Search Results (3)

Young shoots are a completely new and rapidly growing group of foodstuffs. Also known as “vegetable confetti”, they are a useful addition to commonly consumed meals and often serve a decorative purpose, especially when paired with traditional dishes. Most users are unaware of their invaluable properties as a source of bioactive compounds and add them simply as a dish garnish. Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate and compare selected health quality parameters of the young shoots of rare oilseed plants (Nigella sativa L., Carthamus tinctorius L., and Camelina sativa L.), which have not been studied in the literature. They are examined for proximate composition (dry matter, total protein, crude fat, ash, digestible carbohydrates, dietary fiber), antioxidative properties (vitamin C, total carotenoids, and total polyphenol content), the content of sixteen selected minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur, selenium, barium, iron, lithium, beryllium, nickel, gallium, indium, bismuth, silver) as well as antioxidant activity at two harvest dates. The ready-to-eat young shoots in the phase of intensive growth are characterized by a very high content of the examined components and antioxidant properties, which differ depending on the harvest date and plant species. Significantly higher contents of protein, fat, and some minerals have been found in the young shoots from the first harvest compared to those from the second harvest. The antioxidant properties of the young shoots generally increase with maturity. It was not possible, however, to conclusively assess which species of young shoots show the highest health quality. Full article

Image technologies have been used for real-time estimation of nitrogen (N) and leaf chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations as well as for photosynthetic properties. The aim of this work was to establish correlations between RGB values and chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations in three ornamental potted plants. We evaluated the RGB values, nitrogen status, and chlorophyll concentrations in the leaves of Peperomia obtusifolia, Maytenus senegalensis, and Rosmarinus officinalis. The correlation between the RGB values and the chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations in the leaves was different for each species, since baby rubber correlated with the R and G values, the confetti tree correlated with the G and B values, and rosemary correlated with the R, G, and B values. The correlation between the normalized RGB (rgb) values and the color parameters and the chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations showed R² values lower than 0.70 in all species. Moreover, the estimation of vegetation indices was not effective due to the lack of correlations between these indices and the chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations in the leaves of each species. According to the findings, rosemary exhibited the best association between the RGB values and chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations in the leaves. Full article

Microgreens are gaining increasing recognition among consumers, acclaimed for their freshness and health promoting properties associated with densely fortified secondary metabolites. These immature greens enhance human diet and enrich it with sharp colors and flavors. While numerous species are being tested for agronomic and nutritional suitability, consumer acceptance of appearance, texture, and flavor is critical for the microgreens’ marketplace success. This study investigates whether sensory attributes and visual appearance affect consumer preference for microgreens and their willingness to consume them. By means of a consumer test, the sensory attributes of 12 microgreens species were evaluated, wherein a partial least squares structural equation model was developed to link sensorial attributes to willingness to eat the product. The results showed that although visual appearance of the microgreens was largely appreciated, consumer acceptance overall was mainly determined by flavor and texture. In particular, the lower the astringency, sourness, and bitterness, the higher the consumer acceptability of microgreens. Among the 12 examined species, mibuna and cress scored the lowest acceptance by consumers, while Swiss chard and coriander were the most appreciated, being therefore good candidates to be introduced in Western country markets. In addition, both Swiss chard and coriander have been identified by previous literature as good dietary source of phenolic antioxidants. Full article