scholarly journals Rock Samphire, a Candidate Crop for Saline Agriculture: Cropping Practices, Chemical Composition and Health Effects

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 737
Author(s):  
Anestis Karkanis ◽  
Nikolaos Polyzos ◽  
Maria Kompocholi ◽  
Spyridon A. Petropoulos

The recent market trends for functional healthy foods have rekindled the interest in wild edible species and created a market niche for high added value products. The current supply, mainly supported by plants collected from the wild, cannot meet increasing market needs; therefore, it is of major importance to establish cropping protocols and further valorize wild plants for culinary and industrial applications. Sea fennel is a wild edible halophyte that is an important ingredient in local cuisines and is also used in folk medicine for its beneficial health effects. Its valorization has not been commercially explored on a great scale and more efforts are needed to integrate the species in farming systems. The present review compiles the most recent reports regarding the farming practices that could allow for the establishment of cultivation protocols for farmers, while the main constraints that hinder the further exploitation of the species are also presented. Moreover, this review presents the most up-to-date information regarding the chemical composition (e.g., chemical composition of the aerial parts and volatile compounds in essential oils) and the health-related effects of various plant parts (e.g., antimicrobial, insecticidal and anticholinesterase activities) aiming to reveal possible alternative uses that will increase the added value of the species and will contribute to its commercial exploitation. Finally, the future remarks and the guidelines that have to be followed are also discussed.

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipa Mandim ◽  
Spyridon A. Petropoulos ◽  
Ângela Fernandes ◽  
Celestino Santos-Buelga ◽  
Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira ◽  
...  

Cardoon is a multi-purpose crop with several industrial applications, while the heads (capitula) are edible and commonly used in various dishes of the Mediterranean diet. Several reports in the literature study the chemical composition of the various plants parts (leaves, flower stalks, bracts, seeds) aiming to industrial applications of crop bio-waste, whereas for the heads, most of the studies are limited to the chemical composition and bioactive properties at the edible stage. In the present study, cardoon heads were collected at six different maturation stages and their chemical composition was evaluated in order to determine the effect of harvesting stage and examine the potential of alternative uses in the food and nutraceutical industries. Lipidic fraction and the content in fatty acids, tocopherols, organic acids, and free sugars were determined. Lipidic content decreases with the maturation process, while 22 fatty acids were detected in total, with palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids being those with the highest abundance depending on harvesting time. In particular, immature heads have a higher abundance in saturated fatty acids (SFA), whereas the samples of mature heads were the richest in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The α-tocopherol was the only isoform detected being present in higher amounts in sample Car B (619 µg/100 g dw). Oxalic, quinic, malic, citric and fumaric acids were the detected organic acids, and the higher content was observed in sample Car E (15.7 g/100 g dw). The detected sugars were fructose, glucose, sucrose, trehalose and raffinose, while the highest content (7.4 g/100 g dw) was recorded in sample Car C. In conclusion, the maturation stage of cardoon heads influences their chemical composition and harvesting time could be a useful means to increase the quality and the added value of the final product by introducing this material in the food and nutraceutical industries.


2021 ◽  
pp. 38-41
Author(s):  
Pashupati Yadav ◽  
Rimjhim Sheel ◽  
Baidyanath Kumar

Background: Meyna spinosa of family Rubiaceae is a spinous, armed small tree or large shrub. It is a signicant ethnomedicinal plant widely distributed in India, Bangladesh, China, and Myanmar. The plant parts of Meyna spinosa has been consumed as traditional or folk medicine to treat different health-related problems such as diabetes, diphtheria, stomach pain, headache, liver problem, indigestion, throbbing urination, and skin problems such as pimples and acne problems. Aim: To study the phytochemical prole of stem and leaves of M. spinosa Objectives: To study the presence or absence of phytochemicals in polar and non polar solvents. Method: The different phytochemicals of Meyna spinosa in their stem and leaves have been analysed qualitatively and quantitatively in three non-polar solvents viz., chloroform, petroleum ether and hexane and three polar viz., ethanol, methanol and distilled water in terms of Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Saponins, Phenols, Steroids, Tannins and terpenoids, diterpinoids etc. Results: The solvent extracts of stem and leaves of M. spinosa showed the presence of alkaloids, avonoids, phenolics, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates, glycosides, steroids, phlobatannin, terpenoids, diterpenoid, anthraquinones, carotenoids, anthocyanin, coumarin, fatty acids, proteins, amino acids, emodins and phytosterol. The stem and leaves of Meyna spinosa contain a signicant amount of phytochemicals viz. alkaloid, avonoids, phenolic, saponins and tannin. However, stem contained relatively higher amounts of phytochemicals than leaves. Conclusions:The present study contributes valuable information of bioactive compounds in stem and leaves of Meyna spinosa. Methanol, ethanol and aqueous extracts of stem and leaves had all the phytochemicals like avonoids, glycosides, saponins, phenols, steroids, tannins and terpenoids.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 1134-1146
Author(s):  
Magda E. Abd-Elgawad ◽  
Modhi O. Alotaibi

Background:The vernacular name 'Harmal' is used for two plant species in Saudi Arabia, i.e. Peganum harmala L. and Rhazya stricta Decne. Both are important medicinal plants which offer interesting pharmacological properties.Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity among different populations of harmal based on chemical variations of alkaloids and molecular polymorphism.Methods:Total alkaloids were extracted from plants of three populations of each species and estimated by using spectrophotometer and the chemical compounds were analyzed by Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Molecular polymorphism was estimated by using the Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) fingerprints.Results:The results showed that the alkaloids content of R. stricta was higher than P. harmala populations. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of (65-53) compounds in R. stricta and P. harmala, and the percentage of polymorphism was found to be 93.2%. Sixteen ISSR primers produced 170 scorable bands with an average of 9.6 bands per primer and 75%-100% polymorphism. The cluster analysis using the unweighted pair-group method of the arithmetic average (UPGMA) method based on combined data of GC-MS and ISSR markers divided the six harmal genotypes into two major groups.Conclusion:The existence of variations in chemical and genetic markers is useful for the selection of potential genotypes for medicinal use, and for breeding lines for medicinal substances production to spare wild plants from uncontrolled harvesting for folk medicine.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natália Conceição ◽  
Bianca R. Albuquerque ◽  
Carla Pereira ◽  
Rúbia C. G. Corrêa ◽  
Camila B. Lopes ◽  
...  

Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh) is a fruit economically relevant to the Amazon region, mostly consumed in the form of processed pulp. Our aim was to perform an unprecedented comparative study on the chemical composition and bioactivities of the camu-camu pulp and industrial bio-residues (peel and seed), and then the most promising fruit part was further explored as a functionalized ingredient in yogurt. A total of twenty-three phenolic compounds were identified, with myricetin-O-pentoside and cyanindin-3-O-glucoside being the main compounds in peels, followed by p-coumaroyl hexoside in the pulp, and ellagic acid in the seeds. The peel displayed the richest phenolic profile among samples, as well as the most significant antibacterial (MICs = 0.625–10 mg/mL) and anti-proliferative (GI50 = 180 µg/mL against HeLa cells) activities. For this reason, it was selected to be introduced in a food system (yogurt). Taken together, our results suggest the possibility of using the camu-camu peel as a source of food additives.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 377
Author(s):  
Bomi Ryu ◽  
Kyung-Hoon Shin ◽  
Se-Kwon Kim

Fish muscle, which accounts for 15%–25% of the total protein in fish, is a desirable protein source. Their hydrolysate is in high demand nutritionally as a functional food and thus has high potential added value. The hydrolysate contains physiologically active amino acids and various essential nutrients, the contents of which depend on the source of protein, protease, hydrolysis method, hydrolysis conditions, and degree of hydrolysis. Therefore, it can be utilized for various industrial applications including use in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals to help improve the health of humans. This review discusses muscle protein hydrolysates generated from the muscles of various fish species, as well as their amino acid composition, and highlights their functional properties and bioactivity. In addition, the role of the amino acid profile in regulating the biological and physiological activities, nutrition, and bitter taste of hydrolysates is discussed.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 653
Author(s):  
Nataša Imenšek ◽  
Vilma Sem ◽  
Mitja Kolar ◽  
Anton Ivančič ◽  
Janja Kristl

In view of growing requirements of the food industry regarding elderberries (genus Sambucus), a need to increase their productivity and improve their chemical composition has emerged. With this purpose in mind, numerous elderberry interspecific hybrids have been created. In the present work, the content of minerals in their crucial plant parts was studied. It was also investigated whether superior genotypes regarding the mineral composition of berries and inflorescences could be predicted at early stages of plant development. The results showed that elderberry leaves contained the highest amounts of Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Sr, while K and P were predominant in fruit stalks. Fe and Al prevailed in roots and Cu in bark. Although berries showed lower mineral content compared to other plant parts, their mineral content is not negligible and could be comparable to other commonly consumed berries. Genotypes with a favorable mineral content of inflorescences and berries could be predicted on the basis of known mineral composition of their shoots and leaves. The study also indicates that S. nigra genotypes and the majority of interspecific hybrids analyzed are suitable for further genetic breeding or cultivation.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 703
Author(s):  
Severino Zara ◽  
Giacomo L. Petretto ◽  
Alberto Mannu ◽  
Giacomo Zara ◽  
Marilena Budroni ◽  
...  

The production of saffron spice generates large quantities of plant by-products: over 90% of the plant material collected is discarded, and a consideration fraction of this waste is plant stamens. This work investigated the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activities of the non-polar fraction extracted from four different saffron flower stamens. The chemical composition of ethereal extracts of the saffron stamens was qualitatively assessed by means of gas–chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. These analyses revealed ethereal extracts to possess a high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. In vitro antibacterial activity of stamen extracts showed no large differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in terms of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). In food matrix microbial analysis of the bacterial strains belonging to the main foodborne pathogen species, including Staphylococcus aureus DSM 20231, Escherichia coli DSM 30083, and Listeria monocytogenes DSM 20600, using low-fat UHT milk, revealed a statistically significant reduction in the number of cells (particularly for E. coli and S. aureus with a complete elimination of the population of the two target bacteria following incubation in diethyl ether extracts of saffron stamen (DES) at high concentrations tested, both at 37 °C and 6 °C (for 48 h and 7 days, respectively). A synergic effect was observed when the pathogens were incubated at 6 °C with DES. This work shows these by-products to be excellent sources of bioactive compounds, which could be exploited in high-added-value products, such as food, cosmetics, and drugs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 3921
Author(s):  
Paloma Carrasco ◽  
Francisco Cuesta ◽  
Rafael Caballero ◽  
Francisco J. Perez-Grau ◽  
Antidio Viguria

The use of unmanned aerial robots has increased exponentially in recent years, and the relevance of industrial applications in environments with degraded satellite signals is rising. This article presents a solution for the 3D localization of aerial robots in such environments. In order to truly use these versatile platforms for added-value cases in these scenarios, a high level of reliability is required. Hence, the proposed solution is based on a probabilistic approach that makes use of a 3D laser scanner, radio sensors, a previously built map of the environment and input odometry, to obtain pose estimations that are computed onboard the aerial platform. Experimental results show the feasibility of the approach in terms of accuracy, robustness and computational efficiency.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e039517
Author(s):  
Gaurav Jyani ◽  
Shankar Prinja ◽  
Sitanshu Sekhar Kar ◽  
Mayur Trivedi ◽  
Binod Patro ◽  
...  

IntroductionQuality-adjusted life year (QALY) has been recommended by the government as preferred outcome measure for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in India. As country-specific health-related quality of life tariff values are essential for accurate measurement of QALYs, the government of India has commissioned the present study. The aim of this paper is to describe the methods for the Development of an EQ-5D Value set for India using an Extended design (DEVINE) Study. Additionally, this study aspires to establish if the design of 10-time trade-off (TTO) blocks is enough to generate valid value sets.Methods and analysisA cross-sectional survey using the EuroQol Group’s Valuation Technology (EQ-VT) will be undertaken in a sample of 2700 respondents selected from six different states of India using a multistage stratified random sampling technique. The participants will be interviewed using computer-assisted personal interviewing technique. The TTO valuation will be done using 10 composite TTO (c-TTO) tasks and 7 discrete choice experiment (DCE) tasks. Hybrid modelling approach using both c-TTO and DCE data to estimate the potential value set will be applied. Values of all 3125 health states will be predicted using both the conventional EQ-VT design of 10 blocks of 10 TTO tasks, and an extended design of 18 blocks of 10 TTO tasks. The potential added value of the eight additional blocks in overall validity will be tested. The study will deliver value set for India and assess the adequacy of existing 10-blocks design to be able to correctly predict the values of all 3125 health states.Ethics and disseminationThe ethical approval has been obtained from Institutional Ethics Committee of PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. The anonymised EQ-5D-5L value set will be available for general use and in the HTAs commissioned by India’s central HTA Agency.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-94
Author(s):  
Diogo Rechena ◽  
Luís Sousa ◽  
Virgínia Infante ◽  
Elsa Henriques

Abstract With increasing market needs for product and service variety, companies struggle to provide diversity in cost-effective ways. Through standardization of components with a low perceived added value, companies can take advantage of economies of scale while maintaining product diversity. Railway infrastructure managers face similar challenges of providing economically sustainable services while dealing with the costs of maintaining the system diversity. Typically, unintended design diversity stems from design practices in which existing solutions are not reused for new problems and new solutions are rarely planned considering the dynamics of requirement changes. In this paper we provide a methodology to assess how to standardize different designs to minimize design diversity and to assess design divergence in a product family. The developed methodology is able to take into account any set of standardization compatibility constraints that the user can define. The methodology was applied in the context of a small-scale railway infrastructure manager using a dataset of 223 unique designs of functionally similar components from its electrification system. Depending on the activated compatibility constraints, results indicate that over 60% of components can be reduced to a set of 86 unique designs.


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