Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural component of many plant food and medicinal herbs, is endowed with a wide range of pharmacological properties whose therapeutic potential has only partly been exploited until now. Throughout complex and multifactorial mechanisms, OA exerts beneficial effects against diabetes and metabolic syndrome. It improves insulin response, preserves functionality and survival of β-cells, and protects against diabetes complications. OA may directly modulate enzymes connected to insulin biosynthesis, secretion, and signaling. However, its major contributions appear to be derived from the interaction with important transduction pathways, and many of its effects are consistently related to activation of the transcription factor Nrf2. Doing that, OA induces the expression of antioxidant enzymes and phase II response genes, blocks NF-κB, and represses the polyol pathway, AGEs production, and hyperlipidemia. The management of type 2 diabetes requires an integrated approach, which includes the early intervention to prevent or delay the disease progression, and the use of therapies to control glycemia and lipidemia in its late stages. In this sense, the use of functional foods or drugs containing OA is, undoubtedly, an interesting path.

The present study was conducted to know the possible influence of the seed treatment, method of extraction and geographical origin on the quality and chemical composition of argan oil. Artisanally and semiautomatically extracted argan oils, from roasted and unroasted seeds, from interior and coast areas, were studied. The quality parameters analyzed were acid value, peroxide value, K 232 and K 270 , triacylglycerols and fatty acid composition, polar compounds, total phenols, tocopherol content and oil stability index (OSI). Seed treatment and extraction method showed a higher influence on quality parameters than geographical area; the quality parameters of the different oils were discussed. The total phenolic content in all analyzed samples was lower than 10 ppm. g-Tocopherol was the major tocopherol (84.4-86.4%) with a high contribution to the total tocopherol content (383-485 ppm). The OSI of the argan oil samples were well correlated (R = 0.97) with the tocopherol contents. The argan oil samples obtained from roasted seeds presented higher stability (26-38 h) than the oils from unroasted seeds (16-32 h).

For sound land management, it is important to understand the temporal changes that soil hydraulic properties undergo. Estimation of the unsaturated characteristics of the hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity, and mean pore radius was performed using tension‐disk infiltrometers in two different soils of the Mediterranean region: a sandy soil (Xerochrept) and a heterogeneous, stony, and sandy soil (Alfisol). Both soils were cropped with maize (Zea mays L.) and underwent conventional tillage and different irrigation practices, namely furrow irrigation and gun irrigation. The mobile water content was also deduced from soil samples extracted underneath the disk following a period of infiltration with the tension infiltrometer filled with a Cl− tracer. Results are presented here of measurements made after plowing and again at the end of the growing season. During the growing season, the sandy soil under furrow irrigation showed a significant decrease in its hydraulic properties. This followed an increase in the bulk density and was a result of sealing of the small interconnected pores at the soil surface. Strong nonlinearity in the hydraulic conductivity was found for the stony soil, yet there was no significant change in this nonlinearity during the growing season. However, from the tracer results, it is stated that for this soil, the structure of the fine fraction changes from a well‐interconnected microporous network to a poorly connected one. This results in an increase of the mobile water content during the growing season. It is shown that a good understanding of the porous network can be obtained from tension infiltrometers and can explain changes in both the hydraulic conductivity and the sorptivity. These changes were also partially corroborated by the mobile water content measurements obtained from tracer observations under the disk.

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Metal content was determined in 26 samples of virgin argan oil from Morocco. An ETA-AAS with previous sample dilution with MIBK technique was used. In oil obtained by traditional method, Fe ranged from 0.8 to 4.0 mg/kg, Cu from 160.4 to 695.7 microg/kg, Cr from 10.3 to 55.3 microg/kg, Mn from 18.1 to 70.8 microg/kg, and Pb from 28.5 to 450.0 microg/kg. In oil obtained by a half-industrialized method, Fe ranged from 0.8 to 1.7 mg/kg, Cu from 158.4 to 385.0 microg/kg, Cr from 10.0 to 48.1 microg/kg, Mn from 15.0 to 68.5 microg/kg, and Pb from 32.0 to 100.0 microg/kg. Acidity value, peroxide index, K270 and K232, humidity and sludge volatile, and insoluble sludges in petroleum ether were also determined. A high variability in these quality parameters and a decrease of the quality in the oils obtained by the traditional method were observed.

Continued and intermittent (12 h per day) ozone treatments (2 ppm) to control postharvest decay have been assayed during the storage of 'Superior Seedless', 'Cardinal CL80,' and 'Regina Victoria' table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) at 5 C for 72 days. The effects of these treatments on the main fruit quality parameters, including resveratrol content, were monitored. Both ozone treatments considerably reduced decay of cold stored grapes compared to those kept in air, continuous ozone treatment being the most effective for controlling postharvest losses. Intermittent ozone treatment induced the highest resveratrol content in stored grapes. On the contrary, ozone-treated grapes got lower scores in the sensory evaluation tests and also showed significantly higher weight losses than the fruits kept in air.

Two commercial portable spectrometers were compared for orange quality non-destructive predictions by developing Partial Least Squares calibration models, reflectance mode spectra acquisition being used in both. One of them was a Vis/NIR spectrometer in which the radiation reflected by the fruit is collected and conducted by optic fiber to the three detectors (350-2500 nm) of the instrument. The other is an AOTF-NIR with a reflectance post dispersive optical configuration and InGaAs (1100-2300 nm) detector. Four orange varieties were included in calibrations. The parameters studied were soluble solids content, acidity, titratable acidity, maturity index, flesh firmness, juice volume, fruit weight, rind weight, juice volume to fruit weight ratio, fruit colour index and juice colour index. The results indicate a good performance of the predictive models, particularly for the direct NIR prediction of soluble solids content, and maturity index, the prediction of this last parameter being notable for its relevance and novelty. The RPD ratios for these parameters were in the range from 1.67 to 2.21 with the Labspec, which showed better predictive performance, and from 1.03 to 2.33 with the Luminar.

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