No abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate into the effects of Ecklonia maxima extract (Kelpak SL) on yield, protein and ash contents of two bean cultivars. The study was carried out in 2012 -2014 in Poland. During the growing season, 0.2% and 0.4% solutions of the bio-stimulant were applied by single and double spraying of plants against a control. The highest number and weight of grains were found when the plants of 'Toska' cultivar were single sprayed with 0.2% seaweed extract. Double spraying the plants with the 0.4% solution of Kelpak SL increased the number, its weight and the number of pods in cultivar 'Aura'. The application of Kelpak SL increased protein content of grains in both bean cultivars. Higher the dose the double foliar application of the bio-stimulant, more was the ash content of the grain of plants of 'Toska' cultivar.

Currently, many countries are establishing goals for substituting fossil fuels with biomass. This global trade in solid biofuels, which is to some extent already taking place, will have a major impact not only on other commodity markets like vegetable oils or animal fodder but also on the global land use change and on environmental impacts. It demonstrates the strong but complex link between biofuels production and the global food market, it unveils policy measures as the main drivers for production and use of biofuels and it analyzes various sustainability indicators and certification schemes for biofuels with respect to minimizing the adverse effects of biofuels. Biomass is seen as a very promising option for fulfilling the environmental goals defined by the European Commission as well as various national governments. We have measured selected physicochemical properties of several the most common oilseeds and the residue materials in the form of cakes, moisture, fat, heat of combustion, the calorific value and ash content. The results showed that the considered plants and waste derived therefrom can be a good energy source. Examples include sunflower oilcake, sesame, pumpkin and rapeseed cake, for which the calorific value amounted to respectively: 28.17; 27.77; 26.42 and 21.69 MJ·kg−1.

The purpose of this paper was to determine the quality of herbal teas produced using the non-pressure agglomeration of fine-grained fractions of herbs, compared with their counterparts available on the market. In prepared infusions, the total polyphenol content was determined, using the Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent, as well as the antioxidative activity with the use of the DPPH radical and L* a* b* colour parameters, according to the CIELab colour scale, were identified. Moreover, the iron, lead and cadmium ion content in the raw materials used in the manufacture of herbal granules was determined. Herbal infusions presented high but diversified active compound content. Infusions prepared from herbal granules displayed lower antioxidative properties and higher polyphenol content than commercially available teas. Infusions obtained from herbal granules of the smallest size had the darkest colour. Results of the analyses show that infusions obtained from granulated herbal powder do not pose any health hazard, and bio-active compounds contained therein may improve consumers' health. Non-pressure agglomeration of fine-grained herbal fractions may be used as an alternative method for their management.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the addition of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) pressing waste (BCW) and black cumin seeds (BCS) on the properties of starch bread. The control bread was prepared from wheat starch (100%) with a gluten-free certificate, plantain husk (5%), and guar gum (2%). BCS and BCW were added between 0 and 10% of wheat starch. We determined the physicochemical properties, color, texture, and sensory properties of the prepared bread. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was performed to detect the phenolic compounds in the bread. The bread prepared with 6% BCS and 4% BCW had a significantly higher volume than the starch control bread did. Sensory analysis (taste) showed that BCS and BCW could be added up to 4% and 8%, respectively. The addition of BCS and BCW reduced the brightness of the crumb. A significant decrease in the L * index of the crumb was observed from 50.9 for the control bread to 34.1 and 34.0 for bread with 10% BCS and BCW, respectively. The addition of BCS and BCW decreased the hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of the starch bread crumb. Starch bread enriched with BCS and BCW was characterized by a higher content of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, and 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid.