Edible nuts have an increasing role in human diet. Pistachio is a popular but less known kind of edible nut nevertheless it is rich in health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and ...vitamins. Therefore, this study attempts to determine the antioxidants capacity, total phenolics and amount of some major elements (nitrogen, potassium, calcium and phosphorus), present in the most important Iranian pistachio nut, to enhance the health benefits, and use in breeding programs. For this reason eleven pistachio cultivars (‘Akbary’, ‘Ahmad Aghaii’, ‘Daneshmandi’, ‘Kalle Ghoochi 1’, ‘Kalle Ghoochi 2’, ‘Garmeh’, ‘Ohadi 1’, ‘Ohadi 2’, ‘Sefid’, ‘Momtaz’, and chance seedling tree ("None-grafted") as control) which are grown in commercial orchards of Fayzabad (Khorasan-e-Razavi) were analyzed for determination of some major elements, antioxidants capacity and total phenolics contents. The results showed that the amounts of the nutrients in 100 g kernel were within the following ranges: N 2.5-4.1 g, P 355.9-546.6 mg, K 573.6-994.9 mg and Ca 61.5-134.5 mg. Total phenolics content varied from 5.3-9.9 mg gallic acid equivalents in g fresh weight. The results also showed that the capacity of antioxidant ranged from 1.6-3.7 (mg ascorbic acid equivalents in g fresh weight). Weak correlation was observed between total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity (r2=0.3824). The result demonstrates that there is adequate variation in major elements, antioxidants capacity and total phenolics contents within pistachio cultivars and hence there is potential for improvement towards enhancing these health-promoting photochemical in this nuts.
Higher demands of food production for human consumption increased uses of fertilizers and other chemicals that arise in a major public problem and heavy-metal pollution. Levels of Aluminum and Nickel ...which affect mankind health in exact doses, were determined in fresh and dried samples of Jumbo Cot , Tom Cot , Gold Strike , Gold Bar , Bergeron , Bergarouge , Sweet Cot , Yellow cot and Zebra apricot cultivars to assess possible health risk of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) consumption. Highest content of Al and Ni among all cultivars, where 9.71 and 2.14 mg/kg of dehydrated apricot samples. Fresh fruit samples maximally contain 2.9 and 0.425 mg/kg of Aluminum and Nickel respectively. Data analysis showed significant differences between cultivars for Al and Ni. Furthermore, to reveal the health-risk possibility of dried and fresh fruit consumption daily intake of elements and health-risk index were calculated and compared.
Simultaneousness of pollen shedding and stigma viability ratio was examined to clarify the phenology of reproductive organs of nine economically important sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) cultivars of ...'Erdi botermo', 'Debreceni botermo', 'Csengodi', 'Kantorjanosi 3', 'Ujfehertoi furtos', 'Petri', 'Eva', 'Oblascinszka', and 'Pandy 279'. The main aim was investigating the possible influence of environmental cues in timing and development of phenophases and also response of different cultivars to seasonal cues. Likely effects of climatic changes on phenological development patterns were also considered. Results showed important aspects of the reproductive biology of sour cherry flowers. The amplitude of the phenophase 'beginning of blossoming' between cultivars did not exceed 6 days. There is a maximum of 3 days difference in the blooming length of different directions in each cultivar. 'Pandy 279' showed high variability when the position of flowers changed on the tree shoots. 'Ujfehertoi furtos' was stable in all four directions of the tree. The pollen shedding period and stigma viability ratio were synchronous. Pollen shedding phenomenon simultaneously occurred with the secretary activities of stigmas in all examined cultivars. Distribution of pollen shedding over the secretary activity of stigmas is almost good. In all five cultivars, maximum pollen shedding occurred when the temperature was high during the day. In general, the results of this experiment and our previous studies clearly demonstrate that the Pandy groups cannot be recommended for plantation in new orchards of Iran.
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