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BACKGROUND: Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and other species of genus Allium are popular vegetables and food seasonings, owing to their spicy flavour and richness in health‐promoting compounds. Several local garlic types are still grown on a small scale in different Italian regions, not being however yet properly characterized for their chemical composition. RESULTS: In the present investigation ten garlic and four elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) populations cultivated in northern and central Italy were evaluated for their alk(en)yl cysteine sulphoxide (ACSO) and volatile compound profiles. Three non‐volatile ACSOs (methiin, alliin, and isoalliin) and 27 volatile compounds were identified and quantified. A high and significant within‐type variability was detected, with total ACSOs in the range 2759–5756, 4533–15 520, and 6565–10 643 mg kg−1 of fresh weight (f.w.). in elephant, white and red garlic, respectively. Elephant garlic showed a total sulphoxide content and a relative alliin amount significantly lower than white and red garlic. Remarkable within‐type differences were also assessed for volatile compound content, ranging 260–599, 333–981, and 618–845 mg kg−1 f.w. in elephant, white, and red garlic, respectively. Diallyl trisulphide was the major individual compound, accounting for more than 0.30 mg mg−1 of volatiles in all the analysed samples. The three garlic types were clearly separated by discriminant analysis of analytical traits. CONCLUSION: This study investigated for the first time different Italian garlic and elephant garlic populations with respect to non‐volatile and volatile organosulphur compound content, allowing the possibility of selecting garlic accessions according to the bioactive content. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Much effort has recently been spent for re‐using virgin olive oil by‐products as nutraceutical ingredients for human diet thanks to their richness in bioactive phenols, but their management is not easy for producers. We aimed to provide useful information for a better management of fresh olive pomace before drying, by studying the phenolic and volatile compounds transformations phenomena of fresh olive pomace stored under different conditions planned to simulate controlled and uncontrolled temperature conditions in olive oil mills. RESULTS: The evolution of the phenolic and volatile compounds was studied by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐diode array detector mass spectrometry (HPLC‐DAD‐MS) and headspace solid‐phase microextraction gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HS‐SPME‐GC‐MS). The phenolic profile varied rapidly during storage: the verbascoside content decreased about 70% after 17 days even at 4 °C, while the content of simple phenols such as hydroxytyrosol and caffeic acid increased over time. The low temperature was able to slow down these phenomena. A total of 94 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in the fresh olive pomace, with a prevalence of lipoxygenase (LOX) VOCs (78%), mainly aldehydes (19 490.9 μg kg−1) despite the higher number of alcohols. A decrease in LOX volatiles and a quick development of the ones linked to off‐flavors (carboxylic acids, alcohols, acetates) were observed, in particular after 4 days of storage at room temperature. Only storage at 4 °C allowed these phenomena to be slowed down. CONCLUSION: To preserve the natural phenolic phytocomplex of fresh olive pomace before drying and to avoid off‐flavors development, storage in open containers must be avoided and a short storage in cold rooms (7–10 days) is to be preferred. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp., family: Rosaceae) extracts have been used as pharmaceutical preparations owing to positive effects on cardiovascular system. The AlCl3-based offcial method employed for the determination of pharmacologically active compounds was compared with other techniques such as Folin-Ciocalteau method and HPLC-DAD. Antioxidant activity was determined by ABTS radical cation assay. Methods were applied on extracts from buds and sprouts collected from common hawthorn (C. monogyna Jacq., C. laevigata (Poir.) DC.) located in Northeastern Italy. Phenolic content determined by AlCl3-based method, Folin-Ciocalteau method, and HPLC-DAD was in the range 23,534-27,728, 75,284-100,616 and 57,317-58,639 mg kg-1 of dry matter (DM), respectively, in buds, and 17,280-19,330, 27,653-38,590, and 30,635-32,185 mg kg-1 DM, respectively, in sprouts. Antioxidant activity ranged from 119,864 to 174,640 and 31,484 to 52,584 mg Trolox eq. kg-1 DM in buds and sprouts, respectively. Phenolic amount and profle were signifcantly affected by phenological stage and sampling location. Antioxidant activity was related to favan-3-ol and hydroxycinnamic acid amount, and to non-phenolic substances. AlCl3-based method underestimated total phenolic content owing to lack of selectivity to important phenolic classes whereas Folin-Ciocalteau method was affected by non-phenolic interfering substances. HPLC-DAD proved to be more effective in determining hawthorn phenolics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many wild species of the Asteraceae family are used as edible leafy vegetables. A distinctive trait characterizing these is the presence of sesquiterpene lactones, responsible of typical bitter taste and putative health-promoting effects against chronic-degenerative diseases. In this study, several edible leafy species of the Asteraceae family have been collected in the wild and characterized for their sesquiterpene lactones and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid inositol derivatives content by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry. The following species were considered: “aspraggine” ( Helminthia echioides ), “barba di becco” ( Tragopogon pratensis ), “caccialepre” ( Reichardia picroides ), “cicoria” ( Cichorium intybus ), “dente di leone” ( Taraxacum officinale ), “erba grassella” ( Hypochaeris radicata ), “grespigno” ( Sonchus asper , Sonchus oleraceus ), “ragaggiolo” ( Chondrilla juncea ), “gallina grassa” ( Crepis vesicaria ), “pie di gallina” ( Crepis sancta ) and “radicchiello” ( Crepis leontodontoides ). A database containing retention times and selected m/z ions for the identification of fifteen sesquiterpene lactones and six 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid inositol derivatives was developed. Total sesquiterpene lactone content showed a remarkable variability among species (0.14-140.45 mg kg −1 of dry matter). The highest values were observed in Cichorium samples (94.29-140.45 mg kg −1 dm), that also showed higher lactucine contents. Six 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives were identified in Taraxacum officinale . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkylresorcinols, fatty acid content, and antioxidant activity were analysed in Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. timopheevi , T. palaeo-colchicum and T. macha accessions from Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Bulgaria and Italy, also including modern durum wheat ( T. durum ) and bread wheat ( T. aestivum ) varieties as controls, grown in a common environment. Total alkylresorcinol content ranged between 478.3 and 1153.9 mg kg −1 dm, with the highest contents detected in T. aestivum , T. macha and some T. monococcum accessions. All alkylresorcinol homologues effectively contributed at genotype discrimination. Hexaploid wheats showed higher A19 (23.3–27.5%) and lower A23 (14.0–15.9%) and A25 (4.3–8.1%) relative contents, with respect to other species. C18:2 (50.4–62.3%), C18:1 (14.5–25.8%) and C16 (13.3–16.7%) were the most abundant fatty acid compounds in all accessions. PUFA/MUFA, C18:1/C16 and C18:1/C18:2 ratios significantly differed among genotypes, with special respect to T. monococcum , T. aestivum and T. macha . Significant differences were also observed for protein and total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. The data indicate that some genotypes could represent interesting sources of specific compounds, with a potential use either as promising material for the selection of improved varieties or raw materials to manufacture foods with naturally enhanced content of health promoting compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: A recent interest in edible wild leafy vegetables has been documented. Consumers often associate these species with health promotion. In this study, several wild species of the Asteraceae family and Knautia integrifolia (Dipsacaceae) were locally documented for their use in traditional cuisine and sampled from the wild. RESULTS: Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry. Hydroxycinnamic acids ranging from 1388 to 53 076 mg kg−1 dry weight (DW) were the most abundant compounds in all species (69–98% of the total phenolic content) except Tragopogon pratensis. Thirty compounds were identified as flavonoids, mostly as glycosidic forms of luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol and quercetin. The sum of flavonoids ranged between 212 and 12 598 mg kg−1 DW; they represented 65% of the total phenolic content for T. pratensis. Three anthocyanins were detected, representing in most cases less than 1% of the total phenolic content (3–627 mg kg−1 DW). Higher anthocyanin contents were observed for Cichorium types. CONCLUSION: Different phenolic profiles were observed between species, especially considering the class of flavonoids. Individual species may be of some interest for their content of specific minor flavonoids. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared alkylresorcinols, fatty acids and antioxidant activity retention following hulled wheat processing by traditional and modern plants. Glume removal and kernel crushing were considered as characterising steps. Samples were collected from two traditional einkorn wheat bulgur processing plants in Turkey, one emmer wheat processing plant in Armenia and a modern two stage processing plant in Italy, also including pearling. Whole kernels showed higher alkylresorcinol contents (759–1037 mg kg −1 dm) and antioxidant activity with respect to the correspondent crushed products. Following crushing a decrease of total alkylresorcinol content was observed, with lowest amounts detected in the semolina-like fractions. Pearling did not determine a significant decrease of alkylresorcinols of the pearled output. However the waste obtained from pearling, mainly composed of bran parts, showed the highest alkylresorcinol amount (1493 mg kg −1 dm) and antioxidant activity. The waste from pearling resulted also the richest fraction of unsaturated alkylresorcinol homologues and unsaturated fatty acids. Among fatty acids, C18:2, C18:1 and C16 resulted the most abundant compounds in all fractions. All the plants showed similar performance, with higher alkylresorcinol decreases due to the loss of specific parts of kernel, such as germ and bran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Wild fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare Mill. subsp. piperitum) florets are used as a typical spice in central and southern Italy. Although fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), belonging to the Apiaceae (syn. Umbelliferae) family, is a well-known vegetable and aromatic plant, whose main phytochemical compounds have been extensively analysed and investigated as flavouring agents and for their putative health promoting functions, its florets have not been specifically considered up to now. Therefore, the volatile and phenolic composition of florets from an Italian wild fennel crop was determined at different developmental stages, and compared to that of leaves and fruits. Moreover, florets of nine Italian wild fennel populations of different geographical origin from northern-central Italy were also analysed. RESULTS The total phenolic amount increased from leaves to florets, reaching its highest value in early florets, at 58 012 mg kg−1 of dry matter (DM), then constantly decreased in fruits. In florets of wild populations, phenolics ranged from 6666 to 43 368 mg kg−1 DM. The total amount of volatile compounds was more than twice higher in florets (21 449 mg kg−1 DM) than in leaves (10 470 mg kg−1 DM), reaching its highest value in fruits (50 533 mg kg−1 DM). Estragole and trans-anethole were the main compounds of the volatile fraction. Total volatiles ranged from 24 367 to 60 468 mg kg−1 DM in florets of local populations. CONCLUSION Significant changes in the total amount and profile of both phenolic and volatile compounds occurred during plant development. The consistent increase of estragole at later developmental stages supported the claim of different sensory properties of florets and fruits. Geographical origin significantly affected phenolic and volatile composition of wild fennel florets. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glume removal is the preliminary operation to make hulled wheats suitable to human consumption. Traditionally glumes are separated from kernels by means of stone mills, simultaneously causing kernel crushing, a loss of kernel parts and associated phytochemicals. The aim of this study was to compare bioactive compound retention of hulled wheat products obtained by traditional processing still used in Turkey and Armenia, with a more update plant located in Italy. On-plant samplings were carried out in two einkorn wheat bulgur processing plants in Turkey, and one emmer wheat processing plant, in Armenia and Italy. Whole and crushed kernels sampled at different processing stages were analysed for their phytochemical compound content. For the Italian plant, also the pearling process was considered. Whole kernels showed higher contents of lipid and phytochemical compounds than the correspondent processed fractions, with special respect for tocopherols and phytosterols. Carotenoid content was mainly affected by genotype. Pearling had a lower effect on the content of phytochemicals; however the correspondent waste fraction showed very high amounts of lipids and other compounds. All the plants showed similar retention of phytochemicals upon processing, with higher losses occurring in smaller kernel crushed fractions, mainly because of the loss of the germ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Kales are often a key ingredient of traditional foods, containing high amounts of indolic glucosinolates (precursors of indole-3-carbinol and ascorbigen), carotenoids and phenolics. The present trend to associate traditional foods crops with health-promoting properties suggested to investigate the degradation kinetic of three Brassica oleracea landraces' phytochemicals subjected to boiling, steaming and stir-frying. RESULTS Boiling led to substantial losses due to leaching. Glucosinolates followed a second-order degradation kinetic (20% of their initial values after 10 min in Nero di Toscana). Phenolic content in leaves + cooking water remained unchanged, whereas their antioxidant capacity was reduced. Carotenoid content increased during the first minutes of boiling. Steaming showed the highest retention of phytochemicals, with often zero-order degradation kinetic, having however a strong effect on colour. Stir-frying produced high losses for all measured compounds; also, β-carotene reduced its content to 10-23% independently of variety. Conversion values for indole-derived compounds ranged from non-detectable to 23.5%. CONCLUSION Variety strongly affected observed degradation rates because of a different glucosinolate composition and leaf structure. With this research, more information has been gained on the degradation kinetic of B. oleracea landraces' phytochemical compounds upon cooking, highlighting the possibility of improving bioactive component retention. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Kales are primitive leafy Brassica oleracea L. forms, widespread in local farming systems of several European countries and employed in the preparation of traditional recipes. Kales are also potential sources of healthy bioactive phytochemical components. The present study compared the bioactive compound content of kale populations from Italy, Portugal, and Turkey, either from local sources or grown in an experimental field. RESULTS Total phenolics, glucosinolates ( GLS), carotenoids, and chlorophylls were in the ranges 8310-38 110, 755-8580, 135-2354, and 1740-16 924 mg kg−1 dry matter, respectively. On average, locally harvested samples showed a total GLS content about twice as high as populations from the experiment. Conversely, pigments were significantly more abundant in experimental than in local kales, owing to the higher soil fertility. Portuguese samples showed higher phenolic and GLS amounts than Italian and Turkish kales, whereas some of the Italian samples were the richest in carotenoids. CONCLUSION This paper represented the first cross-country comparison of local kale accessions with respect to bioactive compound amounts. Both geographic origin and growing environment appeared to be remarkable and discriminating factors in determining bioactive levels in leafy kales, with possible effects on their health-promoting and sensorial attributes. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND In recent years there has been a considerable interest in the consumption of ancient wheats, often referred to as having superior health-promoting properties than modern cultivars. The BaSeFood project allowed us to explore the use of primitive wheats in the Black Sea area region and in Italy, with special regard to emmer ( Triticum dicoccum) and einkorn ( T. monococcum), and to collect seed samples to be grown and compared for their bioactive content, together with some other primitive wheat genotypes ( T. timopheevi, T. palaeo-colchicum, T. macha). RESULTS The data show that genotype was an important factor controlling phytochemical content. Variability ranges were as follows: lipids (18.0-28.5 g kg−1), tocols (26.6-72.8 mg kg−1), carotenoids (1.6-8.4 mg kg−1), sterols (441-929 mg kg−1) and phenolic compounds (819-1465 mg kg−1) content (dry matter basis). The fraction of individual components, within each class, was also variable; however, the species were well discriminated by their overall composition. CONCLUSIONS The present research represents a further contribution to the available literature about the analytical composition of primitive wheats, including the complete range of relevant bioactives and lesser investigated species. The data do not support an overall superiority of primitive forms, but evidenced interesting, potentially exploitable, between- and within-species variability. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Glume removal represents the preliminary step of hulled wheat grain processing for human consumption. Einkorn and emmer wheat are two hulled species, cultivated in marginal areas, from the Mediterranean to the Caucasian region, and the subject of investigation in this paper. An experiment has been carried out to compare the yield of the traditional process, used in Turkey and Armenia, and an updated Italian procedure, by means of on-plant samplings. RESULTS Crushed grains represent a product from all the plants examined. However, the relative amounts of fractions of different size and use, according to each country, varied consistently. The main Italian product is whole pearled grain. The calculated yield factors varied in the following ranges: dehulling: 0.73-0.81 kg kg−1; food product: 0.82-0.96 kg kg−1; overall yield: 0.56-0.95 kg kg−1 excluding unwanted losses, and 0.42-0.74 kg kg−1 including unwanted losses. Conclusions This first comparative assay of hulled wheat processing showed that, not considering the kind of product obtained, glume removal can be carried out with good efficiency in continuously operating traditional plants. Modern schemes, however, allow yielding of intact kernels. Some yield factors were highly affected by the available technology, especially when the process was operating discontinuously © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a survey on the yield, quality, and chemical characteristics of virgin olive oils from two olive varieties in Croatian Istria: Frantoio and Ascolana tenera, on Cherry leafroll virus-infected and virus-noninfected trees and on two harvest dates. Free acidity, peroxide value, specific spectrophotometric absorptions at 232 and 270 nm, fatty acid composition, total phenols, o-diphenols, oil color, and pigments were determined. Infected olives had lower oil yield and maturity index versus healthy ones. Oils from infected fruits had significant lower value of K232 and K270 and very elevated total phenols content compared to those obtained from healthy olives. Infected Frantoio gave a lower content of o-diphenols than the healthy ones, which is in contrast to infected Ascolana that had higher values. The aim of this study is to determine the chemical changes in virgin olive oils from healthy and infected trees related to virus influence. According to our knowledge, this is the first survey on the possible influence of viruses on olive fruits, oil yield, and virgin olive oil quality. Practical applications: There are only few papers which analyze the influence of viruses on crops (especially influence on wine quality) and their effects on yield or other agronomic parameters. This work evaluates for the first time the impact of Cherry leafroll virus on the quality of virgin olive oil obtained from Frantoio and A. tenera varieties in terms of basic parameters related to the hydrolitic and oxidative status, content in antioxidant compounds, and in pigments as well as in fatty acid composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana passion fruit (Passiflora tripartite L.H. Bailey) is a lesser known species of the genus Passiflora. This fruit typically grows in the Andean region of Ecuador and it is locally known as tumbo, taxo or curuba. The juice of this fruit is highly appreciated in South America. Extracts of banana passion fruit were characterized for their content levels of free and bound phenolic compounds by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry detector (HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS). A total of 82 polar compounds classified as phenolic acid derivatives, organic acids, benzophenones, flavan-3-ols, flavonols and flavones were detected in the extracts. The total phenolic content was 2356 mg 100 g−1 dry matter, with the bound phenolic fraction representing 37.7% of total amounts. Flavan-3-ols, such as (epi)catechin, (epi)azfelechin and their derivatives, were the main phenolic compounds in the free phenolic fraction; however, phenolic acids represented the most abundant class of bound phenolic extracts. The antioxidant and hypoglycemic capacities reported for banana passion fruit were higher than for other fruits. To our knowledge, this is the first time that bound phenolic compounds have been described in banana passion fruit pulp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Organosulfur compounds of garlic extracts from cloves and stems were investigated. • Plant part, extraction method and mixture affected bioactive content and profile. • High pressure extraction led to higher recoveries of hydrophilic compounds. • The highest amounts of lipophilic compounds were detected in macerates. • Garlic extracts represent marketable bioactive-rich herbal preparations. Garlic-based extracts have been surveyed as healthy promoting supplements in relation to their content of organosulfur compounds. The present study investigated the effect of high pressure extraction and maceration, and four extraction solvents (three hydroalcoholic mixtures and sunflower oil) on the total and relative amounts of the main organosulfur compounds of clove and stem extracts of the Italian ecotype "Aglio Rosso di Sulmona" (Sulmona Red Garlic). Organosulfur compounds were more abundant in cloves than in stem extracts. High pressure extraction led to higher recoveries of hydrophilic compounds than maceration whereas the highest amounts of lipophilic compounds were detected in macerates. A higher alliin-to-allicin conversion ratio was detected in clove, in comparison to stem extracts. Sunflower oil fostered allicin decay to compounds such as ajoenes, vinyldithiins and sulfides. The use of specific extraction methods may lead to standardised grade extracts, both from native raw materials and by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Einkorn wheat bulgur is a traditional food deeply rooted in some areas of Turkey, since ages. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of simulated traditional bulgur preparation on einkorn wheat bioactive compound content. A local einkorn wheat grain sample from Turkey was boiled for 2, 3 and 4 h, then dried in a thermo-ventilated oven. Tocols, carotenoids, phytosterols and phenolics, determined as free (FPC) and bound (BPC) phenolic compounds, were analysed in hulled (spikelets) and dehulled (kernels) bulgur samples, to highlight also glumes' contribute to their content and evolution. Kernel carotenoid and tocol content significantly decreased following bulgur preparation, to an extent of 42–58% and 15–30%, respectively. Phytosterols slightly decreased in cooked (12–19%), with respect to raw kernels. Phenolics showed different patterns, highlighting glumes' contribute: kernel FPC increased (+87%) after 4 h of boiling, whereas no significant variations were observed for BPC. A drastic decrease of total and BPC (20.5–28.0%), was observed in spikelets following bulgur preparation. Ferulic and p -coumaric acid resulted the most abundant phenolic acids, respectively, in kernels and spikelets. Decreases in tocol, carotenoids and phytosterol contents were observed whereas an increase of kernel FPC content was calculated after cooking. Image 1 • Bulgur popularity and consumption recently increased in Western countries. • Traditional bulgur preparation was simulated to evaluate its impact on bioactives. • Tocol and carotenoid content was significantly reduced in cooked kernels. • Free phenolic contents increased following bulgur preparation. • Boiling hulled grains could enhance sterol and phenolic compounds retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authentication of geographical origin of virgin olive oils is necessary to protect consumer and producers from frauds. A method able to classify virgin olive oils from the main worldwide producing countries is still missing. In this work, we developed 3 chemometric approaches for classification of virgin olive oils from Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Tunisia and other countries all over the world. The approaches were developed starting from a data-set containing fatty acid composition and the amount of 72 volatile compounds, evaluated by a never applied HS-SPME-GC-MS quantitation method, of 1217 oil samples from three different olive oil campaign. The approach that gave the best predictive results is based on Linear Discriminant Analysis run on quantitative data from only 25 volatile compounds selected by one-way ANOVA as the most capable in discriminating between the diverse origins. The method was built and internally validated using a training-set of 1000 samples and externally validated with a test-set of 217 independent samples. The method was able to classify the geographical origin of 94.5% samples, with a percentage of correct classification even higher than 97% for some origins. Preliminary studies also suggested the proposed approach is able to correctly classify the geographical origin of binary mixtures of oils from different origins. The approach proposed in this manuscript is easily applicable in testing laboratories and represents a very useful tool for the olive oil field, helping in protecting consumers and producers from frauds. • 1217 virgin olive oils from the main producing countries analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS. • Three chemometric approaches for authentication of geographic origin were proposed. • The ANOVA-LDA model gave 87.3% of correct prediction only using 25 VOCs. • For some origins, the model correctly predicted more than 97% of samples. • The model correctly classifies the geographic origin of binary mixtures of VOOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]