There are about 40 species in the Pleurotus genus, including those with high economic significance, i.e. P. ostreatus and P. pulmonarius. The fruiting bodies of oyster mushrooms are of high nutritional and health-promoting value. In addition, many species belonging to the Pleurotus genus have been used as sources of substances with documented medicinal properties, such as high-molecular weight bioactive compounds (polysaccharides, peptides and proteins) and low-molecular weight compounds (terpenoids, fatty acid esters and polyphenols). The bioactive substances contained in the mycelium and fruiting bodies of Pleurotus species exhibit immunostimulatory, anti-neoplastic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-oxidative properties. Their multidirectional positive influence on the human organism is the result of interaction of bioactive substances. Extracts from individual Pleurotus species can be used for the production of dietary supplements increasing the organism’s immunity. They are also used for the production of cosmetics. They can be added to functional foods as probiotics, or used as natural preservatives or ingredients of special foodstuffs for patients with specific diseases.
Drought stress is one of the many factors that lead to decreased yield in both quality and quantity. One method to improve plant resistance to this stress is application of biostimulants. The most widely used biostimulants are protein hydrolysates, containing sea algae extract and humus compounds. In the present study, the influence of the amino acids as well as combination of amino acids with Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate on broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) plants cvs. 'Agassi' and 'Tiburon' was investigated. The plants were watered with Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate three days before planting and sprayed three times with amino acids two, four and six weeks after planting. The present results show that biostimulants have a significant effect on both gas exchange and transpiration rate both prior to the application of stress, under drought stress and after re-watering. Biostimulant treatment led to an increase of drought tolerance in both studied cultivars but the final effect depended on cultivar. 'Tiburon' cultivar turned out to be more tolerant to drought stress than 'Agassi'. The application of biostimulants resulted in an increase of photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, internal CO 2 concentration and transpiration rate in 'Agassi' cultivar under drought stress. This effect was not observed in 'Tiburon'. The chlorophyll content was higher under drought stress as compared to the value prior to stress in both cultivars.
Biostimulants are commonly used in horticulture, primarily to increase yield quantity and quality, as well as plant tolerance to stress. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of amino acid-based biostimulants and amino acids in combination with Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate, applied during the growing season on the phenolic content in broccoli heads both after harvest and after long storage in a cold store. The seedlings were planted in mid-July, and heads were harvested from September to October in each year of the study. Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate at a concentration of 1% was used during seedling production. The plants were watered with biostimulants twice, in the fourth and fifth week after sowing. They were also sprayed with amino acid-based biostimulants (1.5 dm 3 ha -1) three times, i.e. after the second, fourth and sixth week after planting. The biostimulants were not used in the control treatment. After harvest, the heads were stored for three weeks in a cold store at 1-2°C and 95% RH. Chemical analyses of total phenolic, caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids, and of quercetin and kaempferol were carried out on samples of fresh broccoli and after the first, second and third week of storage. It was found that the application of biostimulants resulted in a significant increase in the total phenolic content, sinapic acid content, as well as quercetin content. Both in the control treatment and in the plants treated with the biostimulants, the concentration of all the tested phenolic compounds increased with the duration of storage.Ke y wor d s: amino acids, Ascophyllum nodosum filtrate, Brassica oleracea var. italica, kaempferol, phenolic acids, quercetin
Effect of Temperature on the Yield and Quality of Broccoli Heads The effect of temperature on the yield and quality of broccoli heads was determined. The study involved three cultivars: Cruiser, Skiff and Fiesta. The seedlings were planted on five different dates in 1995 and 1996, nine in 1997 and eight in 1998. The length of time from planting to the first harvest for all the 27 cultivation periods was divided into three equal parts determining in this way three phases of growth. The time of harvest was defined as the fourth phase. Temperatures on a scale from 0°C to 40°C were divided into five-degree ranges. Then, for the four growth phases, correlations were determined between the number of hours at a temperature in the five-degree ranges and the total yield, the percentage of loose heads and the percentages of heads with uneven surface or non-uniform buds. The length of time at a temperature in the range of 15-25°C during the first growth phase after planting and the phase preceding harvest had the greatest influence on total yield. Longer times at temperatures above 20°C contributed to smaller yields. The longer was the length of time at a temperature ranging from 20 to 25°C during the phase preceding harvest and at a temperature ranging from 5 to 15°C during harvest, the lower the percentage of heads with uneven surface was observed. Longer periods with temperatures above 20°C at harvest time contributed to the loosening of heads.
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