scholarly journals Comparison of Biochemical Constituents and Contents in Floral Nectar of Castanea spp.

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 4225
Author(s):  
Young Ki Kim ◽  
Sujin Lee ◽  
Jeong Ho Song ◽  
Mahn Jo Kim ◽  
Ural Yunusbaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Free Sugar ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Japanese Cultivar

Pollination is essential for efficient reproduction in pollinator-dependent crops that rely on the attraction of pollinators to flowers. Especially, floral nectar is considered to be an important factor attracting pollinator like honey bees, but differences among major chestnut species (Castanea crenata, C. mollissima, C. dentata, and C. sativa) are still little explored. This study aims to evaluate the value of honey source by analyzing floral nectar characteristics and comparing the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that mediate plant-pollinator interaction. In this study, we analyzed nectar samples obtained from male flowers using HPLC and HS-SPME/GC–MS. The five chestnuts showed significant differences between the volume of secreted nectar, free sugar composition, amino acid content and VOCs composition. Furthermore, C. crenata (Japanese cultivar ‘Ungi’) was revealed to emit the highest total amounts of VOCs and high levels of benzenoid compounds that are generally associated with flower-visiting insects. The sugar content per catkin, which is used to determine the honey yield, was the highest in C. crenata, suggesting that C. crenata ‘Ungi’ can be highly valued as a honey tree. Therefore, a better understanding of the relationship between pollinator and nectar characteristics of C. crenara could contribute to a prospective honey plant.

scholarly journals Correlating Capsaicinoid Levels and Physicochemical Proper-ties of Kimchi and Its Perceived Spiciness

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
So-Ra Yoon ◽  
Yun-Mi Dang ◽  
Su-Yeon Kim ◽  
Su-Yeon You ◽  
Mina K. Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Partial Correlation ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Titratable Acidity ◽  
Free Sugar ◽  
Partial Correlation Analysis ◽  
The Relationship

Capsaicinoid content, among other factors, affects the perception of spiciness of commercial kimchi. Here, we investigated whether the physicochemical properties of kimchi affect the spicy taste of capsaicinoids perceived by the tasting. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate the capsaicinoid content (mg/kg) of thirteen types of commercial kimchi. The physicochemical properties such as pH, titratable acidity, salinity, free sugar content, and free amino acid content were evaluated, and the spicy strength grade was determined by selected panel to analyze the correlation between these properties. Panels were trained for 48 h prior to actual evaluation by panel leaders trained for over 1000 h according to the SpectrumTM method. Partial correlation analysis was performed to examine other candidate parameters that interfere with the sensory evaluation of spiciness and capsaicinoid content. To express the specific variance after eliminating the effects of other variables, partial correlations were used to estimate the relationships between two variables. We observed a strong correlation between spiciness intensity ratings and capsaicinoid content, with a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.78 at p ≤ 0.001. However, other specific variables may have influenced the relationship between spiciness intensity and total capsaicinoid content. Partial correlation analysis indicated that the free sugar content most strongly affected the relationship between spiciness intensity and capsaicinoid content, showing the largest first-order partial correlation coefficient (rxy/z: 0.091, p ≤ 0.01).

scholarly journals Influence of Salinity on the Microbial Community Composition and Metabolite Profile in Kimchi

Fermentation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Mi-Ai Lee ◽  
Yun-Jeong Choi ◽  
Hyojung Lee ◽  
Sojeong Hwang ◽  
Hye Jin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Acid Content ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Metabolite Profile ◽  
Fermented Food ◽  
Free Sugar ◽  
Rapid Decline

Kimchi, a popular traditional Korean fermented food, is produced by fermenting vegetables with various spices and salt. Salt plays an important role in the preparation of kimchi and affects its taste and flavor. This study aimed to investigate the effects of salinity on kimchi fermentation. The salinities of five sets of kimchi samples were adjusted to 1.4%, 1.7%, 2.0%, 2.2%, and 2.5%. The characteristics of each kimchi sample, including its pH, acidity, free sugar content, free amino acid content, organic acid content, and microbial community composition, were evaluated during kimchi fermentation. The low-salinity kimchi sample showed a rapid decline in the pH at the beginning of the fermentation process, a relatively high abundance of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and high mannitol production. In the late fermentation period, Latilactobacillus sakei had a higher abundance in the kimchi sample with high salinity than in other samples. In the initial stage of fermentation, the metabolite composition did not differ based on salinity, whereas the composition was considerably altered from the third week of fermentation. The findings showed variations in the characteristics and standardized manufacturing processes of kimchi at various salt concentrations. Therefore, salinity significantly affected the types and concentrations of fermentation metabolites in kimchi.

scholarly journals Associative learning of non-sugar nectar components: amino acids modify nectar preference in a hawkmoth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey T. Broadhead ◽  
Robert A. Raguso
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Acid Content ◽  
Sucrose Concentration ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Flower Visiting

The nearly ubiquitous presence of amino acids in the nectar of flowering plants has led to significant interest in the relevance of these compounds to pollinator behavior and physiology. A number of flower-visiting animals exhibit behavioral preferences for nectar solutions containing amino acids, but these preferences vary by species and are often context- or condition-dependent. Furthermore, the relative strength of these preferences and potential influence on the foraging behavior of flower visiting animals remains unclear. Here, we use innate preference tests and associative learning paradigms to examine the nectar preferences of the flower-visiting hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, in relation to both sugar and amino acid content. M. sexta exhibited a strong preference for higher sucrose concentrations, while the effect of amino acids on innate feeding preference was only marginally significant. However, with experience, moths were able to learn nectar composition and flower color associations and to forage preferentially (against innate color preference) for nectar with a realistic amino acid composition. Foraging moths responding to learned color cues of nectar amino acid content exhibited a behavioral preference comparable to that observed in response to a 5% difference in nectar sucrose concentration. These results demonstrate that experienced foragers may assess nectar amino acid content in addition to nectar sugar content and caloric value during nectar foraging bouts.

The relationship between nectar spur curvature in jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and pollen removal by hummingbird pollinators

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven E Travers ◽  
Ethan J Temeles ◽  
Irvin Pan
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Species Differences ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Impatiens Capensis ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Floral Diversity ◽  
Pollen Removal ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Floral nectar spurs are hypothesized to have had a major role in the evolution of floral diversity and plant-pollinator coadaptation. We examined variation in the degree of nectar spur curvature in two species of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis and Impatiens pallida) pollinated by different sets of pollinators. To distinguish between adaptive and nonadaptive explanations for between-species differences in curvature, we determined the relationship between spur curvature and pollen removal, which is one estimate of male reproductive success. Spur curvature exhibited considerable variation both within and among three populations, with spur angles ranging from 0° to 297°. A greenhouse experiment determined that spur curvature of I. capensis flowers has a broad-sense heritability of 0.636. Laboratory experiments indicated that flowers having recurved spurs deposit significantly more pollen grains on hummingbird visitors than flowers having perpendicular spurs, apparently as a result of greater contact between the androecium of curve-spurred flowers and the upper bill of hummingbirds. We also found a significant relationship between spur curvature and flower length, suggesting a developmental link between the two traits. We discuss the degree of spur curvature in bird-pollinated I. capensis as a function of both adaptive evolution and developmental constraint.Key words: pollination, nectar spurs, hummingbirds, Impatiens capensis, Impatiens pallida, pollen export, floral morphology, floral polymorphisms.

scholarly journals Examining the Relationship between Sugar Content, Packaging Features, and Food Claims of Breakfast Cereals

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1841
Author(s):  
Marília Prada ◽  
Magda Saraiva ◽  
Claúdia Viegas ◽  
Bernardo P. Cavalheiro ◽  
Margarida Vaz Garrido
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Free Sugar ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Reduce Sugar ◽  
Sensory Features ◽  
Fiber Proteins ◽  
The Relationship

Excessive free-sugar intake has become highly prevalent in numerous countries, and Portugal is not the exception. One product category that contributes to the daily intake of free sugars is breakfast cereals. In the current work, we identified 289 exemplars from two major retailers in Portugal and collected information on their nutritional profile (e.g., sugar, salt, fiber per 100 g), price, packaging features, type of food claims present (e.g., statements about the composition, sensory features, the origin of the product), and ingredients list. Overall, the sugar content of breakfast cereals was high (Mean = 19.9 g), and less than 10% of the products complied with the current national guidelines (i.e., 5 g of sugar per 100 g of product). Sugar (or other sugar sources) was listed in the top three ingredients for over 85% of the products. On average, each product included about four claims (Mean = 3.9), and sugar content was lower when the claims were related to the product composition. Critically, the sugar content was particularly high for children-oriented products (Mean = 26.4 g). Correlation analysis showed that breakfast cereals with higher sugar content also were cheaper and had lower quantities of fiber, proteins, and salt. Our findings suggest the need to implement strategies to reduce sugar in this product category (e.g., incentivize manufacturers to reformulate products). Also, our results may inform strategies aimed at promoting consumers’ awareness about the sugar content in breakfast cereals and other processed foods, facilitating healthier decision-making.

scholarly journals An exploration of the relationship between recruitment communication and foraging in stingless bees

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robbie I’Anson Price ◽  
Francisca Segers ◽  
Amelia Berger ◽  
Fabio S Nascimento ◽  
Christoph Grüter
Keyword(s):  
Stingless Bees ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Recruitment Communication ◽  
Eusocial Bees ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Social information is widely used in the animal kingdom and can be highly adaptive. In social insects, foragers can use social information to find food, avoid danger or choose a new nest site. Copying others allows individuals to obtain information without having to sample the environment. When foragers communicate information they will often only advertise high quality food sources, thereby filtering out less adaptive information. Stingless bees, a large pantropical group of highly eusocial bees, face intense inter- and intra-specific competition for limited resources, yet display disparate foraging strategies. Within the same environment there are species that communicate the location of food resources to nest-mates and species that do not. Our current understanding of why some species communicate foraging sites while others do not is limited. Studying freely foraging colonies of several co-existing stingless bee species in Brazil, we investigated if recruitment to specific food locations is linked to (1) the sugar content of forage, (2) the duration of foraging trips and (3) the variation in activity of a colony from one day to another and the variation in activity in a species over a day. We found that, contrary to our expectations, species with recruitment communication did not return with higher quality forage than species that do not recruit nestmates. Furthermore, foragers from recruiting species did not have shorter foraging trip durations than those from weakly-recruiting species. Given the intense inter- and intraspecific competition for resources in these environments, it may be that recruiting species favour food resources that can be monopolised by the colony rather than food sources that offer high-quality rewards.

scholarly journals What Is the Relationship between the Presence of Volatile Organic Compounds in Food and Drink Products and Multisensory Flavour Perception?

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1570
Author(s):  
Charles Spence
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Data ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Chemical Profile ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Flavour Perception ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Unique Chemical

This narrative review examines the complex relationship that exists between the presence of specific configurations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in food and drink products and multisensory flavour perception. Advances in gas chromatography technology and mass spectrometry data analysis mean that it is easier than ever before to identify the unique chemical profile of a particular food or beverage item. Importantly, however, there is simply no one-to-one mapping between the presence of specific VOCs and the flavours that are perceived by the consumer. While the profile of VOCs in a particular product undoubtedly does tightly constrain the space of possible flavour experiences that a taster is likely to have, the gustatory and trigeminal components (i.e., sapid elements) in foods and beverages can also play a significant role in determining the actual flavour experience. Genetic differences add further variation to the range of multisensory flavour experiences that may be elicited by a given configuration of VOCs, while an individual’s prior tasting history has been shown to determine congruency relations (between olfaction and gustation) that, in turn, modulate the degree of oral referral, and ultimately flavour pleasantness, in the case of familiar foods and beverages.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Black Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer) Production Using Ginseng Stored at Low Temperature after Harvest

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Hyo Bin Oh ◽  
Ji Won Lee ◽  
Da Eun Lee ◽  
Soo Chang Na ◽  
Da Eun Jeong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Treatment ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Panax Ginseng ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Base Material ◽  
Free Sugar ◽  
Drying Process ◽  
Heat Treated ◽  
Black Ginseng

Ginseng processing often involves multiple drying and heat treatments. Ginseng is typically processed within one week of harvesting or is stored at low temperatures to prevent spoilage. Black ginseng (BG) is manufactured by repeating the heat treatment and drying process of ginseng several times. We compared the suitability of low-temperature stored ginseng (SG) and harvested ginseng (HG) as the components for black ginseng production. SG and HG were processed into black ginseng and the appearance change, free sugar content, and benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) content were observed. Appearance observations showed the SG to be suitable in terms of quality when heat-treated at a temperature of 95 ℃ or higher. The BAP content of the SG increased significantly as the steaming process was repeated. A maximum BAP concentration of 5.31 ± 1.12 μg/kg was measured in SG steamed from 2 to 5 times, making it unsuitable for processing into BG. SG and HG showed similar trends in the content of sucrose, fructose, and glucose during steaming. This study aimed to facilitate the proper choice of base material to improve the safety of black ginseng by limiting BAP production during processing.

scholarly journals Influence of the lateral source/building separation on vapour intrusion: A numerical study

2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 07006
Author(s):  
Juan Sebastian Rios Mora ◽  
Bernard Collignan ◽  
Thierno Diallo ◽  
Marc Abadie ◽  
Karim Limam
Keyword(s):  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Pollution Source ◽  
Source Position ◽  
Air Concentration ◽  
Indoor Concentration ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Vapour Flux ◽  
The Relationship

Various vapour intrusion (VI) models have been proposed in order to predict indoor concentration of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in buildings. However, these models tend to be conservative, and overestimate or underestimate vapour flux emissions due to several assumptions. Particularly, most of these VI models only consider an infinite uniform contaminated groundwater as the principal source of VOCs in the soil, and lateral pollution source in the vadose zone are disregarded. It has been shown that ignoring the lateral source position may lead to uncertainties on the estimations. In this paper, a numerical model is developed in order to better understand the relationship between the lateral source position in the soil, including both a source in the vadose zone and a source located at the groundwater level, and the resulting indoor air concentration. Results show that source position plays a significant role on vapour intrusion attenuation. In fact, indoor concentration of VOCs decreases with increasing lateral separation. Finally, it is shown that considering the source position can significantly improve the quality of VI predictions.

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