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Many plants regularly consumed by humans contain substances that in sufficient doses have the potential to induce neurological disease. Susceptibility varies but often includes a poor nutritional state associated with poverty and nutritional dependency on components of single plants for food. Neurological diseases associated with plant toxicity are not uncommonly first attributed to other causes, most often infectious agents. Acute and self-limiting chronic neurological diseases, as well as progressive neurodegenerative disorders, have been linked to plant-derived chemicals consumed in food. This large subject is illustrated here by (a) ackee- and lychee-associated acute hypoglycemic encephalopathy, (b) chronic motorsystem disease caused by dependency on cassava or grasspea, and (c) soursop and cycad-associated neurodegenerative disease.

The object of this study is to investigate the relationship between the air dilution sensory test and the threshold odor number (TON) method for evaluating the odor of domestic wastewater, plating plant wastewater, food plant wastewater and lake water. The dilution factor of raw wastewater evaluated by the air dilution sensory test was in the order of food plant > plating plant > domestic > lake, and that evaluated by the threshold odor number method was in the order of food plant > domestic > plating plant > lake. The same results were obtained when the raw wastewater and lake water were diluted 2 and 5 times with pure water. The relative geometric standard deviation determined from the threshold values of each panel on the air dilution sensory test was much larger than that calculated from results derived from the threshold odor number method. The relative geometric standard deviation obtained from samples with a low dilution factor was greater. There was a very good linear correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.968~1.000) between the air dilution sensory test and the threshold odor number method. But, the reduction in odor intensity (the slopes of regression curves) by dilution was dependent on the types of the odor-emission sources.

Mucuna is a well-known medicinal and food plant widely exploited for its seed pods and leaves in many tropical countries. The drug L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) extracted from seeds of Mucuna plant has been commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, a new species of Mucuna, M. sanjappae Aitawade et Yadav from north-Western Ghats of India, has been analyzed for the presence of L-DOPA and a reasonable level of this drug (7.3 %) was detected. The necessary biochemical characterization of the seeds extract of this plant showed nutritional and anti-nutritional components. Simultaneously, moisture, ash, dietary fiber, calorific value, nitrate and mineral contents of seeds were also determined. This new plant species will be a potential candidate for extraction of L-DOPA and will be a good addition to the existing natural sources of anti-Parkinson’s drug since demand for L-DOPA is continuously escalating.

Evidence of castor plant R. communis, L. is recovered from the Early Holocene archaeological site of Kabbashi Haitah in the Central Sudan and dated to c. 7700 - 7200 bp. This evidence represents the earliest botanical evidence recovered –so far- from the Central Sudan and elsewhere in Eastern Tropical Africa and the World. No evidence is found in the material culture remains which might indicate the likelihood of its being imported. Most of the ancient and traditional utilizations of castor plant are strikingly similar despite their being practised at different times in different and far apart regions in the World. This modest contribution stands to show that the wide spread and utilizations of castor plant strongly accentuate its significant and indispensable role since ancient times. It also reflects that inedible plants, as seen in the case of castor plant, were (and still are) not less important than food plant, hence stresses the need for attending to their study in a fashion equal to that of studying foodplants since prehistoric and early historic times.

The objectives of this research were to identify agriculture subsectors that can be the sector basis for the region development, and give information about priority scale of agriculture subsectors development in Bengkulu region development planning. This research used the secondary data gained from time series data from year 2000-2011. Analysis methods used in this research were sector contribution, location quotient, and shift share analysis. The results of the research showed that fishery subsector gave significant contribution for Bengkulu City PDRB. Fishery subsector became the basis and main priority of the agriculture development in year 2000-2011. This was shown from the biggest contribution value, location quotient value was greater than 1, and positive shift share value. The main priority of agriculture sector development is fishery, livestock, food plant, and estate subsector. Keywords: Basic sector, agricultural sector, regional development.

Farmers from around the world manage, gather and eat wild food plants from anthropogenic ecosystems. Research conducted in Northeast Thailand among rice farmers documents the pattern of this management related to the distribution of edible species. Interviews with 40 farm households yielded a total of 165 transplanting cases involving 32 species. Flows of transplanting material were unidirectional and bidirectional involving different anthropogenic ecosystems. Evidence of farmers' extensive transplanting of species in their gardens and fields indicates that they are ensuring availability and stability of the wild food plant supply for domestic consumption, which is crucial for local food security. We recorded 2,196 household gathering events for domestic consumption for one week a month over 12 months, showing that most species that are transplanted are actually gathered by local farmers. We conclude that conventional dichotomies of wild versus domesticated underlying conventional thinking and re...

The development of population increases every year, causing food needs to expand to meet food needs by increasing food crop productivity so that food availability can be sufficient. Food crops consist of rice, corn, green beans, peanuts, cassava, and sweet potatoes. Productivity in each region has different characteristics, and therefore it is necessary to group the areas so that solution can be implemented by each of the components of the region. The purpose of this study is to group districts/cities in North Sumatera Province based on food crop productivity using the k-means clustering method. Clustering k-means is a method of grouping non-hierarchical data that attempts to partition existing data into one or more clusters or groups so that data that has the same characteristics are grouped into one same characteristic are grouped into other groups. The result of this study is the formation of 3 city district clusters, namely, cluster 1 amounting to 1 regency/city, cluster 2 totaling seven districts/cities, and cluster 3 totaling 25 districts/cities.

Bean is a valuable food plant. According to the sown area in the world, bean takes the second place after the soybeans among the cereals (about 24 million hectares). In Russia the area for it is about 53 thousand hectares. The average yield of the varieties of garden bean seeds in the South Transurals on the average for 3 years of study formed at a good level and amounted to the following varieties: Rubin – 2.31, Snezhana (Krasnodar) – 2.54, Oran – 2.12 t/ha. Vegetable bean varieties formed a good crop for the climatic zone, respectively: Moscow White (standard) – 2.75, Sobrat (Krasnodar) – 1.53, Amalthea (Krasnodar) – 1.79 t/ha; Novosibirsk vegetable bean varieties: Darina – 1.53, Solnyshko – 1.47, Viola – 1.40, Yantarnaya – 1.47 t/ha. It is established that there are varietal differences, i.e. the reaction of varieties on the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the seeds.

L’objectif de cette etude a ete d’etablir des bases scientifiques de l’activite antibacterienne des fruits de Solanum torvum (Solanaceae), une plante alimentaire utilisee en medecine traditionnelle contre les infections bacteriennes. Les extraits issus de cette plante ont ete testes sur la croissance in vitro des souches resistantes de E. coli, de K. pneumoniae, de E. aerogenes et de C. koseri , et des souches sensibles de Morganella morganii en milieu liquide et solide de Mueller-Hinton. Les resultats ont revele que ces extraits ont une activite antibacterienne dose-dependante sur les souches bacteriennes etudiees. Cependant, l’action de l’extrait Sf100Et a donne les meilleures valeurs de parametres antibacteriens sur les souches bacteriennes utilisees. Ainsi, cet extrait peut etre une ressource indeniable pour la mise au point de phytomedicaments contre les gastroenterites. Mots cles: Activite antibacterienne, extraits, Solanum torvum, in vitro. English Title : Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of fruit extracts of Solanum torvum Swartz (Solanaceae) on the in vitro growth of seven (07) enterobacteria strains of different profiles (resistant or susceptible) The objective of this study was to establish a scientific basis for the antibacterial activity of the fruits of Solanum torvum (Solanaceae), a food plant used in traditional medicine against bacterial infections. Extracts from this plant were tested on the in vitro growth of resistant strains of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. aerogenes and C. koseri , and susceptible strains of Morganella morganii in Mueller-Hinton broth and Mueller-Hinton naehrboden agar. The results revealed that these extracts have a dose-dependent antibacterial activity on the bacterial strains studied. However, the action of the Sf100Et extract gave the best values of antibacterial parameters on the bacterial strains used. Thus, this extract can be an undeniable resource for the development of phytomedicines against gastroenteritis. Keywords : Antibacterial activity, extracts, Solanum torvum, in vitro.

Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) is listed as an endangered mammal in IUCN Red List. It is also listed in CITES Appendix I and in the Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In the present work the status and distribution of Western hoolock gibbons in Cachar district of Assam, India was explored by conducting field studies from September 2012 to August 2013 using line transect and call count methods. Group composition, group size and adult sex ratio of nine gibbon groups and one solitary male were recorded. Groups comprised 36 % adult males, 32 % adult females, 10 % sub-adult males, 11 % juveniles and 11 % infants and the encounter rate was 0.17. Group size ranged from 2 to 5 and mean group size was 2.8 ± 1.1. Nutritional status of food plants consumed by Western hoolock gibbons were analyzed and chemical composition was determined. Proximate analysis revealed that the mean value of crude protein (9.73 ± 0.4), crude fibre (16.1 ± 0.6), ether extract (1.07 ± 0.06), NFE (66.24 ± 0.43) and ash (7.03 ± 0.27) in plant samples. A moderate positive correlation was noted between higher protein content and higher crude fibre content in food plants (r = 0.48), which is likely to influence food selection and feeding pattern. Timber felling, fuel-wood collection, agriculture and expansion of tea estates were identified as major threats to conservation of Western hoolock gibbons. The present study recommends taking up awareness programmes and formulation of policy interventions involving the local communities to arrive at a participatory biodiversity conservation plan at local levels particularly involving the village councils (gram panchayats).

This is the first report of a very rare weevil Altonomus vernalis (Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1957) 60 years after its description. It is a new record for the Turkish fauna and Cirsium arvense (L.) is a first plant association record. Comparative sexually dimorphic characters, measurements, and digital photographs are presented for the first time.

Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell., also known as the Kakadu plum, is an important food plant endemic to northern Australia. The fruit has substantial commercial demand as it contains sought-after antioxidants and the greatest concentration of ascorbic acid of any fruit known worldwide. Better knowledge of its reproductive biology is required to increase fruit production from wild stands and sustain commercial demand. Experiments demonstrate that T. ferdinandiana is andromonoecious and self-incompatible, relying on cross-pollination for successful fruit production. Wild stocks of this species are pollen limited, likely caused by pollinator satiation in dense, synchronously flowering stands. These findings indicate that enhanced fruit production requires supplementation of suitable pollinators in wild stands.

To date, only the three syntipic specimens of the Iberian endemism Strophosoma (Neliocarus) burdigalense (Escalera, 1928), were known, from Burgos (without more data). The species has been found again in the neighbouring province of Soria (Castilla and Leon), permitting the finding that its biological cycle is completed in Helianthemum hirtum (Cistaceae). The differential characters of the species are commented and biometrical data, images of the adult, aedeagus, its habitat and food plant are provided.

The folklore of 43 species of ‘medicinal plants’ belonging to 27 families was recorded form Leepa Valley, Muzaffarabad. Out of 43 medicinal plants, 4 gymnosperms, 38 angiosperms and 01 fern species were used against different diseases. The major problems cured by ‘medicinal plants’ were digestive problems (24 spp), dermal system problems (13 sp), hepatic problems (11 spp) and respiratory problems (7 spp). Further, 4 species were used as spices and vegetables and six species recorded have biological activities; whereas joint problems and cardiac problems were treated by 3 species each. Most of the medicinal plants were uprooted by the inhabitants for selling or for local use. The results also indicated that among the recorded species, 44% were used as ‘medicinal food plant’, 23% as ‘medicinal gathered food plant’ and ‘orally administrated medicinal plant’ were 32.56%. The utility of these plants for different purposes posses a great threat to the plant resourses in the area. Huge quantities of MPs were lost every year owing to lack of proper collection, over exploitation and deforestation. Key words: Medicinal plants, folk uses, over exploitation, local residents, cure.

Parasitoid foraging decisions are often affected by community characteristics such as community diversity and complexity. As part of a complex habitat, the presence of unsuitable hosts may affect foraging behaviour of parasitoids. First, unsuitable herbivores may affect the localization of patches where hosts are present. Second, encounters with unsuitable herbivores in the food plant patch may affect parasitoid decisions during their searching behaviour in the patch. In this review, we outline the importance of the presence of unsuitable herbivores on the behavioural responses of parasitoids during both these foraging phases. Nonhosts feeding on a neighbouring plant or on the same plant individual the host is feeding from may affect odour-based searching by parasitoids in a way specific for the species combination studied. Feeding by specific host and nonhost-herbivore combinations may induce volatiles that are more, less or equally attractive compared to those from plants infested by the host only. Within the food patch, mixed presence of host and nonhost may reduce the number of hosts parasitized per time unit and reduce parasitoid foraging efficiency. Importantly, we show that a single nonhost species may have contrasting effects in terms of its effects on odour-based searching and patch residence decisions. We conclude that studying host searching behaviour at both phases of foraging is essential for our understanding of parasitoid foraging behaviour in natural and agricultural settings. We further speculate on the ecological context in which unsuitable herbivores affect either of the two phases of parasitoid foraging.

This study examines the influence of an extra-curricular educational program on children's knowledge and cultural valuation of wild food plants, which are an important component of their diets. This program aims to reinforce children's traditional knowledge and values around biological resources in Wayanad, India's Western Ghats, encouraging tribal and non-tribal children to learn from each other and from their own communities. Results show that the educational program has enhanced children's ability to identify selected wild food plants. Moreover, strong social stigma related to wild food plant gathering also appears to have been effectively countered, and the program seems to have created more self-confidence among the children about (a) the perceptions of others' social attitudes towards their gathering practices, and (b) the importance of these plants as part of their diets and cultures.

As the exertion development (PUAP) develop in Rejang Lebong Regency in Bengkulu province which had been started since 2008 by giving a kind of fund aid called Bantuan Langsung Masyarakat (BLM PUAP), to Gapoktan (Gabungan Kelompok Tani) or an organization of farmers such by giving some money as the capital used for 1) food plant cultiva-tion, horticulture, animal husbandry, plantation, and2) non-cultivation exertion such as; home industry of agriculture, small marketing scale and another agriculture exertion. By the approach which had been done is hoped to get the important result, on the other way the role of analysis factor (Social Network Analysis) from all undertaking stakeholders programs PUAP to be relevance steps aimed to understand the relation or connectivity from all factors in the network and also the role of factor inside the network itself be the relevance steps in arranging the strategy and work intention from the realization stage of PUAP program for the continuity of the realization program in the future (finding the good strategy) which aimed to develop the program of PUAP in Rejang Lebong Regency in Bengkulu Province, and to be a reference from doing the program as a national program in Indonesia.

Aqueous methanol extract of seeds and tuber of food and medicinal plant Nymphaea nouchali (Burm.f.) displayed potent pancreatic lipase and intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory properties. These properties may help reduce development of diet induced postprandial hyperlipidaemia and postprandial hyperglycaemia respectively. In addition, seeds and tuber extracts possess potent free radicals scavenging activities and reducing power. Furthermore, extracts also displayed strong inhibitory activities against formation of various advanced glycation end-products which is an important link inducing postprandial oxidative stress due to postprandial hyperlipidaemia and postprandial hyperglycaemia. Seeds and tubers of N. nouchali are rich sources of polyphenolic and flavonoids. Results of this study show for the first time that N. nouchali seeds and tuber may become an important dietary supplement to counter development of diet induced hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia and resultant oxidative stress and can be utilized as herbal therapeutics for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.

This document shows a complete analysis the transportation of sugar particles by a pneumatic conveying station. This project shows an actual situation presenting in a food plant located in Aragua, Venezuela, where the sugar piping system suffers continuous obstructions. It was achieved an effective analysis of the phenomenon of solid-gas two-phase flow transport which involves a complex physics phenomenon. Two possible obstruction causes was studied: the high temperature at the blower exit that induces changes in the sugar properties caused by the working condition far from the designed operation condition, or the excessive friction losses, due to the system is working out of the dilute phase condition (optimal condition for the flow). The mathematical model described allowed to determine that the cause of the obstruction of the pipeline was the stick of the sugar to the internal wall, as consequence of this high temperature at the outlet of the blower.

In the field of food and nutrition, complex natural products (NPs) are typically obtained from cells/tissues of diverse organisms such as plants, mushrooms, and animals. Among them, edible fruits, grains, and vegetables represent most of the human diet. Because of an important dietary dependence, the comprehensive metabolomic analysis of dietary NPs, performed holistically via the assessment of as many metabolites as possible, constitutes a fundamental building block for understanding the human diet. Both mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are important complementary analytic techniques, covering a wide range of metabolites at different concentrations. Particularly, 1-dimensional 1H-NMR offers an unbiased overview of all metabolites present in a sample without prior knowledge of its composition, thereby leading to an untargeted analysis. In the past decade, NMR-based metabolomics in plant and food analyses has evolved considerably. The scope of the present review, covering literature of the past 5 y, is to address the relevance of 1H-NMR–based metabolomics in food plant studies, including a comparison with MS-based techniques. Major applications of NMR-based metabolomics for the quality control of dietary NPs and assessment of their nutritional values are presented.

The Results of organic, mineral and organo-mineral systems of fertilization on the growth and development of plants and the formation of a beet root.were. Features of a food plant the beet in different soil-climatic conditions ofUkraineare investigated insufficiently. The issues of increasing yields, quality and storability of root crops beet during using the new types of organic and mineral fertilizers are stillimportant. That is why in the conditions of left-Bank Forest-steppe ofUkrainewe studied the effects of organic fertilizer Agrovit-Kor and mineral fertilizers and their combined use on the growth, development and formation of root crops of beet. The obtained results showed that the height of plants beet was clearly influenced by the organic fertilizer Agrovit-Kor and mineral fertilizers and their jointapplication.Before harvesting (phase of technical ripeness) on a variant without fertilizer (control) average height of plants of the beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv was39.9 cm, and sorts of the Vital was few less -32.5 cm. In fertilized variants height of plants was increased by 1,1-5,0 cmfor the variety Bordeaux Kharkiv and 0,1-2,1 cmfor the variety Vital. The highest height of plants was observed in the variant with application Agrovet-Kor (2 t/ha) both separately and together with mineral fertilizers (NPК) and was in beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv 44,3, and 45,643,3 cm., and in variety Vital to 36,8, 36,2 per cent and36.5 cm, accordingly.Fertilizers to a certain extent, affected the length, diameter and weight of the root - product of the body of the beet. The average diameter of the root of the beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv has varied from7.6 cmto9.0 cm, and weight - from 184 to237 g. The Roots of the beet varieties differed from the Vital beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkov in size and weight. The average diameter of roots ranged from7,3 cmto8,1 cm, and its weight from 289 to393 g. The most significant influence on the root mass, and accordingly on the productivity of beet provided the introduction Agrovet-Kor 1,0 t/ha in conjunction with mineral fertilizers (N 30 P 30 К 60 ). The gain of mass of root crops beetroot varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv amounted to 53 g (28,8 %) over the control without fertilizer and 25 g (11,8 %) to the variant with application of mineral fertilizers in the dose of N 30 P 30 К 60 , which is taken as the standard. In the experiment with the beet root of the sort Vital in this embodiment were also gotten roots with the greatest weight 393 g, exceeding the control (without fertilizer) and a variant with N 30 P 30 К 60 (reference) Root top-dressing of ammonium nitrate (N 15 ) in the background N 30 Р 30 К 60 and unroot additional fertilizing in a phase of formation of roots water-soluble fertilizer "Novofert" (3 kg/ha) on the background make N 30 Р 30 К 60 and N 15 have failed to increase the mass of roots of the beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv. Whereas in the experiment with the beet varieties of Vital foliar feeding of plants by fertilizer "Novofert" on the background making N 30 Р 30 К 60 and N 15 , there was a trend to increased size and weight of the root crop to 354 g compared to option N 30 Р 30 К 60 (reference). The shape index of root crops beet in both varieties remained stable with slight variation in the backgrounds of nutrition for Bordeaux varieties Kharkiv (0,86-0,92) spherical shapes and varieties Vital (1,85-2,01) cylindrical (elongated) shape. Introduction of Agrovet-Kor (1t/ha) with mineral fertilizers (NP 15-30 К 30-60 ) contributed to the formation of a more optimal ratio of the mass of the roots to the vegetative mass of both varieties of beet (for varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv 2,02-2,08 and varieties of Vital 3,17-of 3,25). Conclusions . The most significant influence on the growth of plants and on the mass of roots provided the introduction of Agrovet-Kor 1,0 t/ha with mineral fertilizers in the dose of N 15 P 15 К 30 , increasing roots’ mass of plants of the beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkov39 g, and varieties Soared to64.In these embodiments, the weight ratio of the roots to the vegetative mass of the plants before harvesting the beet varieties of Bordeaux Kharkiv amounted to 2,02-2,08, and sorts of the Vital-3,17-of 3.25.

4th IIR Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain, Auckland, NZL, 07-/04/2016 - 09/04/2016; International audience; To reduce the proliferation of bacteria inside a food plant, cleaning and disinfection are performed every day. These operations are followed by drying which has to be as quick as possible. This study shows the influence of a dehumidifier on the water mass evolutions on the surfaces such as floor, wall and equipment during the drying of a food plant. The temperature, relative humidity and water mass evolution during drying period were monitored in a food plant running under two conditions: with and without dehumidifier. The results comparison shows that drying rate is about 1.5 times higher with dehumidifier.

Even if the discovery of melatonin in plants dates back to 1995 (1, 2), in the past decade, the topic of melatonin in plant foods has been largely investigated (3–5). Certainly, the detection of melatonin in grapevine (6), an important food plant, promoted the studies in this new and exciting research field. Noteworthy, it was also suggested that dietary melatonin may be regarded as a bioactive phytochemical, similar to polyphenols, as well as a component of the traditional Mediterranean diet (7–9).

Food insecurity is a major issue in current scenario where a large section of mankind is at risk of insufficient diet. As food productivity has its limits, the prospecting of unutilized or underutilized flora as food candidates is collectively recognized as a sustainable option. In the past decade, a number of obscure plants have been identified to be rich in dietary components and deemed fit for integration into the food platter. This review discusses a candidate Salicornia, belonging to family Amaranthaceae. This halophyte has a broad geographical distribution, and phytochemical profiling has indicated its food relevance. An array of functional nutrients as fibers, polyphenols, and flavonoids have been detected in Salicornia. Though high salt, oxalate and saponin content in the plants are anti-nutrients, they can be removed to justify usage of Salicornia as a 'sea vegetable'. Apart from culinary relevance, medicinal attributes like immunomodulatory, lipid-lowering, antiproliferative, osteoprotective, and hypoglycemic render this lesser-known marsh plant significant for phytochemical studies. This appraisal is expected to be useful towards further research and popularization of this extremophile halophyte.

Usually ethnobotanical studies define the domain of wild edible plants through the etic perspective, in order to be understandable to other researchers within the discipline. Most often such definition underlines the principles of inclusion of plants into some specific study. Ethnobotanists look at wild through the level of the domestication of the plants, situating them just on one side of the continuum of plant–human relationship. For example, Logan and Dixon (1994) define wild plant through the habitat without secondary disturbance. Dufour and Wilson (1994) and Molina et al. (2014) indicate that wild plant is neither managed nor cultivated. Turner et al. (2011) consider wild edibles in their review on the literature of internationally used wild food plants only plants gathered without “particular manipulation”. However, they admit some extent of manipulation for all wild resources.

Mexico that stands out as a megadiverse country is the fifth nation in terms of species richness. The country is home to 25,000–30,000 species of plants and currently 7461 useful plants are registered, of which 2168 are edible according to ethnobotanical data base of Mexican useful plants (BADEPLAM). In this chapter, edible plants are divided into six subcategories and describe some of the edible species recorded across different ethnobotanical research conducted in different regions of Mexico. We conclude that although the food habits in the country have undergone drastic changes in recent decades, and not always for the better, numerous food plant resources in Mexico continue to be widely utilized mainly by rural populations.

The aim of this study was to document the use of wild foods in two locations in the coastal part of Croatia – on the island of Krk and in the Poljica area, near Split. We chose these places as they have historical data on plant use (1900 and 1903 respectively). We carried out 67 interviews in Poljica and 55 interviews in Krk to estimate the current use and knowledge of wild foods. Altogether, 80 species of wild food and herbal tea species of plants were recorded in Poljica and 76 in Krk. On average, 13.2 species were listed by per interview in Poljica, including 7.1 species of wild vegetables, and in Krk 14.6 species, including 7.9 species of wild vegetables. Out of the list of plant names recorded in the past, in Krk, we identified 82% of the taxa and in Poljica 86%.

Food factories must be conceived in such a manner that the correct environmental conditions are created to produce safe food products of high quality on a consistent basis and in a profitable way. With time, renovation of a food plant may be required because the infrastructure no longer satisfies legislative requirements and the current and future needs of the food manufacturer. However, at a certain point, renovation may no longer make sense. The existing facility may have reached its end due to aging, has itself become a hygiene problem e.g., cross-contamination due to crossing of flows and poor hygienic design, or has lost economic viability due to a tangle of inefficiencies, such as disjointed and circuitous material and personnel circulation patterns, giving rise to bottlenecks, and increased handling and staging of material. Moreover, renovation of a facility could become more costly than building a new factory. Prior to designing, engineering, and construction of a new factory, the food manufacturer must develop a vision to address the social, economic, technological, and environmental evolutions and developments in the years ahead. This may include limits on available resources, the increasing hazards of pollution, the dangers of climate change, and the threats of intentional contamination. A renovated or newly built food factory must be able to cope with the hygiene requirements arising from the risk assessment, including up to the rigorous standards for infant foods. This chapter describes key hygiene aspects and provides recommendations for renovation of an existing factory, as well as design and construction of a new factory, whether it is bulk commodities or fast moving consumer goods.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a food plant introduced in Africa from America by the Portuguese in 1558. The objective of this study is to establish cassava origins, production, and utilization in Burkina Faso. The investigation was carried out in the regions of Center West, Cascades, Boucle du Mouhoun, Hauts Bassins, South West, and Center East of Burkina Faso. Eighteen cassava processing units and 226 farmers in 57 communities from the selected regions have been involved in the survey. The investigation showed that cassava was introduced to Burkina Faso, former Upper Volta from the costal countries, Gold Coast (now Ghana), by both local traders and the Roman Catholic White missionaries. This happened between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The main variety introduced was Banfti. Some improved varieties like V5 (94/0270), Banké (V2), 68.61, 30572, KTMA developed by research are now available and used by farmers along with the traditional varieties like manchien, santidougou, tchinda yaar, léo. The cases of intoxication evoked by some farmers are evidence that some of those varieties may have a high level of cyanohydric acid content. Cassava is available all the year throughout the country. But the top of cassava production is reached in July. Most of the small‐scale farmers (98%) grow cassava both for household use and as income generator. About 83.92% of cassava farmers have less than 10 tons as annual production and only 1.72% of them can produce more than 100 tons. The main food products based on cassava found in communities are raw roots, boiled roots, roasted roots, tô, attiéké, tapioca, ragout, beignets, boiled leaves, soup (with leaves), cassava juice, etc. And the main cassava‐processed products in the processing units are attiéké, gari, tapioca, and flour. Cassava contributes greatly to household food security during food shortage period. It sustains families for weeks as food and is also exchanged with other foods or sold to buy food or meet household needs.

In this chapter we analyze the trends of wild food plant consumption in Europe in the last two centuries, focusing on emergency foods in time of crisis, food traditions and neglected wild plants in rural countryside as well as the contemporary emerging foraging trends.

Conventional agriculture is often characterized by heavy use of synthetic pesticides which usually become pollutants, thereby damaging the health of humans and ecosystems. Although pesticides are used to kill a particular target pest, many of them also harm nontargeted species. Essential oil-based pesticides have been used as contact toxicants, fumigants, attractants, or repellents. Because they are relatively nontoxic to vertebrates, they meet the criteria for “reduced risk” pesticides and are a part of sustainable agriculture. To overcome the instability of essential oils and to at least partially mimic the chemical compartmentalization in plants, microencapsulation techniques have been used. Microencapsulation protects sensitive materials that can suffer from degradation and enables its perseverance and controlled and gradual release.

An experiment was carried out to boost the production of tasar crops through application of secondary nutrients. Different combinations of secondary nutrients were prepared and its effect was studied on the yield and quality of leaves of tasar food plant Terminalia tomentosa W & A with 2.4 m × 2.4 m spacing and cocoon characters of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta Drury reared on them. Among different combinations of secondary nutrients, foliar application of magnesium sulphate (2%, w/v) and basal application of 3 quintal / ha of calcium carbonate (secondary nutrient combination SM5) was found to be the best in crop improvement. It improves the quantity and quality of leaves as well as the commercial characters of cocoons. As a result, silk production improves. Under this combination, leaf yield increased by 26.55% in comparison to control. Average increase in moisture, total mineral, crude protein and total carbohydrate was 3.26%, 20.84%, 15.39% and 17.85% respectively as compared with control. Further, bio assay studies revealed thataverage larval weight, E.R.R., cocoon weight, shell weight and silk ratio percent increased by 11.25%, 25.71%, 20.05%, 35.14% and 12.17% respectively over control which indicates that secondary nutrient combination SM5 has significant role in improving the production of tasar crops.

Aconitum spp. are highly toxic due to the presence of aconitine-type alkaloids. Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux is one of the most important and most studied Chinese medicines. However the scientific literature contains only anecdotal references to the use of A. carmichaelii as a food plant. The aim of the study was to document the traditional alimentary use of the species. Fifty people from three adjacent villages on Mount Taibai of the Qinling range (Shaanxi) were interviewed about the local use of the Aconitum. Most of them eat it on a regular basis every winter. The plant is widely cultivated in the area for food and nearly every family grows it. The tubers are cooked a few times during winter. Usually around 5 kg are prepared at one time and boiled, adding water four times, each time for at least 2 h, over a high flame. People usually eat one bowl a day (ca. 200 g). Respondents claim they eat them for two reasons: they heat the body in winter (they are “hot by nature”) and they are nourishing like other staples.

The efficacy of pulsed light to improve the safety of carpaccio has been investigated. Beef and tuna slices were superficially inoculated with approximately 3 log cfu/cm2 of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Fluences of 0.7, 2.1, 4.2, 8.4 and 11.9 J/cm2 were assayed. Colour, sensory and shelf-life studies were carried out. Treatments at 8.4 and 11.9 J/cm2 inactivated the selected pathogens approximately by 1 log cfu/cm2, although they modified the colour parameters and had a negative effect on the sensory quality of the product. The raw attributes were not affected by fluences of 2.1 and 4.2 J/cm2 immediately after the treatment, although changes were observed during storage. The inactivation obtained with these fluences was lower than 1 log cfu/cm2, which may not be negligible in case of cross‐contamination at a food plant or at a food service facility. Pulsed light showed a greater impact on the sensory quality of tuna carpaccio compared to beef. None of the fluences assayed extended the shelf-life of either product.

The objective of this study was to propose a method that the residues of avermectins (Abamectin, Emamectin Benzoate, Ivermectin, Eprinomectin and Doramectin) derived from the food plant were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The avermectins were extracted with acetonitrile, purified by Alumina B or GCB/NH2 SPE cartridge, and then determined by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Tests for recovery (Recovery rate: 80.6%～99.8%, RSD's: 0.22%～6.4%) were made by addition of avermectin standards at three different concentration levels (4, 20 and 100μg/kg) to five kinds of food plant as matrixes. The sensitivity, accuracy and precision of this method were able to meet the requirements for pesticide residue analysis.

Roots are important to plants for a wide variety of processes, including nutrient and water uptake, anchoring and mechanical support, storage functions, and as the major interface between the plant and various biotic and abiotic factors in the soil environment. Understanding the development and architecture of roots holds potential for the exploitation and manipulation of root characteristics to both increase food plant yield and optimize agricultural land use. This theme issue highlights the importance of investigating specific aspects of root architecture in both the model plantArabidopsis thalianaand (cereal) crops, presents novel insights into elements that are currently hardly addressed and provides new tools and technologies to study various aspects of root system architecture. This introduction gives a broad overview of the importance of the root system and provides a snapshot of the molecular control mechanisms associated with root branching and responses to the environment inA. thalianaand cereal crops.

Prediction on the output of grating and slicing of starchy vegetables are important prior to design or develop the particular food plant. The production rate of grating and slicing products could be affected by the properties of starchy vegetables. In this study, two selected properties which hardness and moisture content are studied. Hardness of selected starchy vegetables was measured using a destructive testing method of texture analyzer. A testing machine of the texture analyzer applied a specific blade to shear the vegetables and automatically generate data. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between starchy vegetables hardness and moisture content which influenced the production rate in grating and slicing products. The selected starchy vegetables used for this study were white potato, sweet potato, tapioca and yam. The maximum hardness was computed and analyzed using the texture analyzer. It was found that the maximum hardness of white potato, yam, sweet potato and tapioca were 6.67, 12.01, 16.98 and 20.08 kg respectively. It was determined that white potato had the highest moisture content among the vegetables, which was 78.14%. In conclusion, the lower value of hardness and higher value of moisture content are significantly correlated to higher production rate of grating and slicing products. Results presented may help the food industry to initially predict the production rate of agricultural products such as food chips and finger products.

Palaeoecological investigations of mires suggest that agriculture was established north of the Arctic Circle in Norway during the late Bronze Age (1100–500 b.c.) and Pre-Roman Iron Age (500–1 b.c.). The lack of archaeobotanical and archaeological investigations has made it difficult to assess the nature of this early agricultural expansion into the Arctic in any detail. Here we present the first well documented archaeobotanical investigation from north Norway that covers this agricultural pioneer phase. Remains of charred seeds show that barley (Hordeum) was already being cultivated in the late Bronze Age, and that wheat (Triticum) was introduced in the Pre-Roman Iron Age. Large amounts of crowberry (Empetrum) seeds are also typical of the Pre-Roman Iron Age and were obviously an important food plant at the time, at least locally. Charcoal rich layers dated to the late Bronze Age suggest that the local birch forest was initially cleared away with the help of fire, possibly related to a slash-and-burn cultivation practice. Lithostratigraphic and pollen-analytical results indicate that the cultivation practice of the Pre-Roman Iron Age was a form of bush-fallow system with intensive soil re-working alternated with long periods of fallow.

This paper reviews the use of wild edible plants in the Faroe Islands and Iceland from the times of the first settlement of Norse people in the Viking age until today, with a special emphasis on the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Animal products have been an important source of nutrients for the islanders of northern Atlantic. Cultivation of cereals on the other hand has played a minor role, and had already been abandoned by late medieval times in Iceland and by the early 20th century on the Faroes. Crops such as potatoes, turnips and other roots were only grown in the small patches of cultivated soil. Wild plants have therefore been of some importance for the Faroese people and the Icelanders; in the last centuries especially for the rural poor and during times of recessions. The native Angelica archangelica L. was gathered in the wild and also cultivated in gardens for centuries. A few species have been part of the regular food staple. Some plants are still gathered and made into food products by small companies, especially in Iceland. In the Faroes, the economic aspect of edible wild plant taxa is mostly of historical interest, although a few products of A. archangelica are sometimes available. Two taxa have been exploited as regular food exclusively in Iceland: Cetraria islandica (L.) Arch. and Elymus arenarius L. Icelanders have used C. islandica from the early settlement days and continue to do so today, E. arenarius became obsolete as a food plant a century ago.

Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81.4 (2012):359-370. Reproduced with permission from Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae, The aim of this review is to present an overview of changes in the contemporary use of wild food plants in Europe, mainly using the examples of our home countries: Poland, Italy, Spain, Estonia and Sweden. We set the scene referring to the nutrition of 19th century peasants, involving many famine and emergency foods. Later we discuss such issues as children's wild snacks, the association between the decline of plant knowledge and the disappearance of plant use, the effects of over-exploitation, the decrease of the availability of plants due to ecosystem changes, land access rights for foragers and intoxication dangers. We also describe the 20th and 21st century vogues in wild plant use, particularly their shift into the domain of haute-cuisine.

Gnetum africanum is a forest liana that grows abundantly in Central Africa, South America, and tropical and subtropical Asia. Its leaves are eaten as a vegetable, either raw or finely chopped and cooked; they are also widely used as an ingredient in soups and stews and are much in demand for their nutritional and therapeutic properties. In the latter application, various fractions of G. africanum are used medicinally to treat many different illnesses. Many studies have also shown that the chemical composition of the leaves of this plant gives it significant nutritional properties, and its high fiber, protein, and calorie content support these claims. Several molecular compounds related to the families of stilbenes, glycosylflavones, and flavonostilbenes have been isolated and identified in the leaf extract of this plant. These molecules give the plant its interesting properties and biological activities.

We examine the role that habitus, an individual’s or group’s dispositions, has played in the retention of traditional ecological knowledge among the Noongar people of south-western Australia. We sought to determine if current plant knowledge reflects Noongar habitus or, alternatively, the use of fall-back species that were important due to the intermittency of agricultural employment and the social exclusion of Aboriginal people up until at least the 1960s in Western Australia. We compared the seasonal availability of Noongar food plant resources currently known by Noongar Elders to those described at the time of European settlement. We used non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (nMDS) and multivariate statistics to compare the seasonal availability of plant resources with the seasonal availability of work prior to the introduction of civil rights for Aboriginal Australians in the 1960s. We show that the seasonal pattern of plant knowledge has changed little since settlement and that there was no significant relationship between the seasonal availability of work and plant knowledge. This result suggests that prior to 1960 Noongars maintained a reasonably traditional round of seasonal activities involving traditional plant use. We suggest that Noongar habitus guided their response to the colonising culture and helped preserve traditional ecological knowledge.

El objetivo principal fue encontrar la mejor combinación de sustrato y temperatura de fermentación para lograr un producto dentro de norma INEN con base al contenido alcohólico (5 – 23 oGL). El estudio se realizó en la Planta Piloto de Alimentos y Laboratorio de Biotecnología Alimentaria de la Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial. Se estudió el proceso de elaboración de vino de mora de Castilla a partir de mosto acondicionado con tres niveles de concentración de sustrato fermentable (15, 20 y 25 grados Brix) a temperatura variable (15, 20 y 25 grados centígrados) en un Bioreactor semi automático de 60 litros de capacidad. Se utilizó levadura (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) previamente adaptada en cada mosto a estudiar a 20 oC durante 1 hora. Se aplicó un diseño factorial 3 2 para determinar la cinética de fermentación por cada tratamiento. Para los tres niveles de temperatura, la tasa máxima de agotamiento de sustrato se alcanzó alrededor del décimo día con mostos de 15 o Brix inicial. Finalmente se aplicó un análisis sensorial (sobre vino clarificado por una semana a 7 oC en cámara fría) con una prueba de aceptación simple por cada tratamiento y el mayor puntaje lo obtuvo la combinación 20 oC – 20 o Bx. Bajas temperaturas lograron vinos con mayor perfil organoléptico en tiempos más prolongados. Altas temperaturas logran vinos con menor perfil organoléptico en cortos tiempos.

Understanding the metapopulation structure and movement of a species are required for conserving the species. In this paper, migration patterns and connectivity of patches of a threatened butterfly, Parnassius bremeri Bremer, were postulated using the mark-release-recapture (MRR) technique in a habitat located in the mid-southern region of the Korean peninsula. A total of 194 individuals were captured (137 males and 57 females) and, of them, 93 individuals (73 males and 20 females) were recaptured during the MRR experiment. The migration analysis showed 23-150% immigration and 28-53% emigration. There were high correlations between the migrating individuals and the distance between patches, but there was no correlation between migrating individuals and patch size or between migrating individuals and the number of host plants. Consequently, the migration of butterflies occurred frequently between closer patches, while patch size and quantity of the food plant had minor effects on migration behavior. Additionally, males migrated more frequently than females. Analysis of the migration patterns of P. bremeri showed that the central patch played an important role on linking patch groups and more frequent migrations were monitored between nearby patches than between the remote patches. This study suggested that active migrations take place between the neighboring multiple patches and these are accelerated if there is a stepping-stone patch between them.