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In sweet potato and potato, sensory traits are critical for acceptance by consumers, growers, and traders, hence underpinning the success or failure of a new cultivar. A quick analytical method for the sensory traits could expedite the selection process in breeding programs. In this paper, the relationship between sensory panel and instrumental color plus texture features was evaluated. Results have shown a high correlation between the sensory panel and instrumental color in both sweet potato (up to r = 0.84) and potato (r > 0.78), implying that imaging is a potential alternative to the sensory panel for color scoring. High correlations between sensory panel aroma and flavor with instrumental color were detected (up to r = 0.66), although the validity of these correlations needs to be tested. With instrumental color and texture parameters as predictors, low to moderate accuracy was detected in the machine learning models developed to predict sensory panel traits. Overall, the performance of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGboost) was comparable to the radial‐based support vector machine (NL‐SVM) algorithm, and these could be used for the initial selection of genotypes for aromas and flavors (r2 = 0.64–0.72) and texture attributes like moisture or mealiness (r2 > 50). Among the chemical properties screened in sweet potato, only starch showed a moderate correlation with sensory features like mealiness (r = 0.54) and instrumental color (r = 0.65). From the results, we can conclude that the instrumental scores of color are equivalent to those scored by the sensory panel, and the former could be adopted for quick analysis. Further investigations may be required to understand the association between color and aroma or flavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kombucha is an acidic beverage obtained through the fermentation of sweetened tea by bacteria and yeast. The kombucha market is relatively new and shows sustained growth. Given kombucha's inherent characteristics, compliance with regulations may be challenging. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical and sensory diversity of commercial kombuchas in Argentina. Acetic acid was the predominant acid, while lactic and glucuronic acids were present in 70% and 50% of the kombuchas, respectively. Only 20% of the kombuchas met the ethanol limit, while all fell within the established pH range. Ninety percent had sugar concentrations exceeding the limit set by Argentinian Law. As assessed by a trained panel, drinkability was positively associated with sweetness and fruity tastes and negatively associated with astringency, bitterness, and off‐flavors. This work represents the first comprehensive analysis of kombuchas in Argentina, revealing their variability and providing relevant insights for producers and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) and globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) are vegetables with a high waste index mainly related to stems and leaves. In this study, enzymatic hydrolysates obtained from these wastes were proposed to be used as plant biostimulants. Life cycle assessment methodology was also applied to evaluate environmental performances related to cauliflower and artichoke byproducts. Results: Hydrolysates (HYs) were chemically and biologically characterized. Amino acids, organic acids, amines, polyols, mineral elements, phenols, tannins, flavonoids and sulfur compounds were identified and quantified by means of NMR, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and UV–visible analyses. Cauliflower leaf and flower HYs showed the highest concentration of free amino acids, whereas stems showed the highest concentration of Ca. Regarding artichoke, asparagine, glutamine and aspartic acid were exclusively detected in stems, whereas artichoke leaves showed the highest Mg and Mn levels together with the highest antioxidant activity. The HYs diluted in water were tested as biostimulants. The impacts of five concentrations of HYs (0.00, 0.28, 0.84, 2.52 and 7.56 g L−1) on seed germination and early seedling growth of crimson clover, alfalfa, durum wheat and corn were investigated. Conclusions: The application of artichoke biostimulant (0.28 g L−1) positively influenced the coefficient of velocity of germination in alfalfa, crimson clover and durum wheat, whereas cauliflower biostimulant significantly improved corn germination speed. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, fish consumption has been increasing; subsequently, the number of by‐products has also increased. However, generated residues are frequently discarded, and an appropriate management is necessary to properly use all fish by‐products. Fishery by‐products are well known for their content of bioactive compounds, such as unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, peptides, enzymes, gelatin, collagen, and chitin. Several studies have reported that fishery by‐products could provide significant properties, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, and antiobesity. Consequently, fish discards are of considerable interest to different industrial sectors, including food, nutraceuticals, medical, and pharmacology. In the food industry, the interest in using fishery by‐products is focused on hydrolysates as food additives, collagen and gelatin as protein sources, chitin and chitosan to form edible films to protect food during storage, and oils as a source of Omega‐3 and useful as antioxidants. Although different studies reported good results with the use of these by‐products, identifying new applications in the food sector, as well as industrial applications, remains necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Due to the growing world population, the sustainability of food and feed sources with high nutritional value has become a crucial issue. In this scenario, insects can constitute a low-impact protein source with high nutritional value. The growth and nutrient composition of insects are potentially influenced by rearing conditions, particularly by the selected growth substrate. In this study, we evaluated the chemical and functional characteristics of Tenebrio molitor larvae reared on different growth substrates: a traditional wheat bran substrate and an innovative substrate consisting of wheat bran supplemented with chestnut shell, a by-product of the chestnut agro-industrial chain. The results showed that the innovative growth substrates positively influenced the insects' survival suggesting a beneficial effect on larval health. The enrichment of the growth substrate with chestnut shell modified the protein and amino acid profile of insect meals, possibly indicating a shift in their metabolism. In addition, insect meals obtained from larvae reared on chestnut-shell-enriched substrate exhibited higher antibacterial and antioxidant activity, suggesting a potential beneficial effect when included in animal feed. Our results showed positive outcomes related to the design of innovative strategies for insect rearing, enriching larvae meal with beneficial health properties in line with sustainability and One Health principles. Tenebrio molitor larvae represent a sustainable protein source for food and feed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the supplementation of chestnut shell, a by-product of the agro-industrial chain, in growth substrates for T. molitor larvae rearing. Seven-week-old larvae were reared on three different growth substrates: the control group (CTRL) was fed wheat bran, treatment group one was fed wheat bran supplemented with 12.5% w/w chestnut shell (TRT1), and treatment group two was fed wheat bran supplemented with 25% w/w chestnut shell (TRT2). Larval weight, substrate consumption, and mortality were recorded weekly. After 14 days, insect meals were produced for bromatological and colorimetric analysis, and bacterial inhibition activity assay using a microdilution method. The amino acid profile of insects was determined using quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our results showed a lower feed conversion ratio and higher larval survival rate % in TRT2 compared to CTRL (p < 0.05). Proteins and lipids of TRT2 were higher than other groups (p < 0.05). Important differences were observed in the amino acid profile of TRT1 and TRT2 compared to CTRL (p < 0.05). TRT1 and TRT2 showed higher E. coli inhibitory activity than CTRL (p < 0.05). In conclusion, chestnut shell supplementation improved the survival and functional characteristics of larvae and likely impacted the insects' metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori ( Hp ) infection affects nearly half of the global population. Current therapeutic options include the administration of a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors, although antimicrobial resistance rise remains a big concern. Phenolic monoterpenes, e.g. , eugenol, vanillin, carvacrol, and thymol, have always attracted researchers for their multifaced biological activities and the possibility to be easily derivatized. Thereby, herein we present the functionalization of such compounds through the conventional aryl diazotization reaction, generating a series of mono- and bis-azo derivatives (1-28). Also, to continue previous studies, we investigated the role of the free phenolic moiety of thymol with eight compounds (29-36). The compounds were tested against four Hp strains including three clinical isolates, finding some potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial growth. Thus, the representative compounds underwent in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation on two normal cell lines and putative target investigation by performing a structure-based approach based on docking calculations on some of the most studied pharmacological targets for Hp , e.g. , urease, β-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein dehydratase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Torpedino di Fondi (TF) is a hybrid tomato landrace developed in Sicily and recently introduced in the south Lazio area along with the classical San Marzano (SM) cultivar. The present study aimed at characterizing TF tomatoes at both pink and red ripening stages, and at comparing them with traditional SM tomatoes. A multidisciplinary approach consisting of morphological, chemical (FT-ICR MS, NMR, HPLC, and spectrophotometric methods), and biological (antioxidant and antifungal in vitro activity) analyses was applied. Morphological analysis confirmed the mini-San Marzano nature and the peculiar crunchy and solid consistency of TF fruits. Pink TF tomatoes displayed the highest content of hydrophilic antioxidants, like total polyphenols (0.192 mg/g), tannins (0.013 mg/g), flavonoids (0.204 mg/g), and chlorophylls a (0.344 mg/g) and b (0.161 mg/g), whereas red TF fruits were characterized by the highest levels of fructose (3000 mg/100 g), glucose (2000 mg/100 g), tryptophan (2.7 mg/100 g), phenylalanine (13 mg/100 g), alanine (25 mg/100 g), and total tri-unsaturated fatty acids (13% mol). Red SM fruits revealed the greatest content of lipophilic antioxidants, with 1234 mg/g of total carotenoids. In agreement with phenolics content, TF cultivar showed the greatest antioxidant activity. Lastly, red TF inhibited Candida species ( albicans , glabrata and krusei ) growth.

Extra-virgin olive oil (383 samples; EVOOs) of three consecutive harvesting years from nine Italian regions were collected and submitted to an ¹H NMR-chemometric protocol to characterize the samples according to their origin (geographical area and variety). A more complete assignment of the olive oil ¹H spectrum in CDCl₃ and DMSO d ₆ was reported identifying 24-methylencycolartanol. A single classification model provided the discrimination of EVOOs among the three geographical macro-areas (North, Islands, Center-South), whereas a hierarchical approach based on breaking the overall classification problem into a series of smaller linear discriminant analysis (LDA) sub-models was tested to differentiate olive oils according to their geographical regions. Specific compounds responsible for olive oil characterization were identified., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.