Plants subjected to postharvest abiotic stresses synthesize secondary metabolites with health-promoting properties. Here, we report the potential use of carrots (Daucus carota) as biofactories of caffeoylquinic acids when subjected to wounding and hyperoxia stresses. Wounding stress induced an increase of ∼287% in total phenolic content (PC) in carrots stored for 48 h at 20 °C. This increase was higher (∼349%) in the wounded tissue treated with hyperoxia stress. To further understand the physiological role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a signaling molecule for the stress-induced accumulation of phenolics in carrots, the respiration rate as well as the enzymatic activities of NADPH oxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase were evaluated. Likewise, shredded carrots were treated with diphenyleneiodonium chloride solution to block NADPH oxidase ROS productions, and the phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity and total PC were evaluated. Results demonstrated that ROS play a key role as a signaling molecule for the stress-induced accumulation of PC in carrots.

A recent trend is to use nanocomposites materials for food-packaging applications. Different kinds of nanoparticles are incorporated into the polymers to improve their characteristics, and, among them, nanoclay is used to improve their barrier properties to gases. In this work, the results of migration studies with different food simulants (ethanol 10% and acetic acid 3%), temperatures and times (40 ºC for 10 days and 70 ºC for 2 h) from two commercialised LDPE nanocomposite bags are presented. The migration solutions thus obtained were analysed by ICP-MS to evaluate the amount of aluminium which migrated into the solutions both in dissolved form and as a part of nanoparticles. Aluminium migration was observed for both samples with a maximum migration value of 51.65 ng cm(-)(2) for the Aisaika bags and 24.14 ng cm(-)(2) for the Debbie Meyer bags. The presence of spikes working in single-particle mode using ICP-MS indicated that part of this aluminium was present as nanoparticles. The size and morphology of the nanoclay, in both the original material and the migration solutions, was studied by scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (SEM-EDX). In this manner, nanoparticles of different morphologies and sizes were found to migrate into the food simulants.

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The applicability of a thermal treatment was compared with modified-atmosphere (MA) storage in relation to chilling injury (CI) and polyamines evolution in eggplants. Fruits underwent physiological disorders at 3 degrees C, evidenced by the appearance of surface injuries at the third day of storage, and, after moving the fruits to 20 degrees C, by increased respiratory activity and more intense ethylene production. Storage of fruits in sealed low-density polyethylene bags and a previous treatment with heated air (1 h at 35 degrees C) were both effective in retarding chilling injury, though the former was better. Two free polyamines were found in cv. Black Nite: putrescine, in greater proportion, and spermidine. Putrescine increased in control (untreated) fruits stored at 3 degrees C in parallel with the external appearance of chilling injury, whereas this increase was either not exhibited or retarded in treated or MA stored fruits. Spermidine did not change in control fruits at 3 degrees C, remaining almost constant over the whole storage period, whereas in heat- and MAP-treated fruits spermidine levels exhibited a decrease.