The tomato processing industry generates high amounts of waste, mainly tomato skins and seeds, which create environmental problems. These residues are attractive sources of valuable bioactive components and pigments. A relatively simple recovery technology could consist of production of powders to be directly incorporated into foods. Tomato waste coming from a Romanian tomato processing unit were analyzed for the content of several bioactive compounds like ascorbic acid, β-carotene, lycopene, total phenolics, mineral and trace elements. In addition, its antioxidant capacity was assayed. Results revealed that tomato waste (skins and seeds) could be successfully utilized as functional ingredient for the formulation of antioxidant rich functional foods. Dry tomato processing waste were used to supplement wheat flour at 6 and 10 % levels (w/w flour basis) and the effects on the bread's physicochemical, baking and sensorial characteristics were studied. The following changes were observed: increase in moisture content, titratable acidity and bread crumb elasticity, reduction in specific volume and bread crumb porosity. The addition of dry tomato waste at 6 % resulted in bread with good sensory characteristics and overall acceptability but as the amount of dry tomato waste increased to 10 %, bread was less acceptable.

-Introduction. Red and black currants are a valuable component of a healthy diet because they are an excellent source of ascorbic acid, anthocyanins and minerals. Materials and methods. Three red currant cultivars and eight black currant cultivars were evaluated in terms of fruit quality. Some selected physicochemical characteristics such as berry weight, dry matter, soluble solids, total sugars, titratable acidity and total anthocyanins were investigated. Total anthocyanin content was measured with the pH differential absorbance method while citric, malic, tartaric and ascorbic acid were quantified by a reversed-phase HPLC method. Sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, chromium and zinc were determined by ICP-MS following a microwave digestion, while potassium content was determined by FAAS. Results. Significant differences in the physicochemical and mineral content were detected among the cultivars. The range of total anthocyanins of the tested samples was 12.14-22.06 mg·100 g -1 (red currants) and 116.17-287.78 mg·100 g -1 (black currants

Ten indeterminate tomato cultivars differing in fruit shape and typology, grown simultaneously in a greenhouse from Oltenia (Southwestern Romania) and harvested at red ripe stage, were investigated for the contents in ascorbic acid, lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolics, minerals (K, Na, Ca and Mg) and trace elements (Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Zn and B). In addition, their antioxidant activities were determined. Significant differences were found among tomato cultivars in all studied antioxidant compounds, as well as in the antioxidant activity. Ascorbic acid ranged from 91.9 to 329.7 mg kg-1 fw, lycopene ranged from 19.7 to 49.0 mg kg-1 fw, while total phenolic compounds varied between 300.2 and 557.8 mg kg-1 fw. Antioxidant activity ranged from 0.81 mmol Trolox kg-1 fw to 1.74 mmol Trolox kg-1 fw and it was significantly correlated to total phenolics content (r = 0.91; p< 0.05). The cocktail type cultivar ‘Tiger’ and the cherry type cultivar ‘Belle’ proved to be the most powerful in antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds while the rectangular plum shaped cultivar ‘Porto’ recorded the highest average lycopene content. A valuable cultivar proved to be the brownish red ‘Sacher’ which registered among the highest contents of phenolics, lycopene and ascorbic acid. Mineral and trace elements contents were also significantly affected by cultivars. Values recorded for K, Ca and Mg ranged from 2139.6 to 3056.9 mg kg-1, 137.7 to 325.8 mg kg-1 and 27.3 to 168.7 mg kg-1 respectively.

Different extracts prepared from green fruits of ‘Sibisel 44’ walnut cultivar were investigated for their total phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, individual phenolics content and colour component. Extracts were prepared using three variants, to analyze the effect of solvent concentration and sugar addition on properties of green walnuts extracts. The antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts was investigated by the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method while total phenolic content was determined by using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Seventeenindividual phenolics were detected and quantified by using HPLC in walnut green fruit extracts. For total phenolics and flavonoids extraction from green walnut fruits 70% ethanol was more efficient. Highest concentration was found in samples with 70% ethanol for gallic, vanillic, chlorogenic, caffeic, syringic, salicylic, ellagic acids, juglone, catechin, epicatechin, myricetin, and quercetin. The use of 40% ethanol led to a significant increase of ferulic acid and rutin content, while the greatest amount of rutin was extracted using 40% ethanol and sugar.

This experiment was carried out in order to study the simultaneous effect of on-vine ripening and examined cultivars on fruit quality, color development and antioxidant content in two different types of tomatoes. 'Admiro' and 'Komet' (normal average fruit weight) and 'Cheramy' (cherry type) cultivars grown in hydroponic culture were used. Dry matter, soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolic, total flavonoid content and hydrophilic antioxidant activity were measured in six ripening stages. Color of fruits was determined by CIELab system. The L*, a*, b* values were used to calculate hue angle (h o ), chroma (C*) and a* to b* ratio. In all analysed cultivars total phenolic content increased as ripening progressed, reached the maximum at the pink stage and subsequently declined, while the trend of ascorbic acid was cultivar dependent. DPPH radical scavenging activity showed significant moderately strong positive correlations with total phenolics and ascorbic acid. The content of β-carotene increased constantly during ripening while lycopene content registered a sharp rise, especially in the last stage of ripening when 47.2% of the lycopene content was accumulated. During ripening the lightness (L*) decreased because tomato fruit colour became darker while the ratio of red to green colour increased as a result of carotenoids synthesis. Among color indexes, hue angle (h o