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Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was extracted from five Sicilian varieties of tomato fruit [Pizzutello, Naomi (Hazera), F1 PS212 (Peto seed), Rosa Maletto, and PO228] and assayed with a method using 3-methylbenzothyazolinone hydrazone (MBTH) as chromophore coupling agent. 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid was chosen for tomato PPO activity determination. The tomato PPO had maximum activity at pH 4.8. The pH of juice in ripe fruits is between 4.1 and 4.4, a range in which PPO relative activity is between 74 and 87%. The optimum temperature of activity for tomato PPO was 40 degrees C; the enzyme showed a good relative activity (55% of the maximum) at cold-storage temperature (4 degrees C). PPO retained 82% relative activity at an NaCl concentration of 0.1 M; at higher concentrations the PPO became gradually inactivated. The commercial variety Naomi is more susceptible to enzymatic browning than the local varieties Pizzutello, Rosa Maletto and PO228, due to higher PPO activity levels. This result confirms the suitability of these local tomato varieties to national markets. Results from storage tests seem to relate PPO activity with color changes associated with browning and lycopene degradation, because lycopene is an antioxidant agent that reconstitutes the polyphenols oxidized by the action of PPO.

In the present study, we investigated the content and profile of polyphenols (PPH), ascorbic acid (AA), the Folin–Ciocalteu index (FCI), and antioxidant activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and peroxyl radical (ROO)) variation during three different plant growth stages (sprouts, microgreens and baby leaves) of two broccoli types, the traditional Sicilian sprouting broccoli landrace (‘Broccolo Nero’) and the broccoli standard (‘Cavolo broccolo Ramoso Calabrese’), and the standard commercial cultivar of kale (‘Cavolo Lacinato Nero di Toscana’). All biomasses collected were freeze-dried for PPH, AA, FCI, DPPH and ROO analysis. The highest polyphenol content was observed for ‘Broccolo Nero’ (BN) and ‘Cavolo Broccolo Ramoso Calabrese’ (CR), and generally sprouts showed significantly higher values compared to the microgreens and the baby leaves. The AA, FCI, DDPH and ROO significantly vary with regards to the cultivar and the plant growth stage, showing interaction between the two experimental factors analyzed. The interaction detected showed higher values for the antioxidant traits of the proposed novel food, especially for the two broccoli cultivars in the sprout growth stage in comparison to the microgreens and baby leaves. Our results suggest that the antioxidant activity is partially dependent on kaempferol and apigenin. The PPH compounds showed the highest values of kaempferol and apigenin for ‘Broccolo nero’, whereas for the other two cultivars studied, only kaempferol was the main compound represented. The data acquired are of interest for increasing the healthy traits of the novel food proposed showing the contribution offered by the neglected LRs until now underutilized and at risk of extinction. The germplasm conserved in several world genebanks could support and diversify the organic vegetable items, providing us with added-value products for organic food supply chains.

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Origin and Domestication of Cole Crops (Brassica oleracea L.): Linguistic and Literary Considerations. Various attempts have been made to locate the area of domestication of Brassica oleracea crops (i.e., cole crops). Contrasting hypotheses suggest either a North Atlantic or a Mediterranean origin. In the absence of archaeological proof, linguistic and literary considerations can offer some insight into this issue. Expressions indicating a deep-rooted knowledge and use of these crops are present in early works of ancient Greek and Latin literature, while no trace of cole crops has been found in documents from ancient Egyptian or other Fertile Crescent civilizations. Most cole crop terminology used in modern European languages can etymologically be traced to ancient Latin or Greek roots, particularly those terms indicating the most obvious morphological feature of the primitive domesticated forms, i.e., the solid upright stem (kaulos, caulis). Celtic tradition is not documented earlier than the Christian era, other than in stone inscriptions, and there is no clear evidence of a "cole tradition" among the Celts. This paper gathers information from the linguistic, literary, and historical points of view that are compatible with the domestication of B. oleracea in the ancient Greek-speaking area of Central and East Mediterranean.Origine e domesticazione dei cavoli (Brassica oleracea L.): considerazioni linguistiche e letterarie. Sono stati fatti diversi tentativi di localizzare l'area di domesticazione delle piante coltivate appartenenti alla specie Brassica oleracea (cavoli in senso lato). Sono state proposte ipotesi alternative che propongono un'origine Nord Atlantica oppure Mediterranea. In mancanza di prove archeologiche, considerazioni linguistiche e letterarie possono offrire qualche indicazione a proposito. Le prime opere scritte delle letterature greca antica e latina contengono espressioni che fanno riferimento ad una consolidata conoscenza e ad un utilizzo ben radicato di queste colture. Viceversa, i documenti scritti lasciati dalle civiltà antiche dell' Egitto e del Medio Oriente non hanno lasciato tracce riferibili alla presenza di cavoli. La terminologia utilizzata nelle lingue moderne europee per indicare i cavoli può essere fatta risalire etimologicamente a radici latine o greche, in particolare a quei termini che indicano la caratteristica morfologica più evidente che avevano le forme domestiche primitive, cioè il robusto fusto eretto (kaulos, caulis). La tradizione celtica non ha lasciato documenti scritti prima dell'era volgare, se non iscrizioni su pietra, e non e' stata tramandata alcuna chiara evidenza di una tradizione celtica dell'utilizzo dei cavoli. Questo articolo raccoglie informazioni appartenenti alle sfere linguistica, letteraria e storica, tutte compatibili con una domesticazione di B. oleracea avvenuta nell'area di diffusione della antica lingua greca, cioè nel Mediterraneo Centrale ed Orientale.

123 Genet Resour Crop Evol (2011) 58:125-137 DOI 10.1007/s10722 -010-9601-5 currently consists of 220 accessions from 15 countries: 169 of these come from European cultivation countries, 18 from commercial areas in non EU countries, 26 from regions of minimal or relict production and/or from abandoned fields and 7 from commercial nurseries. The non-saffron Crocus collection currently comprises 352 accessions: 179 collected from the wild in 12 countries of natural distribution, 24 from donations of public and private institutions, 91 from commercial nurseries and 58 acquired from BGV-CU collection management. Here we provide a record of collections, activities concerns and current strategies for documentation, conservation, characterisation, and management of the collection as important tools for researchers with interest in these valuable genetic resources.

In this study the catecholase and cresolase activities of eggplant polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were investigated. Enzyme activity was determined by measuring the increase in absorbance using catechol as substrate and 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH) as coupled reagent. The effects of substrate specificity, heat inactivation, temperature, pH, and inhibitors were investigated to understand the enzymatic alteration of ready-to-eat preparations. Browning of vegetables was determined through a colorimeter. Decrease of lightness (L*) and increase of color difference values (ΔE*) were correlated with tissue browning. Antibrowning agents were tested on PPO under the same conditions. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by 0.4 M citric acid. Under natural pH conditions, the enzyme was also inhibited by tartaric acid and acetic acid. All of the results were used to understand the best conditions for food transformation (ready-to-eat and grilled eggplant slices).

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