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•Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are hybrid porous coordination materials.•MOFs have high surface-to-volume ratio crystalline structures.•MOFs have been mainly used for extraction and ...sensing of several food contaminants.•MOFs can be interestingly employed as nanocarriers, nanofillers and nanoreactors.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are high surface-to-volume ratio crystalline hybrid porous coordination materials composed of metal ions as nodes and organic linkers. The goal of this paper was to provide an updated and comprehensive state-of-the-art review of MOFs for different food applications such as active food contact materials, antimicrobial nanocarriers, controlled release nanosystems for active compounds, nanofillers for food packaging materials, food nanoreactors, food substance nanosensors, stabilizers and immobilizers for active compounds and enzymes, and extractors of food contaminants. Extraction and sensing of several food contaminants have been the main food applications of MOFs. The other applications listed above require further investigation, as they are at an early stage. However, interesting results are being reported for these other fields. Finally, an important limitation of MOFs has been the use of non-renewable feedstocks for their synthesis, but this has recently been solved through the manufacture and use of γ-cyclodextrin-based MOFs.
The color changes brought on by the enzymatic interactions of phenolic compounds with released endogenous polyphenol oxidase and the penetration of oxygen into the tissue has a significant impact on ...the commercialization of fresh-cut fruit, such as apples. This process causes a loss of quality in fresh-cut apples, resulting in browning of the fruit surface. By acting as a semipermeable barrier to gases and water vapor and thus lowering respiration, enzymatic browning, and water loss, edible coatings can provide a chance to increase the shelf life of fresh-cut produce. In this study, the effect of edible coatings composed of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC, 1%), sodium alginate (SA, 1%), citric acid (CA, 1%), and oxalic acid (OA, 0.5%) on fresh-cut 'Annurca Rossa del Sud' apple was studied. Four formulations of edible coatings, A. SA+CMC, B. SA+CMC+CA, C. SA+CMC+OA, and D. SA+CMC+CA+OA, were tested. Fresh-cut apples were dipped into different solutions and then stored at 4 °C, and physicochemical and biochemical analyses were performed at 0, 4, 8, and 12 days of storage. Results demonstrated that all four combinations improved the shelf-life of fresh-cut apple by slowing down the qualitative postharvest decay, total soluble solid, and titratable acidity. The browning index was highest in the control samples (82%), followed by CMC+SA (53%), CMC+SA+CA (32%), CMC+SA+OA (22%), and finally CMC+SA+CA+OA (7%) after 12 days of cold storage. Furthermore, coating application increased the bioactive compound content and antioxidant enzyme activities. Furthermore, the synergistic activity of SA+CMC+CA+OA reduces enzymatic browning, prolonging the postharvest life of minimally processed 'Annurca Rossa del Sud' apples.
Together with phenological and genomic approaches, gel-based and label-free proteomic as well metabolomic procedures were separately applied to plants to highlight differences between ecotypes, to ...estimate genetic variability within/between organism populations, or to characterize specific mutants/genetically modified lines at metabolic level. To investigate the possible use of tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics in the above-mentioned contexts and based on the absence of combined proteo-metabolomic studies on
cultivars, we here applied integrated proteomic and metabolomic approaches to fruits from Italian persimmon ecotypes with the aim to characterize plant phenotypic diversity at molecular level. We identified 2255 proteins in fruits, assigning 102 differentially represented components between cultivars, including some related to pomological, nutritional and allergenic characteristics. Thirty-three polyphenols were also identified and quantified, which belong to hydroxybenzoic acid, flavanol, hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonol, flavanone and dihydrochalcone sub-classes. Heat-map representation of quantitative proteomic and metabolomic results highlighted compound representation differences in various accessions, whose elaboration through Euclidean distance functions and other linkage methods defined dendrograms establishing phenotypic relationships between cultivars. Principal component analysis of proteomic and metabolomic data provided clear information on phenotypic differences/similarities between persimmon accessions. Coherent cultivar association results were observed between proteomic and metabolomic data, emphasizing the utility of integrating combined
approaches to identify and validate phenotypic relationships between ecotypes, and to estimate corresponding variability and distance. Accordingly, this study describes an original, combined approach to outline phenotypic signatures in persimmon cultivars, which may be used for a further characterization of other ecotypes of the same species and an improved description of nutritional characteristics of corresponding fruits.
In this study, the influence of a new plant-based biostimulant (Bortan) on physiological and aromatic traits of rocket (
L. var. Pamela) was monitored by evaluating physico-chemical parameters (fresh ...and dry weight, leaf color and chlorophyll content) and biochemical traits (total phenolic compound (TP), total flavonoids (TF), ascorbic acid (AA) and antioxidant activity (AOX). Volatile profiles were also analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, allowing the detection of 32 volatiles belonging to 5 chemical classes. Compared to the control, Bortan application enhanced leaf pigment content, including chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids (+10%, +16% and +28%, respectively) and increased TP (+34%), TF (+26%), AA (+19%) amonts and AOX value (+16%). Principal component analysis revealed a significant discrimination between the two samples. Specifically, treated samples were mainly associated with "green-leaf" volatiles, namely hexanal and 2-hexenal, 3-hexenal and 1-penten-3-one, while control rocket was directly correlated with several alcohols and to all isothiocyanates, associated with the sulfur-like odor of rocket. These findings can add further support, both for farmers and the agro-food industry, in choosing PBs as a new and sustainable practice in complementing enhanced yields with premium-quality produce. To confirm these preliminary data, further experiments are needed by enlarging the sample size, testing different concentrations of Bortan and/or using other food crops.
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•Valle Agricola wild fennel seeds are very popular spice.•A plethora of approaches were adopted to characterise these seeds.•Flavour compounds of these seeds were moved to minced pork ...meat.•Commercial fennel seeds transfer less of these compounds.
Here, we report the nutritional (crude proteins, total and free amino acids, fatty acids, minerals) and biochemical (protease inhibitors and antioxidant enzymes) characterization of wild fennel seeds from ‘Valle Agricola’ (Caserta, Italy), typical local products used as a food flavouring and preservative. The comparative analysis with commercial fennel seeds revealed the higher antioxidant activity of wild fennel seeds and the considerable ability of the latter in food preservation. In light of this, both wild and commercial fennel seeds were added to minced pork meat to evaluate the effect of flavouring treatment at 0, 1, 3 and 7 days. The analysis revealed that free amino acids, fatty acids and glycosidically bound volatile compounds responsible for meat taste and aroma were mainly released following wild fennel seeds addition.
Overall, these data encourage the local consumption of traditional spices, usually added to traditional dry-cured meat and open new opportunities for the niche market.
Punica granatum L. contains several bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity that have a positive effect on human health. This study aims to investigate the changes in the chemical-physical and ...qualitative parameters of pomegranate fruits cv. Acco from harvest up to +90 days of cold storage (+4°C and 95% RH). Morphological parameters, juice yield, weight loss, total soluble solids content (TSS), pH, titratable acidity, the color of the epicarp (L*, a*, b*), content of polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The results showed an increase (about 29%) in the juice content (%) at +60 days of cold storage. Cold storage has also shown positive effects on some bioactive compounds. Flavonoids and anthocyanins content increase from 287.98 mg CE/100 ml of juice to 389.23 mg of CE/100 ml of juice and from 8.32 to mg/100 ml of juice to 11.13 mg/100 ml of juice at + 90 days of cold storage, respectively. On the basis of our results that confirmed the literature data, the pomegranate fruit is rich in bioactive compounds that exert beneficial actions on human health, and it has also been demonstrated that such nutraceutical compounds increased during cold storage, allowing the fruit to be preserved a long term.
Red wine grapes are qualitatively evaluated for their content in polyphenols and anthocyanins. Due to certain conditions (weather, latitude, temperature), the concentration of these compounds may be ...not at the right level for reaching a high-quality wine, thus postharvest technologies can be operated as a remediation strategy. Ethanol is a secondary volatile metabolite and its application has been demonstrated to delay fruit ripening, to reduce decay, and to increase secondary metabolites. The present study investigates the effects of ethanol post-harvest application on wine grapes’ metabolism and composition. Red wine grapes (Vitis Vinifera L. cv Aglianico) were exposed to different ethanol doses (0.25, 0.5, or 1 mL L−1) for 12, 24, or 36 h. Ethanol increased sugar concentration, malic acid, free amino nitrogen, polyphenols, and anthocyanins. Particularly, anthocyanins reached an average value of 1820 mg/L in treated samples versus the 1200 mg/L of control grapes already after 12 h whatever the concentration was. Moreover, the highest concentration of ethanol modified berry metabolism shifting from aerobic to anaerobic one. Obtained results suggest that 12 h of ethanol postharvest treatment could be an interesting solution to improve anthocyanins in wine grapes, especially when the quality is not as good as expected.
•Ethanol postharvest treatment increases sugar, malic acid, and free amino nitrogen.•Ethanol increases polyphenols and anthocyanins in musts after 12 h of treatment.•1 mL L−1 of ethanol shifts berry metabolism from aerobic to anaerobic ones.
Sweet cherries (
L.) are greatly appreciated fruits worldwide due to their taste, color, nutritional value, and beneficial health effects. The characterization of autochthonous germplasm allows to ...identify genotypes that possess superior characteristics compared to standard cultivars. In this work, four accessions of sweet cherry from the Campania region (Limoncella, Mulegnana Riccia, Mulegnana Nera and Montenero) were investigated for their morpho-physiological, qualitative, aromatic, and sensorial traits in comparison with two standard cultivars (Ferrovia and Lapins). A high variability in the pomological traits resulted among the samples. Montenero showed comparable fruit weight and titratable acidity to Ferrovia and Lapins, respectively. The highest total soluble solid content was detected in Mulegnana Riccia. A considerable variability in the skin and pulp color of the cherries was observed, varying from yellow-red in Limoncella to a dark red color in Montenero. Mulegnana Nera showed the highest content of polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid compared to the standard cultivars. Volatile organic compounds profile analysis identified 34 volatile compounds, 12 of which were observed at different concentrations in all the sweet cherry genotypes while the others were genotype-dependent. Conservation and cultivation of autochthonous accessions with suitable nutritional and morpho-physiologic characteristics promotes our agrobiodiversity knowledge and allows to better plan future breeding programs.
