservation method. Drying kinetics, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and the main sensory parameters were determined in dried quinces, cultivar Leskovač, as affected by the drying method. The highest total polyphenols content was observed in dried samples obtained after freeze drying and convective drying at 50 °C. The best treatment for drying was vacuum-microwave drying at 480 W, considering only sensory attributes, because it led to intermediate dark color and high intensities of basic tastes and key flavor attributes. Ultimately, the parameters analyzed were used to suggest convective drying at 60 ° C as the most appropriate drying method for quinces, because it had a high content of total phenolic compounds (2nd best treatment out of 10), a good sensory profile, was inexpensive, and had no negative effects on nutritional or sensory parameters; the only downside was its long drying time.

La necesidad de optimizar el uso del agua en los agrosistemas es un hecho asumido por agricultores y organismos reguladores. Esta situación irreversible nos obliga a convivir con la escasez de recursos hídricos y a desarrollar herramientas capaces de asegurar la competitividad de la fruticultura. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las estrategias de riego deficitario no están basadas en niveles de déficit hídrico concretos en las plantas, ni está claro que conlleven una mejora de las características funcionales y sensoriales de los frutos. En este sentido, la bibliografía existente es escasa y contradictoria, debido fundamentalmente a que: (i) en ciertas publicaciones falta precisión a la hora de definir el estado hídrico del cultivo estudiado (duración del estrés, velocidad de imposición de este, etc.) y (ii) se presupone la existencia de una relación lineal entre déficit hídrico y acumulación de compuestos bioactivos. La hipótesis principal de esta Tesis Doctoral radica en que, no hay relación lineal entre el nivel de compuestos bioactivos de los frutos y el nivel de estrés hídrico (controlado). Mientras que bajo un estrés hídrico elevado se produce una importante regulación estomática y el CO2 se destina al mantenimiento del metabolismo primario, bajo un déficit moderado/suave se redistribuye el CO2 hacia la formación de metabolitos secundarios, en detrimento del crecimiento. Esto da lugar a frutos con mayor contenido en compuestos bioactivos en aquellos frutos en los que el déficit hídrico ha sido controlado. Además, las situaciones de estrés hídrico provocan una acumulación de sustancias antioxidantes, como respuesta fisiológica a la eliminación de radicales libres formados. Por ello, pensamos que mediante el manejo preciso de niveles de déficit hídrico “suave” es factible conseguir mínimas mermas en la producción y generar a su vez productos de máxima calidad. Estos productos, por ser el resultado de una optimización del uso del agua y tener una calidad elevada, tendrán una identidad marcada que los diferenciará del resto de su categoría, facilitando su inclusión en mercados internacionales más exigentes. Bajo estas premisas, se desarrolló el concepto “hidroSOStenible” y se aplicó al cultivo del pistacho, demostrando que los consumidores valoran positivamente los productos saludables, los que respetan el medio ambiente y los que tienen buenas propiedades funcionales, estando dispuestos a pagar hasta un 10 % más por este tipo de productos. Una vez desarrollado el concepto y puesto en práctica se realizó un estudio de la calidad de pistachos procedentes de ocho cultivares, para realizar una caracterización completa de los frutos obtenidos. Una vez elegido aquél que, bajo los criterios estudiados, consideramos como el de mejor calidad, cultivar Kerman, se realizó un estudio combinado de diferentes tratamientos de riego deficitario controlado y portainjertos para estudiar su influencia sobre la calidad física, química, funcional y sensorial de los pistachos obtenidos. Se demostró que un tratamiento de riego deficitario controlado leve aplicado durante la fase fenológica II del cultivo del pistacho es capaz de provocar una mejora en la calidad física, funcional, química y sensorial de los frutos obtenidos, manteniendo inalteradas las propiedades antimutagénicas y citotóxicas que los compuestos presentes en este fruto tienen frente a células cancerígenas El empleo del portainjerto P. terebinthus durante el cultivo del pistacho condujo a frutos de mayor calidad (morfológica, textura, ácidos grasos, capacidad antioxidante y contenido de polifenoles) que los obtenidos mediante los portainjertos P. atlantica y P. integerrima. Este hecho supone un incuestionable avance para la fruticultura, ya que se pueden obtener productos de mayor calidad y con un claro valor añadido al percibirse como productos sostenibles y respetuosos con el medioambiente. The need to accelerate the use of water in agrosystems is a fact assumed by farmers and regulatory councils. This irreversible situation forces us to live with the scarcity of water resources and develop reliable tools to guarantee the competitiveness of fruticulture. However, most of the deficit irrigation strategies are not based on concrete water deficit levels in the plants, nor it is clear whether it implies an improvement of the functional and sensory characteristics of the fruits. In this sense, the existing literature is scarce and contradictory, mainly due to the fact that: (i) in certain publications there is a lack of precision in defining the hydric state of the crop studied (duration of stress, speed of imposition of the same, etc.) and (ii) the existence of a linear relationship between the water deficit and the accumulation of bioactive compounds is assumed. The main hypothesis of this Thesis is that there is no linear relationship between the level of bioactive compounds of the fruits and level of water stress (controlled); while under high water stress there is an important stomatal regulation and CO2 is used to maintain the primary metabolism, under a moderate deficit, CO2 is redistributed to the formation of secondary metabolites to the detriment of growth. This situation results in products with a higher content of bioactive compounds in those fruits in which the water deficit has been controlled. In addition, situations of water stress cause an accumulation of antioxidant substances, as a physiological response to the elimination of free radicals formed. Therefore, it is believed that through the precise management of water deficit levels it is feasible to achieve minimal production losses and in turn generate top quality products. These products, as a result of an optimization of water use and having a high quality, will have a marked identity that will differentiate them from the rest of their category, facilitating their inclusion in more demanding international markets. Under these premises, the concept of “hydroSOStainable products” was developed and applied to pistachio farming and commercialization, demonstrating that consumers positively value healthy products, those that respect the environment and those that have good functional properties, even willing to pay up to 10 % more for this type of products. Once the concept was developed and put into practice, a study of the quality of pistachios from eight cultivars was carried out, to perform a complete characterization of the obtained nuts. Once the one that, under the studied criteria, was considered as that having the best quality (cultivar Kerman), was chosen, a combined study of different treatments of controlled deficit irrigation and rootstocks was carried out to study their influence on the physical, chemical, functional and sensory quality of the pistachios obtained. It was shown that a soft regulated deficit irrigation treatment, applied during the phenological phase II of pistachio cultivation, is capable of causing an improvement in the physical, functional, chemical and sensory quality of the affected fruits, unaltered the antimutagenic and cytotoxic properties that their compounds have against cancer cells. The use of the P. terebinthus rootstock during pistachio cultivation led to fruits of higher quality (morphological, texture, fatty acids, antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content) than those produced using P. atlantica and P. integerrima rootstocks. This fact represents an unquestionable advance for fruticulture, because it allows farmers to obtain products of higher quality and with a clear added value when perceived as sustainable and environmentally friendly products.

El olivo es uno de los cultivos más extendidos en toda España, sobre todo en Andalucía. Este tipo de cultivos ha pasado de secano, tradicional, a un modelo de cultivo de regadío, superintensivo. Este cambio hace que se requiera el uso de agua. Debido al cambio climático, la disminución de las reservas hídricas y la escasez de lluvias, es importante buscar metodologías de riego deficitario controlado. Este método de riego consiste en reducir la cantidad de agua aportada al árbol en momentos puntuales, como el engrosamiento del hueso, pero se necesitan nuevas investigaciones para controlar el momento, la duración y la intensidad de dicha restricción para evitar que la calidad, tanto físico-química como nutricional y organoléptica se vea perjudicada. En este estudio se han realizado 4 metodologías de riego en olivos plantados de forma superintensiva, con el fin de observar su efecto en la composición y características organolépticas de los aceites, demostrando que sí es posible modificar y mejorarlas, a la par que se reduce el consumo de agua. Por lo que se trata de alimentos hidroSOStenibles, respetuosos con el medio ambiente de elevada calidad. Olive tree is one of crops more extended in Spain, especially in Andalucía. This type of crop has changed from drought, traditional cultivation system, to irrigation, superintensive cultivation system. This change make necessary the use of irrigation water. Due to climatic change, decrease in water reserves and shortage of rains, it is important to conduct research of new controlled deficit irrigation methodologies. This type of irrigation system consists in reducing the amount of irrigation water at trees at certain moments, such as stone thicknening, but new researching about moment, duration and intensity of restriction are needed to avoid nutritional, physico-chemical and organoleptic quality. In this study, 4 irrigation system in superintensives olive trees were evaluated to analyze their effects on composition and organoleptic characteristic of olive oils, demonstrating that it is possible to improve olive oil characteristic, and as the same time save water. Because of that hydroSOStainable, environmental friendly and of high quality.

El aceite de aguacate ha generado un creciente interés entre los consumidores debido a sus características nutricionales y tecnológicas. En los últimos años se han publicado diferentes estudios sobre factores pre y postcosecha que afectan a la calidad de la fracción lipídica y otros compuestos bioactivos del aguacate. Sin embargo, no hay estudios previos sobre el efecto del riego deficitario en estos componentes. Por tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la morfología, el perfil y contenido de los ácidos grasos (Persea americana Mill., cv. Hass), así como, la actividad antioxidante y el contenido de fenoles totales, de aguacates cultivados en condiciones de riego deficitario sostenido (RDS) en la costa de Granada (Almuñécar). Para ello, se midieron el tamaño y el peso de los frutos enteros (conservados a temperatura ambiente) a los 10 días tras la cosecha en campo. Mientras que, el contenido graso, la actividad antioxidante, el contenido de fenoles totales y el perfil lipídico se midieron en el mesocarpio liofilizado empleando el método Soxhlet, espectrofotometría y cromatografía de gases acoplada a un detector de llama respectivamente. Los resultados mostraron que el RDS afectó de forma negativa a la morfología de los aguacates (tamaño y peso), mientras que el contenido graso no fue afectado. Además, se observó un aumento en la actividad antioxidante y el contenido de fenoles totales en los frutos cultivados mediante RDS. Con respecto a los ácidos grasos, se observó un incremento en el contenido de ácidos grasos saturados y polinsaturadas (AGS y AGPI) en los 3 niveles de estrés y una disminución del contenido de ácidos grasos monoinsaturados (AGMI) en el tratamiento RDS50. Finalmente, se puede concluir que el RDS ayudó a aumentar compuestos bioactivos de gran interés como los antioxidantes, polifenoles, AGMI y AGPI, pero llevó a una disminución del tamaño y el peso de estos frutos. Aunque, para corroborar estos resultados se deben realizar futuros estudios teniendo en cuenta diferentes temporadas, variedades y estrategias de riego deficitario. Avocado oil has generated increasing interest among consumers due to its nutritional and technological characteristics. In recent years, different studies have been published on pre- and post-harvest factors that affect the quality of the lipid fraction and other bioactive compounds of avocado. However, there are no previous studies on the effect of deficit irrigation on these components. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the morphology, profile and content of fatty acids (Persea americana Mill.,cv. Hass), as well as the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content, of avocados grown under sustained deficit irrigation (RDS) conditions on the coast of Granada (Almuñécar). For this, the size and weight of the whole fruits were measured 10 days after harvest and conservation at room temperature. Whereas, the fat content, the antioxidant activity, the total phenolic content, and the lipid profile were measured in the lyophilized mesocarp using the Soxhlet method, spectrophotometry and gas chromatography coupled to a flame detector, respectively. The results showed that the RDS negatively affected the morphology of avocados (size and weight), while contrary was observed for the fat content. In addition, an increase in antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was observed in the fruits grown under RDS. Regarding fatty acids, an increase in the content of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (AGS and AGMI) was observed in the 3 stress levels of deficit irrigation and a decrease in the content of monounsaturated fatty acids (AGMI) in the RDS50 treatment. Finally, it can be concluded that RDS reached to enhance bioactive compounds of great interest such as antioxidants, polyphenols, AGMI and AGPI, but led to a reduction in the size and weight of these fruits. However, to corroborate these results, further studies are needed considering different seasons, varieties, and deficit irrigation strategies.

Tesis de doctorado en ciencias de los alimentos En la presente investigación se aplicaron dos tratamientos de riego deficitario controlado y se emplearon tres portainjertos durante el cultivo del pistacho, con el fin de estudiar la incidencia que cada uno de ellos tiene sobre la calidad de los frutos obtenidos. El trabajo experimental se dividió en cinco etapas, las cuales se describen en los siguientes cinco capítulos. Capítulo 1. Atributos de calidad de diferentes cultivares de pistacho. Este capítulo consiste en un artículo científico titulado “Functional and sensory properties of pistachio nuts as affected by cultivar”, publicado en la revista Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. En él se refleja la información obtenida tras estudiar las propiedades físico-químicas, funcionales y sensoriales de ocho cultivares de pistacho. Capítulo 2. Concepto de hidrosostenibilidad. Este capítulo está compuesto por un artículo científico titulado “Opinion of Spanish consumers on hydrosustainable pistachios”, publicado en la revista Journal of Food Science. El artículo contiene información sobre el desarrollo del concepto hidroSOStenible o hidroSOS obtenida mediante el empleo de grupos focales, con el fin de obtener información que permita a los productores obtener un producto con una calidad diferenciada. Capítulo 3. Calidad físico química y sensorial de pistachos hidrosostenibles. Este capítulo está formado por dos artículos científicos. El primero de ellos se titula “Influence of regulated deficit irrigation and rootstock on the functional, nutritional and sensory quality of pistachio nuts” y está aceptado para su publicación en la revista Scientia Horticulturae, mientras que el segundo, está titulado “Influence of rootstock and regulated deficit irrigation on pistachio quality” y está enviado para su publicación a la revista Foods. En ambos se estudia el efecto que el empleo de diferentes tratamientos de riego deficitario controlado y portainjertos tiene sobre la calidad físico-química, funcional y sensorial de los pistachos. Esta última, se estudió mediante el empleo de análisis sensorial descriptivo mediante panel entrenado y un estudio afectivo desarrollado en España, México y Polonia. Capítulo 4. Estudio de la calidad funcional de pistachos hidrosostenibles. Este capítulo consiste en un artículo científico titulado “Phenolic and triterpenoid composition and inhibition of α-amylase of pistachio kernels (Pistacia vera l.) as affected by rootstock and irrigation treatment”, publicado en la revista Food Chemistry. En él se estudió la influencia que el riego deficitario controlado y el empleo de diferentes portainjertos tuvo sobre el contenido polifenólico, contenido de triterpenoides, capacidad antioxidante y capacidad de inhibición de alfa-amilasa de los pistachos obtenidos. Capítulo 5. Estudio de las propiedades antimutagénicas y citoprotectivas. Este capítulo, contiene información sobre la incidencia que el riego deficitario controlado y el empleo de diferentes portainjertos tienen sobre las propiedades antimutagénicas y citoprotectivas de los frutos de pistacho. Está formado por una publicación titulada “Effect of rootstock and regulated deficit irrigation on antioxidant, antimutagenic, and cytoprotective properties of pistachios” enviada para su publicación a la revista Molecules. Universidad de Sonora. División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud. Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos. Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias y Tecnología de Alimentos, 2019.

En este trabajo de fin de grado se ha evaluado el efecto de las diferentes localizaciones dentro del terrero Anchurón (Granada) sobre la calidad de las aceitunas (cv Picual). Se ha estudiado si la diferencia de edad entre los árboles o su posicionamiento provoca cambios en el tamaño, peso y color de las aceitunas. Además, se ha estudiado la diferencia de calidad entre dos muestras de aceite pertenecientes a dos años consecutivos: (i) ´´2017`` mezcla de aceite de aceitunas de diferentes agricultores de la zona y (ii) ´´2018`` aceite único del terreno Anchurón. Para ello se han medido los parámetros básicos de calidad: índice de acidez, índice de peróxidos, índices k, perfil de ácidos grasos y análisis sensorial. Con estos análisis, se demuestra que el aceite ´´2018´´ es AOVE, mientras que ´´2017`` es AOV. In this end-of-degree project, it has been gauged the effect of the different locations within the grounds in Anchurón (Granada) concerning the quality of the olives (CV Picual). It has been studied whether the age difference between the trees or their setting causes changes in the size, weight and color of the olives. In addition, the difference in quality between two oil samples belonging to two consecutive years has been studied: (i)''2017`` olive oil mix of different farmers in the area and (ii)''2018`` only the oil from the land Anchurón. For this, the basic parameters of quality have been measured: acidity index, peroxide index, k-index, fatty acid profile and sensory analysis. With these analyses, it is shown that the oil '' 2018 '' is AOVE, while '' 2017 '' is AOV.

En el presente trabajo se evalúa pistacho de la variedad Kerman sobre portainjerto Atlántica procedente de riego convencional y deficitario (HidroSOS) para la obtención de bebidas fermentadas. El estudio aborda tres cuestiones de gran relevancia: 1) evaluar los productos obtenidos en condiciones de riego deficitario, 2) ofrecer aplicaciones potenciales para los productos de calidad no comercial, y 3) ampliar la oferta de productos vegetales de alto valor nutricional destinados a cubrir la creciente demanda de productos aptos para veganos y vegetarianos. Hasta el momento no hay estudios en la literatura científica sobre la fermentación de bebidas a base de pistacho; además, se utilizará pistacho de cultivo nacional. Se ensayaron dos cultivos comerciales diferentes (yogur y mantequilla), con el fin de determinar las características de las bebidas fermentadas obtenidas. Los parámetros evaluados a tiempo 1, 15 y 30 días de almacenamiento en refrigeración fueron: recuentos de poblaciones microbianas, indicadores de la fermentación, perfil de ácidos grasos totales, color y perfil de compuestos volátiles. Se observó, que el pistacho tanto de cultivo convencional como hidroSOStenible, es un excelente sustrato para la supervivencia y el crecimiento de las bacterias lácticas. Los pistachos procedentes tanto de riego convencional como de riego deficitario, que por motivos de forma o tamaño no puedan ser destinados a consumo en fresco tienen en la elaboración de licuados fermentados una posible alternativa de uso The present work evaluates pistachio of the variety Kerman on Atlantic rootstock from conventional irrigation and restricted irrigation (HidroSOS) to obtain fermented beverages. The study addresses three important issues: 1) evaluating products obtained under deficit irrigation conditions, 2) offering potential applications for noncommercial quality products, and 3) expanding the supply of vegetable products of high nutritional value intended to cover the growing demand for products suitable for vegans and vegetarians. To date, there are no studies in the scientific literature on the fermentation of pistachio-based beverages; In addition, national cultivated pistachio will be used. Two different commercial starter cultures (yogurt and butter) will be tested in order to determine the characteristics of the fermented beverages obtained. The parameters evaluated at time 1, 15 and 30 days of refrigerated storage were: counts of microbial populations, fermentation indicators, total fatty acid profile, color and profile of volatile compounds. It was observed that the pistachio, both conventional and hydroSOStainable used for the study, is an excellent substrate for the survival and growth of lactic bacteria. And that pistachios from both conventional irrigation and deficient irrigation, which for reasons of shape or size cannot be destined for fresh consumption, can be successfully used for the obtention of fermented beverages

El Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola es una bebida espirituosa elaborada con semillas o extractos de anís, mediante maceración y/o destilación de hasta un máximo de 15 y un mínimo de 3 plantas, seleccionadas y procedentes de la Sierra de Mariola. El objetivo principal de este Trabajo Fin de Grado fue caracterizar la composición volátil del Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola, realizando un análisis individualizado de los compuestos volátiles presentes en cada una de las hierbas por las que puede estar elaborado. Tras el análisis de las muestras se determinaron un total de 140 compuestos aromáticos, de los cuales 17 resultaron claves a la hora de identificar la presencia de cada una de las plantas con las que se elabora este producto. “Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola” is a spirit drink made of seeds or extracts of anise, by maceration and / or distillation and it can include up to a maximum of 15 and a minimum of 3 plants, selected and growing in the sierra de Mariola. The main objective of this work was to determine the volatile composition of the “Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola”, performing an individualized analysis of the volatile compounds present in each of the herbs contained the liquor. The results showed a total of 140 aromatic compounds, of which 17 were key compounds in identifying the presence of each of the plants included in the liquor.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue la determinación del perfil polifenólico y las propiedades antimicrobianas de los extractos obtenidos a partir de la piel de granada ecológica para evaluar su posible potencial como un ingrediente antimicrobiano para elaborar productos transformados ecológicos. Las propiedades antibacterianas de los diferentes extractos (hexano, etil acetato, acetona y metanol, de polaridad creciente) fueron evaluados frente a: Listeria innocua, Achromobacter denitrificans y Aeromonas faecalis. Todos los extractos mostraron actividad antimicrobiana (excepto extracto de hexano: sin actividad) frente a todas las bacterias estudiadas, aunque el extracto de etil acetato no fue efectivo frente a A. denitrificans. El perfil polifenólico fue determinado por Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Eficacia (HPLC). Cinco compuestos fueron identificados. El principal componente identificado fue la punicalagina en los extractos de acetona y metanol. El ácido elágico fue el principal compuesto encontrado en el extracto de etil acetato. El aumento de polaridad en el solvente de extracción conllevó un aumento de la actividad antimicrobiana de los extractos.

El riego deficitario controlado (RDC) es un sistema de gestión de suministro de agua mediante la imposición de déficit hídrico en estados fenológicos concretos, afectando mínimamente la producción y la calidad de los frutos. En este trabajo se evaluó la influencia de dos tratamientos de RDC (T1: suave y T2: moderado) sobre la calidad de los pistachos, mediante el análisis de diferentes parámetros morfológicos, físico-químicos, funcionales y sensoriales. Los resultados obtenidos han demostrado que mediante la imposición de los tratamientos de RDC estudiados, somos capaces de obtener pistachos de mayor peso, mayor contenido en polifenoles y una mayor intensidad de los descriptores básicos característicos de este producto; sin embargo, también se obtuvo un menor número de pistachos comerciales entre otros factores. Esto supone poder otorgar un valor añadido al producto final, además de conllevar un ahorro de recursos económicos (gastos de agua y energía) y ambientales (ahorro agua) durante su cultivo Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is a system of managing water supply by imposing water deficit in specific phenological stages, affecting minimally the yield and fruit quality. In this work, the influence of two RDI treatments (T1: soft and T2: moderate) was evaluated on the quality of pistachios by analyzing different morphological, physico-chemicals, functional, and sensory parameters. Results have demonstrated that by imposing of the studied RDI treatments, we are able to get pistachios with a higher weight, higher polyphenols content, and higher intensity of the basic characteristic descriptors of this product; however, a lower number of commercial pistachios were obtained, among other factors. This means that an extra value can be added to the final product, and besides it is possible to save economic resources (water and energy costs) and environmental (water saving) during pistachio cultivation

La calidad de las frutas, hortalizas y hierbas aromáticas deshidratadas es un punto clave en la innovación futura de la tecnología de la deshidratación, la cual está estrechamente ligada al desarrollo de nuevas técnicas de deshidratación y optimización del proceso. Este fue el objetivo general de la presente tesis doctoral. El principal objetivo de la presente tesis doctoral fue el de evaluar la aplicación de (i) deshidratación convectiva, (ii) liofilización, (iii) deshidratación con microondas, (iv) deshidratación con microondas a vacío y una (v) combinación de pre-deshidratación convectiva seguida de una deshidratación final con microondas a vacío durante el procesado de (i) romero, (ii) albahaca, (iii) tomillo, (iv) ajo y (v) granada deshidratados. Los parámetros estudiados estuvieron relacionados con la cinética de deshidratación y el consumo energético así como con parámetros de calidad tales como, la composición química, propiedades funcionales y calidad organoléptica.

En los últimos años la EFSA (European Food Safety Autority) ha evaluado la exposición a elementos traza potencialmente tóxicos, llegando a la conclusión que son los niños menores de 3 años los que presentan mayores riesgos de exposición. El arsénico inorgánico se ha relacionado directamente con el arroz, cereal básico en el primer año de vida. En la presente Tesis Doctoral se determinan o establecen los contenidos de dichos contaminantes en alimentos infantiles a base de arroz. El arsénico es el principal contaminante presente en este tipo de productos, con concentraciones máximas entre 150 y 620 μg/kg. En los productos de origen vegetal, las especies arsenicales inorgánicas superaron el 60 %. Se ha establecido una relación entre los contenidos de arsénico y arroz de los productos analizados. La estimación de la exposición por la ingesta de estos productos toma valores cercanos al doble entre los niños que siguen una dieta a base de productos sin gluten y aquellos que siguen una dieta con gluten. In the last year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated the exposition to the metalic trace elements and concludes that babies have high exposition risks. Inorganic arsenic is directly related with rice and basic cereals for babyfood in the first year. The content of this thesis determine the presence of these contaminants in infant rice products. Arsenic is the main contaminant present in this kind of product, with maximal concentration of 150 to 620 μg/kg depending on the nature of the product.In the vegetal product, more than 60% are from inorganic species. We observe an obvious relation between the content of arsenic with the quantity of rice in the analyzed products. In consuming these products, people which get celiac disease have a twice higher exposition of arsenic inorganic.

En años recientes, la granada (Punica granatum L.) ha adquirido una amplia aceptación debido a la creciente evidencia de que su consumo está asociado con propiedades beneficiosas para la salud. Durante la maduración y procesamiento del fruto se producen cambios significativos en las propiedades fisicoquímicas, compuestos fenólicos y actividad antioxidante. Estos cambios están influenciados por el cultivar, región de cultivo, técnicas de cultivo y etapas de maduración del fruto en la cosecha. In recent years, the pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has acquired wide acceptance due to the growing evidence that consumption is associated with beneficial health properties. During fruit ripening and manufacturing there are significant changes in the physicochemical, phenolic compositions and antioxidant activity. These changes are influenced by cultivar, growing region, cultivation techniques and ripening stage of the fruit at harvest.

El riego deficitario controlado (RDC) es un sistema de gestión de suministro de agua mediante la imposición de algunos déficits hídricos en estados fenológicos concretos, afectando mínimamente al fruto. En este trabajo se evaluó la influencia de dos tratamientos de RDC (T1 y T2) sobre la calidad de los pistachos, mediante el análisis de diferentes parámetros: (i) análisis morfológico: peso y tamaño; (ii) análisis físico-químico: actividad de agua, color, textura, compuestos volátiles, ácidos grasos y composición mineral; y (iii) análisis sensorial: estudio descriptivo mediante panel entrenado, y estudio de consumidores en cuatro países (España, Francia, Polonia y República Eslovaca) Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is a system of managing water supply by imposing some water deficits in specific phenological stages, minimally affecting the fruit. In this work, the influence of two RDI treatments (T1 and T2) on the quality of pistachios was evaluated by analyzing different parameters: (i) morphological analysis: weight and size; (ii) physico-chemical analysis: water activity, color, texture, volatile compounds, fatty acids and mineral composition; and (iii) sensory analysis: descriptive study by trained panel and consumer acceptance in four countries (Spain, France, Poland and Slovak Republic)