Total polyphenols content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA) and polyphenolic spectrum assay of three underutilized fruit species—black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), honeyberry (Lonicera kamtschatica) and European cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos) is the aim of the present work. TPC and AA assay was performed by spectrophotometry and “individual phenolic compounds” were established by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that TPC ranged from 1.61 ± 0.16 (European cranberry) up to 5.65 ± 0.01 (Black cowberry) gallic acid mg/g fresh weight. The highest value of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay was determined in black crowberry fruit (7.43 ± 0.34 mmol TROLOX/g fresh weight of fruit). In all samples, the most prevalent phenolic acid was ferulic acid with the highest content in the samples of black crowberry (77.73 ± 3.99 µg/g FW of fruit), black crowberry and honeyberry were present by the highest level of gallic acid (21.82 ± 1.53; 15.07 ± 2.45 µg/g FW of fruit). Honeyberry represented a valuable source of quercetin (12.18 ± 7.88 µg/g FW of fruit), whereas European cranberry and honeyberry are a source of rutin (28.48 ± 0.83 and 27.99 ± 1.78 µg/g FW of fruit, respectively). The results of statistical analyses proved significant differences between cowberry and European cranberry in TPC content and in AA among assayed species. In the same way, statistically significant differences were confirmed in phenolic acids among the assayed species except for European cranberry-honeyberry (in trans p-coumaric, protocatequic and cinnamic acid) and honeyberry-cowberry (in cinnamic acid content). The catechin content is significantly influenced by species (p ≤ 0.05), on the other hand the species has no influence on the resveratrol content (p > 0.05). Each of the studied species can be considered as valuable source of total polyphenols and individual phenolic compounds. Polyphenolic compounds were most frequently accumulated in the vacuole as well as in the outer layers of pericarp.
In this work, potential contamination by invasive plant propagules as a result of trade exchange between Slovakia and Romania, was assessed. National lists, describing biology and ecology of 30 worst invasive plant taxa, were formulated, and trading in period 2006-2010 between countries analysed. Using norms for commodity impurity level, information on species habitat occupancy and literature data dealing with seed/fruit attachment on roads we calculated then potential invasive plant propagule export (PE) for each taxon. We found three fold higher total good export from Slovakia than in opposite direction, increasing export of commodities potentially containing invasive plant propagules exported from Romania to Slovakia and rise of road compared to railway transport. PEs for Slovak invasive plant taxa were one-two orders higher than those for Romanian ones. Potentially most exported taxa for Slovakia were: Amaranthus sp., Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Galinsoga sp., Kochia scoparia and Sorghum halepense (tens to hundreds tonnes each). And these could mostly be exported from Romania: Amaranthus sp., Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Artemisia annua, Conyza canadensis, Cuscuta campestris, Datura stramonium, Erigeron annus, Galinsoga sp., Iva xanthiifolia, Kochia scoparia, Lycium barbarum, Sorghum halepense, Veronica persica and Xanthium orientale subsp. italicum (units to tens tonnes each). High PE was significantly associated with cereals export. Our formula for PE is applicable for any inter- and intra-continental trade exchange.
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