The identification of agricultural food production systems has gained importance in order to protect both human health and the environment. The importance of organic production system of agriculture which involves the application of natural processes and substances, and limits or completely eliminates the use of synthesized means is emphasized. Knowledge of the mineral composition in tomato samples can be used as a potent tool in the identification of chemical markers as potential indicators of the farming system. A set of tomato samples taken from two factorial randomized trials were comprehended eight different varieties, belonging to four tomato types: large—BEEF and CLUSTER, and mini and midi—CHERRY and PLUM tomatoes, cultivated under two different farming systems: integral (IPM) and organic (O) were characterized based on the composition of the minerals. A total of 44 elements were quantified. To establish criteria for the classification of the samples and confirm a unique set of parameters of variation among the types of production, sophisticated chemometric techniques were used. The results indicate that the accumulation of elements varies between 8 tomato varieties and 2 different growing systems. The contents of Al, Mn, As, Pb, and some of the rare-earth elements (REEs) are able to distinguish between production types. Examination of different hybrids, which belong to different types in two production systems: organic and integral within Zeleni hit (official Enza and Vitalis trial and breeding station), was done with the aim of reaching a methodology of diversification, ie complete traceability of organic production, and to contribute to distinguishing types of agricultural systems and enhancing the possibility of acquiring a valuable authenticity factor about the type of agricultural production system employed for the cultivation of tomatoes.
Cocoa beans are part of the cocoa plant fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) used to prepare various products such as chocolate, cocoa butter, jelly, liqueurs, cosmetics, etc. Dark chocolate is consumed worldwide by different populations and is known for its good taste, making it one of the most favoured food products. This work aimed to determine the content of total polyphenols (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and the antioxidant potential measured through the ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals (DPPH), ferric reducing power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as well as major and trace elements contained in twelve commercially available dark chocolate samples, with cocoa content ranging from 40% to 99%. The total polyphenols content ranged between 10.55 and 39.82 mg/g GAE, while the total flavonoid content was from 10.04 to 37.85 mg/g CE. All applied antioxidant assays indicate that the sample with the highest cocoa percentage shows the greatest antioxidant activity (DPPH: 48.34% of inhibition; FRAP: 89.00 mg/g GAE; TAC: 83.86 mg/g AAE). Statistical methods were applied to establish the differences between the samples concerning TPC, TFC, DPPH, FRAP and TAC, as well as to differentiate the samples according to the mineral content. The results indicated that the differences in TPC and TFC between different samples depended on the cocoa content and the addition of dried fruit pieces. A good correlation between antioxidant potency composite index (ACI) and declared cocoa content was noticed (R2 = 0.8034), indicating that the declared percentage of cocoa is a reliable indicator for antioxidant activity of analysed dark chocolate samples. The nutritional evaluation proved that the studied chocolate samples were an excellent source of Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu.
Lignocellulosic biomass represents the most abundant renewable material in the world, whereas agricultural residues, including those from maize cultivation, comprise a significant fraction of the total plant waste that can be repurposed for various applications. Lignocellulosic feedstocks are non-edible and consist mainly of: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, along with extractive compounds. Pretreatment is required to separate the lignocellulosic biomass into its constituents for efficient utilization. Even after extensive research and development of numerous techniques, pretreatment remains one of the most expensive phases in converting lignocellulosic biomass into biobased products.
The main aim of this study was to assess the effect of the micronization process applied on cereals and legumes, as feed components, on the efficiency of feed conversion, digestibility, and daily gain of weaned piglets. The results showed that the digestibility of the investigated micronized maize and wheat flakes was higher than that of the respective raw grains. The digestibility of the feed mixture prepared with micronized cereals and legumes was higher (84.74%) than that of the commercial feed mixture (80.27%). The feed mixture prepared with micronized cereals and legumes manifested beneficial effects on weaned piglets’ daily gain, feed conversion, and digestibility in the feeding trial.
Water is one of Nature’s most valuable resources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in nineteen water samples collected in the area of Deliblato Sands (southern Banat, Serbia). Concentrations of Fe and Mn were determined using Inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analytical technic. In most studied samples concentrations of Fe and Mn were 5-10-fold higher than the maximum allowed concentrations (MAC – 50 μg/L) established by national regulations on the water quality for human use. The elevated concentrations of studied elements could be attributed to the geology of the terrain in the studied region.
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