Search Results (16)

Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. (Juneberry, Saskatoon berry or Serviceberry) fruit historically played an important role as fresh or dried food and as a medicinal staple in the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Tribal Nations. Natural Juneberry stands were lost during the creation of Sakakawea Reservoir on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Reintroduction of the Juneberry is important to the tribal communities. Therefore, the impact of water and fertilizer supplementation was explored in two mature Juneberry cultivar (Honeywood, Martin, and Smokey) plantings and a seedling windbreak planting. Yield was examined in three consecutive years with three treatments: (1) natural conditions (control; no additional water or fertilizer); (2) irrigation during flowering and fruit ripening period (irrigated); and (3) fertilization plus irrigation during flowering and fruit ripening period (fertilized). Yield varied from 5 to 258 g/0.03 m⁻³ across locations, treatments, and years. There was no difference in yield across locations and treatments in year one. Yield was greater in the second year than first year, but not different across locations or treatments. The fertilized treatment showed increased yield in the third year in contrast to irrigated treatment across locations. New plantings can be established more economically using seedling material and the yield increased if watered and fertilized during fruit development. Full article

Saskatoon berry has become as important as a commercial fruit crop. One main goal is to release new plant cultivars well adapted to different climatic and soil conditions. Dormant seeds obtained from breeding are serious problems delaying the program. The seeds were directly extracted from fruits after harvest (unstored) or after storage at −18 °C for 6 months (stored) and subjected to modified stratification (3 °C) with KNO₃, H₂O₂, NO, smoke-water (SW) or scarification using sandpaper or H₂SO₄ for 10, 20, 30, 40 min or treatments with pulsed radio frequency (PRF) or red light. The seeds were also subjected to warm–cool stratification (20/3 °C). Unstored seeds germinated in a higher percentage and with better uniformity (T₇₅–T₂₅) than stored seeds. Stored seeds positively affected the onset of seed germination (T₁) and mean germination time (MGT). Dormancy breakage was promoted by stratification with KNO₃, SW or scarification with sandpaper, H₂SO₄ or treatments with PRF. The recommended method for the breeding program of breaking seeds dormancy is when unstored seeds are subjected to stratification in KNO₃ (0.2%) or SW (1:100). Depending on the applied methods, the percentage of seeds’ germination increased to 87% compared to untreated (64%) control seeds. The positive effects of the selected methods persisted during seedling development by stimulating their growth and enhancing the chlorophyll content index (SPAD) and effective quantum yield of PSII of chlorophyll in leaves (ΦPSII). Full article

Saskatoon berry fruits are a valuable source of micro- and macronutrients, sugars, and compounds with health-promoting properties, the properties of which change during storage. This study presents the effects of applied gaseous ozone at 10 ppm for 15 and 30 min on microbiological stability, sugar content, and bioactive compounds for three cultivars and three clones of Saskatoon berry fruit. The ozonation process had a positive effect on reducing the microbial load of the fruit, which was observed on day 7 of storage for the two variants of ozonation time of 15 and 30 min compared to the control and also on the sugar profile of the “Thiessen” fruit, as well as clones no 5/6 and type H compared to the control sample, which was non-ozonated fruit. In the Saskatoon berry fruits analyzed, 21 polyphenolic compounds were identified, of which four belonged to the anthocyanin group whose main representative was the 3-O-glucoside cyanidin. The ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity (determined by DPPH· and ABTS⁺· methods) varied according to the cultivar and clone of the Saskatoon berry fruits analyzed and the ozone exposure time. Full article

Fruits of Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. ex M. Roem. (Nutt.) are a good source of bioactive compounds and vitamins. Due to the fact that the berries are a soft fruit, they require special procedures to increase their molecular and mechanical stability during cold storage. The study investigated the effects of ozone treatment applied cyclically (every 24 h) on selected chemical and mechanical parameters of saskatoon berries kept in storage. For this purpose, measurements were performed to assess changes in some molecular markers such as antioxidant potential, content of vitamin C, and total polyphenols, as well as microbial stress and maximum destructive force under uniaxial compression of samples. The effectiveness of the storage process was also assessed in relation to the conditions used by determining the proportion of fruit affected by diseases occurring in storage. The findings show that ozone treatment led to increased content of bioactive compounds at the initial stages of storage and resulted in decreased loss of water and bioactive compounds at the later stages. Ultimately, irrespective of the conditions applied during ozone treatment, it was observed that the growth of micro-organisms on the fruit surface was inhibited, and as a result, storage losses during the relevant period were significantly reduced. Full article

Research into the suitability of domestic raw materials, including, for example, new wheat cultivars and fruit additives for the production of flavoured beers, is increasingly being undertaken by minibreweries and craft breweries. The fruits of the Saskatoon berry are an important source of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols, but also macro- and microelements. The fruits of two Canadian cultivars of this species, ‘Honeywood’ and ‘Thiessen’, were used in this study. Physicochemical analysis showed that wheat beers with the addition of non-ozonated fruit were characterised by a higher ethanol content by 7.73% on average. On the other hand, enrichment of the beer product with fruit pulp obtained from the cv. ‘Thiessen’ had a positive effect on the degree of real attenuation and the polyphenol profile. Sensory evaluation of the beer product showed that wheat beers with the addition of ‘Honeywood’ fruit were characterised by the most balanced taste and aroma. On the basis of the conducted research, it can be concluded that fruits of both cvs. ‘Honeywood’ and ‘Thiessen’ can be used in the production of wheat beers, but the fermentation process has to be modified in order to obtain a higher yield of the fruit beer product. Full article

The Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) is a prospective and increasingly popular species in Poland. Its main attributes are extremely valuable fruits, rich in anthocyanins with high antioxidant activity, which are very valuable in processing. Studies aimed at comparing the suitability for cultivation under the climatic and soil conditions of east Poland of the three Canadian cultivars of Saskatoon berry (‘Honeywood’, ‘Martin’ and ‘Pembina’), were conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 2017–2018. The study evaluated parameters such as yield and fruit quality, as well as the health-promoting value of the fruit. These studies revealed significant differences between the studied cultivars, both in yield and in fruit physicochemical properties, i.e., fruit mass and diameter, firmness, and soluble solids content, as well as in terms of the content of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These differences were also found between years, which may indicate that the content of the abovementioned compounds is also influenced by annual climatic conditions. Full article

Administration of freeze-dried powder of Saskatoon berry (SB), a popular fruit enriched with antioxidants, reduced glucose level, inflammatory markers and gut microbiota disorder in high fat-high sucrose (HFHS) diet-induced insulin resistant mice. The present study examined the dose-response relationship in metabolic, inflammatory and gut microbiotic variables to SB power (SBp) supplementation in HFHS diet-fed mice. Male C57 BL/6J mice were fed with HFHS diet supplemented with 0, 1%, 2.5% or 5% SBp for 11 weeks. HFHS diet significantly increased the levels of fast plasma glucose (FPG), cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, but decreased fecal Bacteroidetes phylum bacteria and Muribaculaceae family bacteria compared to low fat diet. SBp dose-dependently reduced metabolic and inflammatory variables and gut dysbiosis in mice compared with mice receiving HFHS diet alone. Significant attenuation of HFHS diet-induced biochemical disorders were detected in mice receiving ≥1% SBp. The abundances of Muribaculaceae family bacteria negatively correlated with body weights, FPG, lipids, insulin, HOMA-IR and inflammatory markers in the mice. The results suggest that SBp supplementation dose-dependently attenuated HFHS diet-induced metabolic and inflammatory disorders, which was associated with the amelioration of gut dysbiosis in the mice. Full article

Berry fruit species are, in many countries, considered biologically and economically valuable and important species of small fruits. The aim of this work was to examine the influence of either decreased or increased mesos concentrations (MgSO₄, CaCl₂, and KH₂PO₄) on shoot multiplication of five cultivars of three small fruit species (Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii, Rubus fruticosus ‘Black Satin’ and ‘Loch Ness’, and Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Brigitta Blue’ and ‘Toro’). Mesos nutrients were manipulated from half to four times their base concentration. The results indicate that mesos manipulation significantly influences the number and length of shoots in most of the studied cultivars. The greatest multiplication rate for A. alnifolia was achieved with tripled mesos, whereas ‘Black Satin’ and ‘Loch Ness’ reacted positively to a lower (1–2x) concentration of mesos. Decreasing the concentration of mesos to half led to worse quality in both blackberry and Saskatoon shoots. ‘Brigitta Blue’ was more sensitive to greater mesos concentrations compared to ‘Toro’. Optimizing the mineral nutrition of plants cultivated in vitro enhances their multiplication rate and contributes to a higher production of good quality plantlets. Full article

This study established the appropriate amounts of a functional Saskatoon berry fruit powder in fortified rye bread acceptable to consumers and determined the potential relative bioaccesibility of bioactive compounds exhibiting antioxidant activity, and enzymatic in vitro inhibitory activity against lipoxygenase, cyclooxigenase-1, cyclooxigenase-2, acetylcholinesterase, pancreatic lipase α-glucosidase, and α-amylase, as well as the relative digestibility of nutrients. The content of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant capability were strongly, positively correlated with the content of the functional additive. The highest phenolics content and antioxidant activity were determined in the products enriched with the powders microencapsulated with maltodextrin (an increase by 91% and 53%, respectively, compared with the control). The highest overall acceptability was shown for the products with 3% addition of the functional additive, regardless of its type. The simulated in vitro digestion released phenols (with the highest bioaccessibility shown for anthocyanins) and enhanced the antioxidant activity of rye bread. In turn, the microencapsulation contributed to the improvement in the relative bioaccesibility of antioxidant compounds. Bread fortification led to an increased inhibitory activity against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipoxygenase. Furthermore, the additive microencapsulated with maltodextrin and inulin improved the capacity to inhibit the activities of pancreatic lipase and cyclooxigenase-2. The results presented allowed concluding that the powders from Saskatoon berry fruits, especially microencapsulated ones, may be a promising functional additive dedicated for the enrichment of rye bread. Full article

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of inulin and maltodextrin applied during vacuum drying of Saskatoon berry fruit, juice, and pomace on the retention of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity (radical scavenging capacity (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP)) of powders obtained. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS) was used to identify major groups of polyphenolic compounds, such as: flavan-3-ols (35% of all polyphenols for fruit powder, 33% for juice powder, and 39% for pomace powders of all polyphenols), anthocyanins (26% for fruit powder, 5% for juice powder, and 34% for pomace), phenolic acids (33% for fruit powder, 55% for juice powder, and 20% for pomace powder), and flavanols (6% for fruit powder, 6% for juice powder, and 7% for pomace powder). In general, the content of polyphenols was more dependent on the content than on the type of carrier used for drying, regardless of the matrix tested. The average sum of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity (for ABTS and FRAP assay) of the powders with 30% of carrier addition were 5054.2 mg/100 g dry matter (d.m.) as well as 5.3 and 3.6 mmol Trolox/100 g d.m. in the ABTS and FRAP tests, respectively. The increase in carrier concentration by 20% caused a decrease of 1.5-fold in the content of polyphenols and a 1.6-fold and 1.5-fold in the antioxidant potential, regardless of the matrix tested. The principal component analysis (PCA) analysis indicated that the freeze-drying process led to the lowest degradation of the identified compounds, regardless of the matrix tested, with the exception of juice and pomace powders dried by vacuum drying at 60 °C. In this case, the release of (−)-epicatechin was observed, causing an increase in the flavanol contents. Thus, this work demonstrated the effect of processing and matrix composition on the preservation of antioxidant bioactives in Saskatoon berry powders. Properly designed high-quality Saskatoon berry powders with the mentioned carriers may be used as nutraceutical additives to fortify food products and to improve their functional properties. Full article

The aim of the present work was to evaluate for content of phytochemicals (monophosphate nucleotides, free amino acids, polyphenols), and for anti-microbiological, anti-diabetic (ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase), and antioxidant activities in seven selected fruit and fruit fractions of Amelanchier alnifolia. Most of the fruit and fruit fractions analyzed in this study have not been examined in this respect until now. The content of monophosphate nucleotides and free amino acids were tested by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS). The distribution of the examined compounds and biological activity differed significantly depending on the tested fruit and parts of the fruit. Cultivars “Smoky” and “Thiessen” had a high content of essential free amino acids, monophosphate nucleotides, and the highest antioxidant activity. They were also accountable for the high ability to inhibit Enterococcus hirae (anti-bacterial activity), of activity toward α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase. Moreover, the fruit peel was abundant in polyphenolic compounds and showed the highest antioxidative activity, which were strongly correlated with each other. In addition, the peel was characterized by a high concentration of monophosphate nucleotides, free amino acids, and were responsible above all for the strong ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase enzymes contributing to the development of obesity. The seeds were rich in uridine 5’-monophosphate, and total essential and non-essential free amino acids, whose contents correlated with the inhibitory activity toward α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The fruit flesh showed a high content of total free amino acids (hydroxy-L-proline, O-phosphoethanolamine, L-citruline). There was a positive correlation between antioxidant capacity and the content of polyphenolic compounds, nucleotide, and ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase, and between anti-hyperglycemic and free amino acids in fruits and fruit fractions. Therefore, the tested fruit of A. alnifolia and their fractions could be essential ingredients of new functional products and/or probiotic food. Full article

The basic chemical composition, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacity of fruits of three new Polish breeding clones (No. 5/6, type S, and type N) and four Canadian cultivars (cvs.) (“Martin”, “Smoky”, “Pembina”, and “Honeywood”) grown in Poland in 2016 were investigated. Fruits were analyzed for their contents of triterpenoids, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and polyphenolics with the ultra-performance liquid chromatography photodiode detector-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS) method, sugar with the high-performance liquid chromatography–evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) method, and antioxidant capacity with the ability to reduce free radical (ABTS) and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) method. Thirty-eight bioactive compounds, including twenty-eight polyphenolic compounds (four anthocyanins, nine phenolic acids, nine flavonols, and seven flavan-3-ols), four carotenoids, two chlorophylls, and three triterpenoids were identified in the fruits. The fruits of the tested Saskatoon berry genotypes were found to be rich in phenolic compounds (3773.94–6390.36 mg/100 g·dm), triterpenoids (66.55–91.31 mg/kg·dm), and carotenoids (478.62–561.57 mg/kg·dm), with high ABTS and FRAP capacity (10.38–34.49 and 9.66–25.34 mmol·Trolox/100 g·dm, respectively). Additionally, the berries of these genotypes seemed to be a good source of sugar (9.02–19.69 g/100 g), pectins (0.67%–1.33%), and ash (0.59%–0.67%). Some genotypes of Saskatoon berry, especially the clones type S, type N, and cvs. “Honeywood” and “Smoky”, may be selected for their potential applications in commercial cultivation to produce fruits with valuable health-promoting nutritional effects on human health. Additionally, three new genotypes that may offer new functional materials can be recommended for fruit growers. Full article

Flavonoids are a significant group of secondary metabolites in plants. Many of these compounds are potent antioxidants, being an important part in food products derived from the plants. The current status of research on flavonoid compounds in the fruit of Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) and their health promoting effects, including recommended utilization, are reviewed. The major classes of flavonoids in the fruit are flavonols (quercetin and rutin), flavanes (proanthocyanidin compounds ranging from dimers through to heptamers and even higher polymers) and finally anthocyanins. The flavonoids represented the group of polyphenols that mostly contributed to the antioxidant activity of Saskatoon berries. High content of the flavoinoids antioxidants in the fruit is responsible for the observed anti-inflammatory, antidiadiabetic and chemo-protective effects. Full article

Dry matter, organic acids, ascorbic acid, minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium) and polyphenolic profile of a number of non-traditional fruit species and their genotypes, namely blue honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), black mulberry (Morus nigra), Tomentosa cherry (Prunus tomentosa Thunb.) and jostaberry (Ribes nigrum x Grossularia uva-crispa) were investigated. The results showed that Lonicera genotypes displayed high levels of ascorbic acid and they were rich in minerals, with the cultivar ‘Amfora’ achieving the leading position in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content among all lesser known fruit species. Amelanchier cultivars represented a valuable source of ascorbic acid and calcium, ‘Tišňovský’ and ‘Smoky’ together with Morus nigra ‘Jugoslavska’ accumulated the highest level of examined polyphenolic compounds. Regular consumption of studied less common fruit species can bring health benefits so they can represent a high potential value for fruit growers and in addition they can be utilised as functional foods. Full article

Various berries and fruit types of less common fruit species are known to contain antioxidants. Consumption of high amounts of antioxidant flavonoids, which display a variety of biological properties, including antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activity, may have a positive impact on human health, particularly for the prevention of cancer and other inflammatory diseases. In these studies, based on the hypothesis that the fruit extract with the highest content would possess significantly higher health benefits, flavonoid-rich extracts were obtained from some less common fruit species – Blue Honeysuckles (Lonicera Kamtschatica and Lonicera edulis, Turcz. ex. Freyn), Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) and Chinese Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida BUNGE) – grown from germplasm held at the Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, Czech Republic and then characterized in terms of biological value based on the results from a relative antioxidant capacity assessment. The antioxidant content evaluation was based on the total flavonoid amount, determined by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED). A DPPH• test was applied as a reference. The antioxidant content measured in Chinese Hawthorn fruit extract identified it as a potent source of flavonoid antioxidants, with a content 9-fold higher than that seen in Amelanchier fruit. The multifunctional HPLC-ED array method coupled with a DPPH• reference appears to be the optimal analytical progress, accurately reflecting the nutritivetherapeutic properties of a fruit. Full article