Search Results (6)

Root vegetables are known all over the world, but they are being less and less consumed by individuals. The main purpose of this article was to summarize the benefits, health effects, and threats associated with the consumption of carrot, celery, parsley, beetroot, radish, turnip, and horseradish. They are characterized by high nutritional value due to their richness in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. One of their most important features is their high content of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, phenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C. These compounds are responsible for antioxidant potential. Comparison of their antioxidant effects is difficult due to the lack of standardization among methods used for their assessment. Therefore, there is a need for a reference method that would allow for correct interpretation. Moreover, root vegetables are characterized by several health-promoting effects, including the regulation of metabolic parameters (glucose level, lipid profile, and blood pressure), antioxidant potential, prebiotic function, and anti-cancer properties. However, due to the type of cultivation, root vegetables are vulnerable to contaminants from the soil, such as toxic metals (lead and cadmium), pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, microplastics, and nitrates. Regardless, the low levels of toxic substances present in root vegetables do not pose health risks to the average consumer. Full article

The quality of turnip-rooted parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum) as a seasoning ingredient depends on the content and composition of the essential oil. The content of essential oil is influenced by many factors, the main of which are genetic variations and environmental conditions. The presented work presents for the first time a comparison of such numerous cultivars of root parsley in terms of the essential oil content in both the roots and the leaves. The experiment compared the content and composition of the essential oils of fifteen parsley cultivars in two growing seasons. The essential oil was obtained by the hydrodistillation method, and the composition analysis was performed using the GC/MS technique. The essential oil content in parsley roots ranged from 0.013 to 0.045 mL 100 g⁻¹ FW, while in leaves, it was within the range of 0.041–0.121 mL 100 g⁻¹ FW. The leaf essential oil yield was also higher than the roots, proving that parsley leaves are a valuable spice and should not be treated as a waste product as before. It was observed in the research that the content of essential oils changed significantly due to the weather conditions in the analysed growing seasons; however, some cultivars, such as ‘Kinga’, ‘Eagle’, and ‘Berlińska PNE’, had a stable content of essential oils in the analysed period. The dominant component of the essential oils obtained from the roots of all cultivars was apiol. However, in the case of the essential oils obtained from the leaves, the main ingredients were myristicin, β-pinene, Z-falcarinol, and β-phellandrene, but their content was highly varied depending on the weather conditions in the analysed growing seasons. Full article

Proline is an amino acid that increases plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, but the effects of its application can be influenced by many factors. The present study investigated the effects of time and the number of applications of this amino acid on the yield of root parsley in field conditions. The experimental material comprised of two parsley cultivars (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman ex A.W. Hill), ‘Halblange’ and ‘Sonata’. The parsley plants were sprayed with proline (1000 mg L⁻¹) at growth stages determined according to the BBCH scale: BBCH 15–16 (I: 5–6 leaf phase), BBCH 41 (II: roots start to widen, diameter > 0.5 cm), and BBCH scale 42–43 (III: roots are 20–30% of the typical diameter), including I + II, II + III, and I + II + III. The time and number of proline applications affected the weight of leaves and the total and marketable yield. The amino acid spraying increased the average number of plants during harvest in the ‘Halblange’ but decreased the number in the ‘Sonata’ in all applications. Using proline twice or three times reduced the total essential oil content and modified its composition. The most beneficial effect in terms of the composition was achieved by using proline twice at stages II + III, even in ‘Sonata’, where the values were lower in the other treatments than in the control. Spraying three times did not give better results in terms of the composition and content of the essential oil. However, the use of this amino acid did not affect the total and marketable yield of the roots or the leaf weight of the parsley compared to the control. Our study showed that the time of the proline application may be more important than the number of applications, and the results may be cultivar-dependent. Full article

In the present study, the chemical profile and bioactive properties of the roots of turnip-rooted parsley (Petroselinum crispum spp. tuberosum) germplasm were evaluated. For this purpose, plants from seventeen parsley cultivars were grown in 6 L pots, and the obtained roots were analyzed in terms of nutritional value, chemical composition (tocopherols, sugars and organic and fatty acids) and bioactive content (antioxidant activity, phenolic compound composition and antimicrobial properties). Our results showed great variability in terms of the chemical composition and bioactive properties of root parsley germplasm. A higher fresh root yield was recorded for the common “Root parsley” common variety (164 g/pot), followed by the varieties “Osborne” (109 g/pot), “Sonata” (104 g/pot), “Kaśka” (104 g/pot) and “Halblange Berlinska” (103 g/pot), whereas the lowest yield was recorded for the “Hanacka” variety (69 g/pot). A significant variation was also observed in the nutritional value parameters: the roots of the “Sonata” genotype showed the highest fat content; “Arat”, “Osborne” and “Olomuńcka” had the highest ash content; the “Alba” cultivar contained significantly higher amounts of carbohydrates; and the “Vistula” cultivar showed the highest energetic value. The only detected isoforms of vitamin E were α- and δ-tocopherols; content varied depending on the cultivar, although α-tocopherol was the most abundant compound in most cultivars, especially in the “Arat” cultivar. Sucrose was the most abundant free sugar detected, especially in the “Sonata” cultivar (16.96 g/100 g dw), followed by apiose (2.93–5.55 g/100 g dw), glucose (1.3–3.47 g/100 g dw) and fructose (1.37–3.03 g/100 g dw). Moreover, malic acid was the most abundant organic acid in most of the tested cultivars. Twenty-one individual fatty acids were identified in all the studied cultivars, with linoleic (47.9–57.1%) and palmitic acid (20.66–20.5%) being the most abundant. Nineteen individual phenolic compounds were tentatively identified, including three phenolic acids, fourteen flavonoids and two hydrolyzable tannins, while apigenin-O-pentoside-O-hexoside was the most abundant. The antioxidant activity differed between the tested assays (TBARS and OxHLIA), and the most effective cultivars for the TBARS assay (“Root parsley (common variety)” and “Berlinski Halblange Springer”) were those with the lowest antioxidant activity for the OxHLIA assay after 120 min. Finally, in most cases, the root extracts were more efficient or similarly effective compared to the positive controls against the tested bacteria and fungi. In conclusion, our results provide information regarding the chemical characterization and the bioactivities of the roots of turnip-rooted parsley germplasm that could be further exploited in sustainable and diversified agro-ecosystems through the introduction of this species as a novel/complementary crop in the traditional farming systems of the Mediterranean basin. Full article

Petroselinum crispum Mill., Fuss., is a culinary vegetable used as an aromatic herb that garnishes and flavours a great variety of dishes. In the present study, the chemical profiles and bioactivities of leaf samples from 25 cultivars (three types: plain- and curly-leafed and turnip-rooted) from this species were assessed. Seven phenolic compounds were identified in all the varieties, including apigenin and kaempherol derivates. Apigenin-O-pentoside-O-hexoside was the major compound in all the tested parsley types (20, 22 and 13 mg/g of extract, respectively) and responsible for its excellent antioxidant activity, also investigated in this study. Antimicrobial activities were also explored, and the results revealed a good bioactivity against specific tested pathogens, such as bacteria and fungi. In conclusion, the leaves of all the types of P. crispum are a good source of natural bioactive compounds that confer health benefits, and thus, they should be part of a balanced and diversified diet. Full article

In the present study plant growth, nutritional value and chemical composition of leaves from twenty-five plain-leafed, curly-leafed and turnip-rooted parsley cultivars were evaluated. Total fresh yield was higher for the plain-leafed cv. Rialto Bejo: 192 ± 11 g/pot, while significant differences were observed between the three types in the nutritional parameters, except for the carbohydrates content. The most abundant organic acid was malic acid (5.22–6.88 g/100 g dw), while the total sugars content did not differ significantly among the tested cultivar types. α-tocopherol was the major tocopherol detected in amount that ranged between 14.76–30.32 mg/100 g dw. The main fatty acids were α-linolenic and linoleic followed by palmitic acid, while only linoleic acid content being different among the cultivar types. In conclusion, the existing diversity in the parsley genotypes could be valorised to increase the agrobiodiversity in the broader Mediterranean region through the introduction of less cultivated curly-leafed and turnip-rooted types. Full article