BACKGROUND Modern agriculture allows farmers to choose among different cultivars of the same fruit to fulfill their agronomic needs and consumers' demands; however, there are only a few studies that describe and compare key functional and sensory properties of different pistachio cultivars. The main objective of this study was to compare eight pistachio cultivars by analyzing key functional properties (phenolic compounds, polymeric procyanidins, antioxidant activity, and inhibition of α‐amylase and β‐glucosidase), aromatic compounds with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and by examining their sensory properties with a trained panel. RESULTS A combination of LC‐PDA‐MS‐QTof (liquid chromatography photodiode array quadrupole time‐off flight mass spectrometry) and electrospray ionization was used to determine two phenolic acids, nine flavonols, one anthocyanin, and three flavan‐3‐ols in pistachio cultivars, with a total concentration ranging from 500 to 6065 mg 100 g−1 dry weight (dw). The total polymeric procyanidins concentrations oscillated between 348 and 5919 mg 100 g−1 dw, (−)‐epicatechin being the major monomer contributor. Pinene was the most abundant volatile compound (∼200 mg kg−1 dw), and, in the sensory analysis of samples, 23 sensory attributes were found to differ significantly among the cultivars. CONCLUSION The cultivar ‘Larnaka’ stood out as having the best functional profile (high polyphenolic content, high antioxidant activity, and high values of α‐amylase and β‐glucosidase inhibition), and the cultivars ‘Kastel’ and ‘Kerman’ showed the most attractive sensory properties, mainly the most intense flavor. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

This research analyzed the volatile composition of the fruits pulp of six prickly pear cultivars (NT, NE, NO, NA, FR, and ORI) growing in Spain, by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID). A total of 35 compounds were isolated, identified, and quantified, with aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes being the predominant chemical families, and esters, ketones, linear hydrocarbons, and terpenoids being also found. Nonanol, 2,6-nonadienal, 1-hexanol, 2-hexenal, and D-limonene were the predominant compounds. NT and FR cultivars showed the highest concentration of total volatile compounds. On the other hand, NE and NO cultivars presented the lowest concentration. Future studies on sensory evaluation are required to determine the sensory quality of the fruits of these Spanish cultivars.

No abstract

Currently, consumers increasingly demand healthy foods, such as "vegetable drinks" made from nuts and cereals. In this scenario, the potential use of pistachios, grown under conventional and regulated deficit irrigation conditions (hydroSOStainable), to prepare fermented beverages was evaluated. This work addressed three important aspects: (i) water savings, (ii) use of noncommercial products, and (iii) expansion of the offer of vegetable drinks. Two commercial cultures of lactic acid bacteria (MA400 and MY800) and two sugars (glucose and fructose) were tested. Fermented drinks were evaluated by analyzing the following parameters: microbial counts, pH, titratable acidity, CIE (L * , a * , and b *) color, and total fatty acid, volatile and sensory profiles; all parameters were evaluated at 1, 15, and 30 days of cold storage (4°C). Pistachio-based beverages proved to be excellent substrates for the growth and survival of lactic acid bacteria. The fatty acid profile was not affected by the studied factors. However, the volatile profile was more complex for the treatments conventional-MY800 (80 μg/L) and hydroSOS-MA400 (72 μg/L). HydroSOS beverages fermented with MA400 culture were less sour and had higher intensity of umami and pistachio flavor; however, hydroSOS pistachios fermented with MY800 culture had lower pistachio odor intensity. All tested factors can be considered suitable for the preparation of fermented pistachios-based beverages, considering both technological and quality aspects.

No abstract