Advances in Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits and Vegetables

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Postharvest Biology, Quality, Safety, and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 April 2024) | Viewed by 8376

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Scientific and Technological Research, University of Sonora, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora, Mexico
Interests: natural resources; biotechnology; functional foods; bioactive compounds; bioaccessibility; antioxidant capacity; starch chemistry; dietarty fiber; antioxidant dietary fiber
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Research and Graduate Program, University of Sonora, Hermosillo C.P. 83000, Sonora, Mexico
Interests: natural products; by-products; functional beverages; antioxidants

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Research and Graduated Program, University of Sonora, Hermosillo C.P. 83000, Sonora, Mexico
Interests: functional foods; antioxidants; bioaccessibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Time ago consumers were interested in the consumption of foods with good nutritional properties. Later, nutritional composition and health benefits as a plus was taken into account. However, nowadays it is important to include more natural products in the diet because of bioactive compounds and its antioxidants properties these kind of food contain. Because of this reason, people is increasing the demand for more variated vegetable and fruits in the daily diet.

The study of the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties in common vegetables and fruits has been done, but there is another kind of exotic or non-conventional vegetable and fruits products which need to be analyzed to know its health-promoting properties attributed to its composition and antioxidant properties.

Therefore, we invite you to consider publishing original research papers and reviews related to this special issue.

Dr. Maribel Ovando-Martínez
Dr. Ramón Francisco Dórame Miranda
Dr. Carmen Lizette del Toro Sánchez
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • non-conventional fruits
  • non-conventional vegetables
  • composition
  • antioxidant dietary fiber
  • bioactive compounds
  • bioaccessibility
  • antioxidant activity
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4557 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Some Open-Field Ancient-Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes and Promising Breeding Lines
by Yosr Laayouni, Imen Tlili, Imen Henane, Ahlem Ben Ali, Márton Égei, Sándor Takács, Muhammad Azam, Mohammed Wasim Siddiqui, Hussein Daood, Zoltàn Pék, Lajos Helyes, Thouraya R’him, Marcello Salvatore Lenucci and Riadh Ilahy
Horticulturae 2023, 9(11), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111180 - 28 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1829
Abstract
Tomato landraces have progressively faded into obscurity, making way for new hybrids and elite tomato cultivars. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the agronomic attributes, physicochemical properties, and functional traits across seven cultivars, comprising two high-pigment varieties, ‘HLT−F81’ and ‘HLT−F82’, as well [...] Read more.
Tomato landraces have progressively faded into obscurity, making way for new hybrids and elite tomato cultivars. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the agronomic attributes, physicochemical properties, and functional traits across seven cultivars, comprising two high-pigment varieties, ‘HLT−F81’ and ‘HLT−F82’, as well as five underutilized ancient-tomato genotypes considered as landraces. Most of the studied genotypes exhibited satisfactory horticultural and processing traits. The average fruit weight ranged from 73.3 g in ‘Rimone’ to 91.83 g in ‘HLT−F81’, while the soluble solids content ranged from 4.66 °Brix in ‘Justar’ to 6.08 °Brix in ‘HLT−F81’. The functional quality and the content of most antioxidants, as well as the antioxidant activity in both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions, proved to be the most discriminating parameters among the tomato genotypes. The content of β−carotene and lycopene spanned from 2.94 mg kg−1 fw in ‘Rio Grande’ to 13.94 mg kg−1 fw in ‘HLT−F82’ and 227.8 mg kg−1 fw in ‘HLT−F81’, yielding large variations compared to ‘Rio Grande’. The total phenolic content ranged from 139.83 mg GAE kg−1 fw in ‘Rimone’ to 352.41 mg GAE kg−1 fw in ‘HLT-F81’, while the flavonoid content varied from 136.16 mg RE kg−1 fw in ‘Justar’ to 311.23 mg RE kg−1 fw in ‘HLT-F82’. The presence of tocopherol isomers was genotype-dependent, with a higher content in lines carrying the high-pigment mutations. Among the tested tomato genotypes, the high-pigment tomato line ‘HLT−F81’ achieved the highest hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activity values. This study primarily focused on the recovery and valorization of tomato genetic resources and landraces. It also aimed to identify desirable horticultural (yield, low-input, and low-water demand), processing (°Brix and titratable acidity), and quality (rich antioxidant berries) traits for introgression into new tomato cultivars better suited to the evolving climate conditions of the near future. Full article
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12 pages, 2692 KiB  
Article
Diversity of Catechin Content in the Leaves of Persimmon Germplasms
by Yiru Wang, Yujing Suo, Huawei Li, Weijuan Han, Peng Sun, Fangdong Li and Jianmin Fu
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040464 - 6 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1360
Abstract
Catechins are essential phenolic compounds in persimmon. However, the catechin content in the leaves of persimmon germplasms has not been systematically and comprehensively evaluated. To systematically assess catechin variation in different growth stages and astringency types of persimmon leaves, the young and adult [...] Read more.
Catechins are essential phenolic compounds in persimmon. However, the catechin content in the leaves of persimmon germplasms has not been systematically and comprehensively evaluated. To systematically assess catechin variation in different growth stages and astringency types of persimmon leaves, the young and adult leaves catechin content of 249 persimmon germplasms from Korea, Japan, and 16 provinces in China was quantified using an HPLC method. The results showed that the content of (−)-epicatechin (EC) and (−)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) had higher coefficient of variation (CV) values in persimmon young leaves (106.74%) and adult leaves (91.49%), respectively. The genetic diversity H’ of (+)-catechin (CA) and (+)-gallocatechin (GC) content was higher in young leaves (2.00 and 2.03), and the H’ value of (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and CA content was higher in adult leaves (1.98 and 1.92). The non-galloylated catechins, EGC, EC, and CA, were significantly positively correlated with each other in both young and adult leaves. Catechins of persimmon leaves showed different accumulation patterns in different growth stages and astringency types; (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and CA had the highest average content in the persimmon germplasms of Guangxi and Shanxi provinces of China, respectively. The content of (+)-catechin gallate (CG) was found to be significantly higher in Japanese pollination-constant non-astringent (J-PCNA) persimmon leaves, and EC, GCG had the highest levels in Chinese PCNA (C-PCNA) type. The 249 germplasms were classified into five clusters (Cluster I-V) by SOM clustering based on the content of nine catechins, with EC, CA, and GC having the highest content in Cluster V of the adult leaves. In addition, four excellent germplasms of Cluster III had the highest EGC and GC content in young leaves. Thus, the critical period for catechin utilization of persimmon leaves can be further determined, and provide theoretical references for excellent germplasm screening. Full article
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16 pages, 1088 KiB  
Article
Antioxidant Activity of Peptide Fractions from Chickpea Globulin Obtained by Pulsed Ultrasound Pretreatment
by María Fernanda González-Osuna, Wilfrido Torres-Arreola, Enrique Márquez-Ríos, Francisco Javier Wong-Corral, Eugenia Lugo-Cervantes, José Carlos Rodríguez-Figueroa, Guillermina García-Sánchez, Josafat Marina Ezquerra-Brauer, Herlinda Soto-Valdez, Alejandro Castillo and Carmen Lizette Del-Toro-Sánchez
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040415 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1808
Abstract
Protein hydrolysates and peptides can show biological activities, and pulsed ultrasound improves bioactivities. Among matrices from which protein hydrolysates can be obtain, chickpea is an excellent source. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of pulsed ultrasound on globulin concentrate [...] Read more.
Protein hydrolysates and peptides can show biological activities, and pulsed ultrasound improves bioactivities. Among matrices from which protein hydrolysates can be obtain, chickpea is an excellent source. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of pulsed ultrasound on globulin concentrate to obtain chickpea hydrolysate (HGb) and peptide fractions and their bioactivity. Antioxidant activity by ABTS (2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt), FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) and human erythrocyte assays was determined. The electrophoretic profile, amino acid profile, and antimicrobial activity of hydrolysates were also determined. Two hydrolysates had the highest antioxidant activity: HGb (91.44% ABTS inhibition, 73.04% hemolysis inhibition and 5185.57 µmol TE/g dried sample in FRAP assay) and HGb-20 (48.25% ABTS inhibition, 100% hemolysis inhibition and 2188.53 µmol TE/g dried sample in FRAP assay). Peptide fractions inhibited 100% of the hemolysis on human erythrocytes. The hydrolysates from chickpea proteins obtained with savinase have antioxidant activity through the SET and HAT mechanisms. The application of the obtained compounds for the development of functional foods or for food preservation should be considered. Full article
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Review

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15 pages, 539 KiB  
Review
Overview of Melatonin’s Impact on Postharvest Physiology and Quality of Fruits
by Syariful Mubarok, Erni Suminar, Adzkia Husnul Abidat, Citra Ayu Setyawati, Erik Setiawan and Adine Syabina Buswar
Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050586 - 15 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2317
Abstract
Fruits are important horticultural commodities because they provide nutrients that help human health. Fruits are mostly consumed as fresh products; however, there are challenges in retaining the freshness, such as the rapid ripening process that triggers fruit deterioration and reduces fruit quality and [...] Read more.
Fruits are important horticultural commodities because they provide nutrients that help human health. Fruits are mostly consumed as fresh products; however, there are challenges in retaining the freshness, such as the rapid ripening process that triggers fruit deterioration and reduces fruit quality and nutrient content. The postharvest quality of horticultural crops is affected by pre-and postharvest treatment. Most farmers use chemical compounds and fungicides to prevent postharvest damage; however, this results in health hazards and environmental pollution. Melatonin can be used for maintaining and improving postharvest horticultural crops such as fruits. Melatonin is a new bioactive compound that is a potent free radical scavenger and antioxidant. It has been studied as an alternative to harmful chemicals used commercially in the postharvest management of fresh products. For human health, melatonin plays a regulatory role in circadian and seasonal rhythms, sleep, retinal functions, and the immune system. In plants, melatonin regulates many biological processes, particularly when plants have experienced abiotic stress, germination, aging, and growth. The effect of exogenous melatonin on fruit ripening has focused primarily on the relationship between melatonin and ethylene plant hormones. Many studies in recent years have discussed melatonin’s role in plants, particularly in delaying plant aging as an alternative way of increasing fruit shelf life. This review provides a comprehensive overview of melatonin biosynthesis in plants, factors that affect the content of melatonin in fruit, melatonin mechanisms in fruit ripening, the impact of melatonin on postharvest fruit quality, the effect of melatonin on postharvest quality, and the change in metabolite content of horticultural products, particularly fruits. Full article
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