The color, flavor, texture, and the nutritional value of fresh-cut fruit and vegetable products are factors critical to consumer acceptance and the success of these products. In this chapter, ...desirable and undesirable quality attributes of fresh-cut fruit and vegetable products are reviewed. Both instrumental and sensory measurements for determining these critical quality attributes are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of sensory and instrumental quality measurements are described. A review of typical unit operations involved in the production of fresh-cut products is presented. The effects of fresh-cut processing techniques and treatments on sensory quality, including the appearance, texture, flavor (taste and aroma) of vegetables, and fruits are detailed.
In this study, the effect of biodiesel obtained from animal fats (AFBD) and vegetable biodiesel (VEBD) which is obtained from canola, safflower and waste vegetable oils by transesterification method ...on the performance and emissions of an air cooling, four stroke, single cylinder and direct injection compression ignition engine were investigated experimentally. In the experiments, five different fuels were used as D100 (0% Biodiesel + 100% Diesel), AFBD100 (0% Diesel + 100% Animal Biodiesel), VEBD100 (0% Diesel + 100% Vegetable Biodiesel), VEBD50 (50% Diesel + 50% Vegetable Biodiesel) and AFBD50 (50% Diesel + 50% Animal Biodiesel). As a result of the experiments, it has been determined that with the use of AFBD100 and VEBD100 fuels, the brake thermal efficiency (BTHE) value decreased while the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) increased. When analyzed in terms of exhaust emission results, the reduction of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and smoke emissions compared to D100 was determined by the use of AFBD100 and VEBD100 fuels, while an increase in nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions occurred. When the graphs obtained from AFBD and VEBD fuels are examined, it is clearly seen that VEBD-containing fuel mixtures give better results in terms of both performance and emissions. Finally, if VEBD-containing fuels are compared within themselves, the VEBD50 is better in terms of performance, while VEBD100 has given better results in terms of emissions.
Inflammation is the first biological response of the immune system to infection, injury or irritation. Evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect is mediated through the regulation of ...various inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor alpha-α, interferon gamma-γ as well as noncytokine mediator, prostaglandin E
. Fruits, vegetables, and food legumes contain high levels of phytochemicals that show anti-inflammatory effect, but their mechanisms of actions have not been completely identified. The aim of this paper was to summarize the recent investigations and findings regarding in vitro and animal model studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of fruits, vegetables, and food legumes. Specific cytokines released for specific type of physiological event might shed some light on the specific use of each source of phytochemicals that can benefit to counter the inflammatory response. As natural modulators of proinflammatory gene expressions, phytochemical from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes could be incorporated into novel bioactive anti-inflammatory formulations of various nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Finally, these phytochemicals are discussed as the natural promotion strategy for the improvement of human health status. The phenolics and triterpenoids in fruits and vegetables showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than other compounds. In food legumes, lectins and peptides had anti-inflammatory activity in most cases. However, there are lack of human study data on the anti-inflammatory activity of phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes.
•In vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell was used to estimate Cd and Pb bioavailability.•Cadmium and Pb bioavailability were higher in the cooked vegetables.•Bioaccessibility values may overestimate health ...risks of Cd and Pb in vegetables.
The estimation of heavy metal bioaccessibility and bioavailability in vegetables is helpful for human health risk assessment. Using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model, the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in raw/cooked pakchoi (Brassica rapa L., Chinensis Group) and Malabar spinach (Basella rubra L.) were studied. The effect of the addition of iron, calcium and acetic acid to the samples was also determined. The results indicated that Cd bioaccessibility was higher in the gastric phase and Pb bioaccessibility was higher in the small intestinal phase. Cadmium and Pb bioavailability were 11.2% and 9.4% in the raw vegetables, respectively, and found to be higher significantly than the cooked vegetables with 6.1% for Cd and 3.2% for Pb. The results showed that it will be overestimating the risk of Pb and Cd based on the data of raw vegetables ingestion. Using bioavailability values, average Cd and Pb daily intake by adult were 23% and 28% respectively, of the base bioaccessibility values. Our study will be better understanding the possible health risks of some vegetables base on the bioaccessibility or bioavailability.
Minimally processed fruits and vegetables are one of the major growing sectors in food industry. This growing demand for healthy and convenient foods with fresh-like properties is accompanied by ...concerns surrounding efficacy of the available sanitizing methods to appropriately deal with food-borne diseases. In fact, chemical sanitizers do not provide an efficient microbial reduction, besides being perceived negatively by the consumers, dangerous for human health, and harmful to the environment, and the conventional thermal treatments may negatively affect physical, nutritional, or bioactive properties of these perishable foods. For these reasons, the industry is investigating alternative nonthermal physical technologies, namely innovative packaging systems, ionizing and ultraviolet radiation, pulsed light, high-power ultrasound, cold plasma, high hydrostatic pressure, and dense phase carbon dioxide, as well as possible combinations between them or with other preservation factors (hurdles). This review discusses the potential of these novel or emerging technologies for decontamination and shelf-life extension of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Advantages, limitations, and challenges related to its use in this sector are also highlighted.
Chronic diseases are a major health problem in the United States. Accumulated data suggest that consumption of vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Dietary ...guidelines for 2015–2020 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend 1–4 cups of vegetables per day for males and 1–3 cups of vegetables per day for females, depending on their age. However, the average intake of vegetables is below the recommended levels. Microgreens are young vegetable greens. Although they are small, microgreens have delicate textures, distinctive flavors, and various nutrients. In general, microgreens contain greater amounts of nutrients and health-promoting micronutrients than their mature counterparts. Because microgreens are rich in nutrients, smaller amounts may provide similar nutritional effects compared to larger quantities of mature vegetables. However, literature on microgreens remains limited. In this Review, we discuss chemical compositions, growing conditions, and biological efficacies of microgreens. We seek to stimulate interest in further study of microgreens as a promising dietary component for potential use in diet-based disease prevention.
The occurrence of 15 antibiotics in soil and manure samples from 11 large-scale greenhouse vegetable production (GVP) bases in Beijing, China was investigated. Results showed that the greenhouse ...soils were ubiquitously contaminated with antibiotics, and that antibiotic concentrations were significantly higher in greenhouses than in open field soils. The mean concentrations of four antibiotic classes decreased in the following order: tetracyclines (102μg/kg)>quinolones (86μg/kg)>sulfonamides (1.1μg/kg)>macrolides (0.62μg/kg). This investigation also indicated that fertilization with manure and especially animal feces might be the primary source of antibiotics. A risk assessment based on the calculated risk quotients (RQs) demonstrated that oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin could pose a high risk to soil organisms. These results suggested that the ecological effects of antibiotic contamination in GVP bases and their potential adverse risks on human health need to be given special attention.
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with lowering of blood pressure (BP), but the nutrient(s) responsible for these effects remain unclear. Research suggests that inorganic nitrate ...present in leafy green vegetables is converted into NO in vivo to improve cardiovascular function.
In this study, we evaluated the effect of leafy green vegetables on BP in subjects with elevated BP, with the aim of elucidating if any such effect is related to their high nitrate content.
We enrolled 243 subjects, 50–70 y old, with a clinic systolic BP (SBP) of 130–159 mm Hg. After a 2-wk run-in period on a nitrate-restricted diet the subjects were randomly assigned to receive 1 of the following 3 interventions daily for 5 wk: low-nitrate vegetables + placebo pills, low-nitrate vegetables + nitrate pills (300 mg nitrate), or leafy green vegetables containing 300 mg nitrate + placebo pills. The primary end point measure was the difference in change in 24 h ambulatory SBP between the groups.
A total of 231 subjects (95%) completed the study. The insignificant change in ambulatory SBP (mean ± standard deviation) was −0.6 ± 6.2 mm Hg in the placebo group, −1.2 ± 6.8 mm Hg in the potassium nitrate group, and −0.5 ± 6.6 mm Hg in the leafy green vegetable group. There was no significant difference in change between the 3 groups.
A 5-wk dietary supplementation with leafy green vegetables or pills containing the same amount of inorganic nitrate does not decrease ambulatory SBP in subjects with elevated BP. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02916615.
This study quantified the uptake of five antibiotics (chlortetracycline, monensin, sulfamethazine, tylosin, and virginiamycin) by 11 vegetable crops in two different soils that were fertilized with ...raw versus composted turkey and hog manures or inorganic fertilizer. Almost all vegetables showed some uptake of antibiotics from manure treatments. However, statistical testing showed that except for a few isolated treatments the concentrations of all antibiotics in vegetable tissues were generally less than the limits of quantification. Further testing of the significant treatments showed that antibiotic concentrations in vegetables from many of these treatments were not significantly different than the corresponding concentrations from the fertilizer treatment (matrix effect). All five antibiotic concentrations in the studied vegetables were <10 μg kg–1. On the basis of the standards for maximum residue levels in animal tissues and suggested maximum daily intake based on body weight, this concentration would not pose any health risk unless one is allergic to that particular antibiotic.
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