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Bioconversion is a biological process by which organic materials are converted into products with higher biological and commercial value. During its larval stage the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens is extremely voracious and can feed on a wide variety of organic materials. To study the impact of different fruit byproducts on the insect's growth, final larval biomass, substrate reduction, bioconversion parameters, and larval nutritional composition, 10 000 black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) were reared on 7.0 kg of one of three substrates (strawberry, tangerine, or orange) or on a standard diet as a control. The results highlight that BSFL can successfully feed and grow on each of these diets, though their development time, growth rate, and final biomass were differently impacted by the substrates, with strawberry being the most suitable. The lipid and protein contents of BSFL were similar among larvae fed on different substrates; however, major differences were detected in ash, micronutrient, fiber, fatty acid, and amino acid contents. Overall, the results indicate that fruit waste management through the BSFL bioconversion process represents a commercially promising resource for regional and national agrifood companies. Our study offers new perspectives for sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial development by which fruit byproducts or waste might be disposed of or unconventionally enhanced to create secondary products of high biological and economic value, including BSFL biomass as animal feed or, in perspective, as alternative protein source for human nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The effects of ultraviolet B (UV‐B) radiation on plants are well known and have recently attracted a great deal of attention due to the production of large quantities of secondary metabolites, which are very beneficial for human health. Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of exploiting UV‐B radiation to induce metabolic changes in fruit, vegetables, and herbs. The role of UV‐B rays in inducing secondary plant metabolites is enhanced by new plastic films, which, as a result of their optical properties, permit the necessary dosage of UV‐B to be transmitted into the greenhouse to stimulate such metabolites without altering the harvest. RESULTS: The main goal of the present paper is to demonstrate that, by using a greenhouse plastic film with appropriate transmittance of UV‐B for rocket salad cultivation, it is possible to increase the nutraceutical elements in comparison with the same species grown in absence of such radiation. Tests compared nutritional elements extracted from rocket salad grown under greenhouses covered with several plastic films differing in UV‐B transmittance. We found that rocket salad grown under plastic with 27% UV‐B transmittance exhibited very high luteolin and quercetin content in comparison with rocket salad cultivated under film blocking UV‐B radiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our experimental results confirm the possibility of exploiting UV‐B radiation in the correct amounts by appropriate greenhouse plastic covers, to produce natural 'medicines' using the plants and to satisfy increasing consumer demand for natural health‐promoting food products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Characterizing germplasm collections of autochthonous cultivars for fruit quality traits could be a successful approach for selection, improvement of organoleptic quality and levels of antioxidants of crop produce, and development of new market opportunities and coherent strategies for conservation and valorization. The aim of the study was the evaluation of fruit physicochemical traits as well as the content of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity in 25 sweet cherry autochthonous cultivars. RESULTS Cultivars were a source of statistically significant variation for all evaluated traits. Notably, average fruit ascorbate levels ranged from 34.45 to 244.68 µg g−1 fresh weight ( FW) , total flavonoids from 1396.40 to 4694.75 µg quercetin equiv. g−1 FW, monomeric anthocyanins from 4.80 to 360.90 µg g−1 FW, and total antioxidant capacity from 1.53 to 2.58 nmol Trolox equiv. mg−1 FW. Fruit profiling of eight cultivars by high-resolution mass spectrometry identified a total of eight different anthocyanins and twenty-five non-anthocyanin polyphenolic compounds - mostly coumaroylquinic acid and neochlorogenic acid. CONCLUSION Among the better-performing cultivars for fruit quality traits, Mulegnana Nera and Pagliarella shared high fruit levels of phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity. This is a forerunner work on the characterization of genetic resources, which is critical to researchers and breeders for exploitation of the genetic potential of cultivars and for their conservation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Fruit quality traits (fresh weight, dry weight, soluble solids content, titratable acidity and firmness) as well as the content of bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds) and total antioxidant activity were evaluated in four commercial cultivars of peach (Greta, Ufo 4, Rome Star and Ufo 6) and four of nectarine (Neve, Planet 1, Maria Carla and Mesembrina) differing in fruit shape (standard or flat) and flesh colour (white or yellow), important cultivars of the Italian and foreign market. The higher fruit organoleptic quality and nutritional profile of flat peach and nectarine cultivars make them candidates for exploiting new market opportunities and the chance to improve profits of farmers. RESULTS The results showed that assayed quality parameters differed greatly among cultivars. In particular, flesh color and fruit shape accounted for most of the variation in traits underlying organoleptic and nutritional quality. CONCLUSION Overall data suggested that the flat white-fleshed nectarine Planet 1, the yellow-fleshed nectarine Mesembrina and the yellow-fleshed peach Ufo 6, because of their profiles in terms of soluble solids content, titratable acidity and bioactive compounds, have the greatest potential to meet current consumer requirements. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]