Effect of inoculation method on the quality and nutritional characteristics of low-alcohol kiwi wine

Hazelnuts are one of the most appreciated nuts worldwide due to their unique organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. The present work intended to analyse several physical and chemical properties of different hazelnut varieties grown in Portugal, namely Tonda de Giffoni, Grada de Viseu, Segorbe, Longa de Espanha, Butler, Gunslebert, and Negreta. In general, the results revealed statistically significant differences between the varieties under study. The Gunslebert had more elongated hazelnuts and with heavier shelled fruits, while the kernels of the Grada de Viseu revealed to be heavier. Grada de Viseu was harder in the shell, Gunslebert had a harder core, and Segorbe was more resistant to fracture. Fat was the more representative component for all varieties and in some cases the values of moisture and water activity were over the recommended amount (≥0.62). Tonda de Giffoni was the variety with the highest induction time, indicating the highest oxidation stability. Moreover, discriminant analysis revealed that the variables more important to distinguish the varieties were protein (λ = 0.007) and water activity (λ = 0.010). The results of this study help to better understand the differences between some hazelnut varieties that are cultivated in Portugal, which gives important hints for all players in the hazelnut sector.

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Morphometric and Nutritional Characterization of the Main Spanish Lentil Cultivars

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11080741 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 741

Author(s):

Javier Plaza ◽

M. Remedios Morales-Corts ◽

Rodrigo Pérez-Sánchez ◽

Isabel Revilla ◽

Ana M. Vivar-Quintana

Keyword(s):

Scientific Evidence ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Mediterranean Area ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Protein Food ◽

Content Assessment ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Nutritional Characteristics ◽

Clear Differentiation

Nowadays, there is a growing demand for high-quality vegetal protein food products, such as pulses and lentils in particular. However, there is no scientific evidence on the nutritional and morphometric characterization of the main lentil cultivars in the Western Mediterranean area. For this reason, the aim of this work is to carry out a morphometric and nutritional characterization of the main Spanish lentil cultivars. Nutrient content assessment was performed on dry matter. The results showed that all studied cultivars are large and heavy lentils, except for the cultivar “Pardina”. They have high protein levels, ranging from 21% to 25%, which is higher than those found in any other pulse, as well as a high carbohydrate content, greater than 59% in all cases. Fiber content was higher than expected in “Armuña” and “Rubia Castellana” cultivars, ranging from 6% to 6.6%, and exceptionally high in the case of the cultivar “Pardina”, which reached 7.8%. Conversely, very low values were found for fat content, varying between 0.5% and 0.9%. Ca, Fe and Mg levels were remarkably higher (from 550 ppm to 851 ppm, from 98 ppm to 139 ppm and from 790 ppm to 989 ppm, respectively) than those found for other lentil cultivars, especially the high Mg content in the cultivars “Jaspeada” and “Microjaspeada”, both above 955 ppm. Clear differentiation was found between the cultivars “Rubia Castellana”, “Pardina” and those included in the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) “Lenteja de la Armuña”. Overall, lentil cultivars included in the PGI “Lenteja de la Armuña” showed better morphometric and nutritional characteristics than cultivars “Pardina” or “Rubia Castellana”.

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Self-reported morbidities, nutritional characteristics, and associated factors in institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02067-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Abdelhafid Benksim ◽

Rachid Ait Addi ◽

Elhassania Khalloufi ◽

Aziz Habibi ◽

Mohamed Cherkaoui

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Insurance ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Well Being ◽

Public Institution ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Nutritional Characteristics

Abstract Background As the world’s population ages and people live longer, it seems important to ensure that older people have a good quality of life and positive subjective well-being. The objective of this study is to determine socio-economic, health and nutritional characteristics of institutionalized and non-institutionalized elders in the province of Marrakech. Methods This study was conducted among 368 older adults in the province of Marrakech between March 2017 and June 2019. Of all participants, 180 older adults reside in a public institution and 188 of them live in their own homes. Data on health conditions, nutritional status, functional and socio-economic characteristics were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 16.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Institutionalized elders were illiterate (80.0%), had low incomes (95.5%), and unmarried (73.3%), they reported also no children (56.1%) and no health insurance (98.9%). Institutional residents suffered from malnutrition (22.2%), hearing impairments (35.6%) and severe edentulism (43.3%). There was no significant difference between both groups on daily activities and depression. A multivariate analysis identified a model with three significant variables associated with non-institutionalized elders: health insurance (P = 0.001; OR = 107.49), number of children (P = 0.001; OR = 1.74) and nutritional status (p = 0.001; OR = 3.853). Conclusions This study shows that the institutionalization of older adults is considerably induced by various factors such as nutritional problems, lack of health insurance and family structure. To mitigate the effects of this phenomenon, home care strategies and preventive actions should be implemented to delay the institutionalization of older adults and therefore keep them socially active in their own homes.

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Conventional and Organic Honeys as a Source of Water- and Ethanol Soluble Molecules with Nutritional and Antioxidant Characteristics

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26123746 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 3746

Author(s):

Magdalena Polak-Śliwińska ◽

Małgorzata Tańska

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Immune System ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Production Method ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Organic Production ◽

Organoleptic Characteristics ◽

Nutritional Characteristics ◽

The Impact

The benefits of natural honeybee products (e.g., honey, royal jelly, beeswax, propolis, beevenom and pollen) to the immune system are remarkable, and many of them are involved in the induction of antibody production, maturation of immune cells and stimulation of the immune system. The type of plants in the geographical area, climatic conditions and production method have a significantly influence on the nutritional quality of honey. However, this variability can influence consumer liking by the sensory attributes of the product. The aim of this work was to compare the most popular honeys from Poland in terms of nutritional value, organoleptic properties and antioxidant activity. In the study, five varieties of honey (honeydew, forest, buckwheat, linden and dandelion) from conventional and organic production methods were tested. The nutritional characteristics of honey samples included acidity, content of water, sugars, vitamin C, HMF and phenolics (total and flavonoids), while honey color, taste, aroma and consistency were investigated in the organoleptic characteristics. The antioxidant activity was determined in water- and ethanol-soluble honey extracts using DPPH and ORAC tests. The results showed that organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of popular Polish honeys differ significantly in relation to plant source and production method. The significant effect of honey variety on the content of HMF, saccharose and phenolics, as well as acidity and antioxidant capacity were noted. The impact of variety and variety × production method interaction was significant in the case of the content of vitamin C, glucose and fructose. A visible difference of buckwheat and forest honeys from other samples was observed. The highest content of total phenolics with antioxidant activity based on the SET mechanism was found in buckwheat honeys, while forest honeys were richer in flavonoids.

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