The color space of foods: virgin olive oil

The CIE 1976 (L*, a*, and b*) color space for virgin olive oil was determined. Such a space encompasses any acceptable sample of this type of oil irrespective of the agronomic treatment that the olives have undergone because its color is due to two types of pigments, a systematic combination of which provides the whole range of theoretically possible colors. Color is quantified from the visible spectra for pure samples. Therefore, the pigment spectra, which were the averages of those for several samples, were determined in a medium highly similar to the source oil following application of a photochemical method. A combination of the pigment spectra provided 651 spectra for virtual samples, the colors of which spanned the entire color space for virgin olive oil. The positions of more than 100 Spanish olive oil samples of diverse origins in the color space were also determined, and the results were examined in relation to oil type and quality. Similar color spaces can be obtained for other foods, which can thus be characterized in terms of an additional physical property.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of carminic acid in yogurt

A reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of carminic acid in yogurt. A C18 column is used with acetonitrile-1.19M formic acid (19 + 81) as mobile phase and diode array detection. Sample preparation includes deproteinization with papain and purification in a polyamide column. The relative standard deviation for repeated determinations of carminic acid in a commercial strawberry-flavored yogurt was 3.0%. Recoveries of carminic acid added to a natural-flavored yogurt ranged from 87.2 to 95.3% with a mean of 90.2%. The method permits measurement of amounts as low as 0.10 mg/kg.     

Carotenoids, color, and ascorbic acid content of a novel frozen-marketed orange juice

A recently developed food, the so-called ultrafrozen orange juice (UFOJ), has been characterized in terms of carotenoid pigments, ascorbic acid, and color. The juice, obtained from Valencia late oranges, is frozen immediately after the squeezing of the oranges, which makes it a product showing good organoleptic and nutritional quality. In relation to the carotenoid profile, it was observed that the 5,6-epoxy carotenoids violaxanthin and antheraxanthin (specifically (9Z)-violaxanthin and (9Z)- or (9'Z)-antheraxanthin), were by far the major pigments and that dihydroxycarotenoids predominate over monohydroxycarotenoids. As far as color was concerned, it was seen that there were little differences among the juices analyzed. The hue of the samples, ranging from 77.19 degrees to 80.15 degrees and from 79.99 degrees to 83.04 degrees depending on the kind of instrumental measurement, and their chroma (ranging from 63.06 to 72.25 and from 44.40 to 58.38) revealed readily that the juice surveyed exhibited a deep orangeish coloration, the color coordinate best correlated with the total carotenoid content being b*. The levels of ascorbic acid ranged from 332.64 to 441.44 mg/L, with an average content of 391.06 +/- 28.86 mg/L.     

Agronomic, chemical and genetic variability of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) of different origin by LC-UV–vis-DAD and AFLP analyses

The identification of a bi-univocal correspondence between geographical origin of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and the composition of its stigmas has recently been the subject of many research papers, which have focused on the analysis of the differences among the so called “minor components”, such as flavonoids and volatiles, in the secondary metabolic pattern of this spice. Saffron pigments (crocetin esters), on the other hand, constitute the majority of the metabolites found in its stigmas, and their spectrophotometric measurement is still used as an official method to determine the quality of the spice in terms of coloring power. To our knowledge, no attempts have been made to find a correspondence between the geographical origin of different saffron samples and their morphological traits and pigments pattern. In this paper, we have demonstrated that saffron corms of different origins, grown in the same experimental field, produce daughter corms with different dimensions and still produce stigma samples with different pigment profiles. Furthermore, daughter corm dimensions and pigment profile even more so, may be related to the origin of the sample, and therefore pigments can be used as chemotaxonomic markers. Compositional analyses results were corroborated by genetic data obtained using AFLP molecular markers.     

Determination of folacin in foods and other biological materials

The objective of most methods for determination of folates in foods and other biological materials is to estimate the total folacin content of the sample. Because folacin comprises a diverse group of related compounds exhibiting similar biological activity, the analytical method must be capable of measuring all of the folates. Methods have been developed for separation of folates in their monoglutamyl form by using anion-exchange, paired-ion reverse phase, or conventional reverse phase liquid chromatography (LC). The application of these separations to determination of folates in foods and other biological materials has been limited largely by the need for development of adequate preparative methods and sufficiently sensitive and specific detection procedures. Although LC with ultraviolet absorption detection has been successful in certain limited applications, the development of fluorometric detection methods has permitted LC determination of folates in a wide range of materials. Tetrahydrofolic acid and its substituted derivatives are detected by monitoring their native fluorescence in an acid mobile phase, while folic acid and certain other folates are measured by using an oxidative post-column fluorogenic derivatization system. Methods also have been developed for determination of the polyglutamyl chain length distribution of folates in biological materials. In total, these procedures permit a direct determination and characterization of folacin compounds.     

花生籽仁中蔗糖含量近红外预测群体模型的建立及在突变体筛选中的应用

籽仁蔗糖含量是影响花生食味品质的重要因素。为了建立花生籽仁中蔗糖含量的高效检测技术,本研究采集了149份花生籽仁的近红外光谱,结合化学法测定籽仁蔗糖含量,采用偏最小二乘法 (PLS) 构建花生籽仁蔗糖含量近红外预测群体模型。结果显示,预测模型的决定系数(R²)为0.898,校正标准偏差(SEC)为0.253,20份外部验证材料的预测值和化学值的R²为0.873,预测模型具有较高的可信度,运用该模型筛选徐花17号诱变群体,从1 965份M₂单株籽仁中获得4份的突变体。本研究为优质食味花生种质资源的筛选和品种选育奠定了基础。     

Spectrophotometric determination of yellow pigment content and evaluation of carotenoids by high-performance liquid chromatography in durum wheat grain

The so-called "yellow pigment" content of durum wheat has been used for a long time as an indicator of the color quality of durum wheat and pasta products. For decades the chemical nature of these pigments has been assigned to carotenoids, mainly to the xanthophyll lutein and its fatty acid esters. The chemical composition of the yellow pigments of eight German durum wheat cultivars was studied. Grains were milled on a laboratory mill. Pigment extraction of millstream fractions was performed according to the optimized ICC standard method 152 procedure, and the chemical composition of the extract was analyzed by isocratic reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography. all-trans-Lutein ranged from 1.5 to 4 mg kg(-1), and zeaxanthin was found in traces. No lutein esters and carotenes were detected. Surprisingly, the fraction of carotenoids of the complete yellow pigment content amounted to only 30-50% of the yellow pigment quantities, so there are still compounds in durum wheat not yet identified that contribute considerably to the yellow color of the grain extracts. The isolation and chemical identification of those pigments are under investigation.     

Influence of critical storage temperatures on degradative pathways of pigments in green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cvs. Perona and boby)

In this work a study of critical storage temperatures on pigment degradation of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris, cvs. Perona and Boby) was conducted. In this way, green beans kept better quality at 4 degrees C than either 8 or 12 degrees C, maintaining a bright green color and good texture. Nevertheless, temperatures of 4 degrees C induced chilling injury (CI) after eight days of storage, which became evident when the pods were transferred to 20 degrees C. Cold storage temperatures, 12, 8, and 4 degrees C, produced different changes on the green beans chlorophyll profile. Green beans of both cultivars, Perona and Boby, stored at 4 and 12 degrees C showed a continuous degradation of chlorophyll pigments during storage, while samples stored at 8 degrees C showed an increase of chlorophyll content at the first 15 days. Carotenoid pigments also suffered different changes during cold storage. Perona was the green beans cultivar which maintained the higher level of lutein, mainly when samples were stored at the most suitable temperature (8 degrees C).     

Stabilization of ascorbic acid and its measurement by liquid chromatography in nonfat dry milk

The determination of ascorbic acid by liquid chromatography (LC) was improved by performing the analysis in the presence of solvents that had been purged with argon to reduce the concentration of oxygen. This methodological modification eliminated the oxidation of ascorbic acid during the chromatographic procedure and reduced the minimum detection level to 1 microgram. Solutions of ascorbic acid have been successfully stabilized for 67 days by addition of dithiothreitol to a deaerated solution of water-acetonitrile (25 + 75 v/v), sealed under argon in amber vials and stored at -20 degrees C. In a second independent study, a procedure for the extraction of ascorbic acid from nonfat dry milk in a single step was developed. The ascorbic acid content of Nonfat Dry Milk (SRM 1549) was determined by LC, using the method of standard additions. The mean ascorbic acid content was 54 +/- 5 micrograms/g of sample. Analysis of variance of the analytical results indicates that there is a significant continual increase in the content of the ascorbic acid in each bottle from first to last sample.     

Color characteristics of monascus pigments derived by fermentation with various amino acids

Various pigment colors were produced by Monascus fermentations with separate addition of 20 amino acids. The color characteristics and structures of the pigment derivatives were investigated. When each amino acid was added to the fermentation broth as a precursor, pigment extracts with different hue and chroma values were obtained depending on the content ratios of yellow, orange, and red colors in the fermentation broth. The yellow and orange pigments were identical regardless of amino acid addition. The red compounds varied on the basis of the type of amino acid added. LC-MS and (1)H and (13)C NMR structural analyses confirmed that the derivative pigments contained the moieties of the added amino acids. L, a, and b values of the CIELAB color system for the derivative pigments were measured. Values of hue and chroma were then calculated. The colors of the derivative pigments were in the range of orangish red to violet red. The hydrophilicities/hydrophobicities of the derivative pigments could be predicted from their log P values, which were estimated using computer programs.     

Kinetics of freshly squeezed orange juice quality changes during ozone processing

Freshly squeezed orange juice samples were ozonated with control variables of gas flow rate (0-0.25 L min (-1)), ozone concentration (0.6-10.0%w/w), and treatment time (0-10 min). Effects of ozone processing variables on orange juice quality parameters of pH, degrees Brix, titratable acidity (TA), cloud value, nonenzymatic browning (NEB), color values ( L*, a*, and b*), and ascorbic acid content were determined. No significant changes in pH, degrees Brix, TA, cloud value, and NEB ( p < 0.05) were found. L*, a*, and b* color values were significantly affected by gas flow rate, ozone concentration, and treatment time. The changes in lightness ( L*) values and total color difference (TCD) values were fitted well to zero-order kinetics, whereas a*, b*, and ascorbic acid degradation followed first-order kinetics. The rate constants for a*, b*, and TCD were linearly correlated with ozone concentration ( R (2) = 0.88-0.99), whereas the rate constants for L* and ascorbic acid were exponentially correlated ( R (2) = 0.94-0.98).     

Valorization of Wet Okara,a Value‐Added Functional Ingredient,in a Coconut‐Based Baked Snack

Wet okara (soy milk residue), as a functional ingredient, was evaluated to be added to a coconut‐based snack at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% levels to replace dry coconut in the formula. Certain physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory properties of the samples were evaluated. A coconut‐based, soft, baked snack with incorporated okara showed higher total fiber and much lower fat content than the control, which significantly improved the nutritional profile of the samples. Samples 3 and 4 (which had 30 and 40% replacement of coconut with wet okara, respectively) received the highest overall sensory score (8.4), which was significantly higher than the score of a control sample (7.5). Sample 3 also had a significantly improved nutritional profile per serving size, such as an increased fiber content of 6.11 ± 0.04 g/100 g and a decreased fat content of 17.57 ± 0.02 g/100 g, and sample 4 had an increased fiber content of 6.19 ± 0.03 g/100 g and a decreased fat content of 15.64 ± 0.03 g/100 g compared with the control sample. The appearance, color, flavor, physical measurements (instrumental texture profile analysis), and water activity of samples 3 and 4 were not significantly different from the control sample and demonstrated potential application of this formulation in the baking industry, proving that the wet okara can be successfully used as a value‐added functional ingredient.     

采后褪黑素处理对鲜切花椰菜保鲜品质及货架期的影响

为研究采后外源性褪黑素处理对鲜切花椰菜货架期间品质及生理的影响，试验以"雪白"花椰菜为材料，拟从中筛选出有效的使用浓度，进而从生理、细胞和基因表达水平解析褪黑素对鲜切花椰菜保鲜品质的调节作用，以期为探索鲜切花椰菜保鲜和衰老调控的有效途径提供科学依据。采用0.05、0.10、0.50 mmol/L褪黑素溶液浸泡鲜切花椰菜样本15 min，分析货架期间（0、4、8、12、16 d）样本的失重率、硬度、1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼（1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH）值、总酚含量、抗坏血酸含量、色泽、总硫代葡萄糖苷含量、内源性褪黑素含量、多聚半乳糖醛酸酶（polygalacturonase, PG）和脂氧合酶（lipoxygenases, LOX）活性及基因表达水平、细胞超微结构的变化。结果表明：0.10 mmol/L褪黑素处理明显延缓（P<0.05）了失重率、硬度、色泽和总硫代葡萄糖苷含量的下降，提升（P<0.05）了样本中内源性褪黑素的含量。同时，0.10 mmol/L褪黑素处理最有利于提高总酚含量和抗氧化能力，延缓抗坏血酸的降低。此外，0.10 mmol/L可抑制细胞结构的损伤，降低PG和LOX的基因表达，延缓PG和LOX的活性。由此可知，对鲜切花椰菜进行外源褪黑素处理可能是延长其采后寿命和提高品质的有效技术。     

Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilization Affect Apple Fruit Quality in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) are usually found in higher concentrations than other macronutrients in apple (Malus x domestica Borkh) fruits and are most frequently associated with changes in fruit quality. The aim of this article was to evaluate the effects of N and K fertilization on some fruit quality attributes of Fuji apple. The experiment was conducted at São Joaquim, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, during 2004 and 2005. A factorial design was used with N and K annual fertilizer rates (0, 50, 100, and 200 kg ha^?1 of N and K₂O) replicated in three orchards. Fifteen days prior to harvest, three fruit samples were collected from each treatment and site. One sample was used for total soluble solid content (TSS), titratable acidity, pulp firmness, and fruit color parameter analyses, and the other samples were refrigerated in a conventional atmosphere for 3 and 6 months for subsequent determination of fruit quality. Nitrogen fertilization negatively affected fruit color, flesh firmness, and TSS content. These same variables were positively affected by K fertilization, except for flesh firmness.     

基于机器视觉的番茄内部品质预测

为了实现番茄内部品质的实施快速检测,利用机器视觉技术,从“定性”和“定量”两方面进行了番茄内部品质预测方法的研究。首先设计开发了番茄图像采集机器视觉系统,可分别从3个不同高度：0.5、1、1.5 m和6个不同方向：上、下、左、右、前、后采集番茄图像。视觉系统利用4个卤素灯作为光源,内部亮度恒定为600 lx。然后收集了68个不同生长阶段的番茄样本,样本根据是颜色从未成熟阶段（绿色）到成熟阶段（红色）被分为了5个等级。在利用开发的机器视觉系统采集了番茄样本的图像之后,通过RGB色彩模型、L*a*b*色彩模型     

Durum Wheat Lipoxygenase Activity and Other Quality Parameters that Affect Pasta Color

Pasta yellowness is affected by different factors, the most important of which are intrinsic to the quality of semolina (natural carotenoid pigments, protein, ash, and lipoxygenase [LOX] activity) and processing conditions. Because all the parameters involved in pasta color are under the control of varietal and environmental factors, the role of the genotype, environment, and the interaction between genotype and environment on color expression were studied. Although the analysis of variance showed the genotype-by-environment interaction to be significant, a nonorthogonal analysis attributed a higher weight to genotype on parameters directly involved in color expression: β-carotene content, yellow index, and LOX activity. Furthermore, the loss of pigments and yellow index after milling and processing was evaluated and correlated with all the parameters involved in the determination of final pasta color. The phase mainly responsible for pigment loss was pasta processing. A decrease of 16.3% in semolina β-carotene content during pasta processing versus a 7.9% loss during milling was determined. The isoenzymatic forms LOX-2 and LOX-3, active at the pH of dough, were responsible for the loss of color in pasta products. Simple correlations and the linear multiple regression corroborated this finding. Hydroperoxidation activity at pH 6.6, bleaching activity, and ash content were responsible for 87% (R² adjusted) of total variance, with each variable accounting for 57, 61, and 22% of the variation, respectively. This confirms that LOX activity is the main factor involved in the loss of color, while a secondary and lesser role can be seen for ash content. Therefore, a high pigment content, located in the interior of the whole grain, and a lower LOX activity in semolina must be the selection characteristics by which breeding programs obtain a bright yellow pasta.     

Multivariate statistical analysis of the color-anthocyanin relationships in different soilless-grown strawberry genotypes

Apart from the need to assess the color of foods due to its preponderant role in their acceptability, there is currently a new trend consisting in the study of the relationships between the color and the pigments accounting for it. The color of five strawberry varieties cultivated in two different soilless systems has been studied, and an array of multivariate statistical methods have been performed to single out the color parameters that best discriminate among the different samples surveyed and to correlate them with the pigment content. It is concluded that there is not a direct relationship between the external and flesh colorations of the berries. Additionally, after discriminant methods were applied, it was noticed that, taking into account the strawberry varieties, >90% of the cases could be correctly classified, a noticeably lower percentage of correct classification (around 60%) being obtained when the type of cultivation system was selected as the criterion for discrimination. The best correlations of pigment-color coordinates were found between pelargonidin-3-rutinoside and the external a* (r= -0.87) followed by pelargonidin-3-glucoside and the internal L* (r= -0.72).     

基于计算机视觉技术的烟叶成熟度判定方法

快速定量检测烟叶成熟度可为烟叶成熟收割提供决策依据。通过对烟叶样品图像数据进行处理与变换,得到烟叶图像的HSV颜色值,使用线性回归分析法建立烟叶图像HSV颜色值与叶绿素含量之间的函数关系,以及烟叶叶绿素含量与SPAD值之间的函数关系;利用烟叶成熟度与SPAD值之间的函数关系,构建烟叶图像HSV颜色特征值与烟叶成熟度之间的关系模型TMDHSV,从而建立起基于计算机视觉技术的烟叶成熟度判定方法。试验结果表明,该方法具有较好的可行性,可为快速定量检测烟叶成熟度提供技术支撑。     

Liquid chromatographic determination of tenuazonic acid and alternariol methyl ether in tomatoes and tomato products

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method for determining tenuazonic acid (TA) and alternariol methyl ether (AME) in tomatoes and tomato products is described. The Alternaria metabolites are extracted from a water slurry of the sample with CHCl3, the mixture is centrifuged, and the extract is fractionated on a silica gel column. Reverse phase LC with an ultraviolet detector (for TA) and a fluorescence detector (for AME) connected in series is used for final separation and determination. The limit of determination for TA and AME is 25 and 3 ng/g, respectively, with average recoveries from catsup of 83 and 68%, respectively. The LC method also detects alternariol, but interfering peaks in some samples prevent accurate quantitation. Chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) is used to confirm TA. Samples (142) of tomatoes collected from commercial processing lines were analyzed; TA was found in 73 samples (0.4-70 micrograms/g).     

Comparison of an ELISA-based screening test with liquid chromatography for the determination of aflatoxins in corn.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening test (CITE PROBE) was compared to liquid chromatography (LC) for the determination of aflatoxins in naturally contaminated corn samples. The CITE PROBE, with a positive/negative cutoff of 5 ng/g aflatoxin B1, was correct (based on LC results) on 47 of 51 samples. Two of the incorrect responses by the CITE PROBE were false positives on samples containing 4.4 ng/g and 4.1 ng/g aflatoxins by LC. Another incorrect response was a false negative on a sample containing 5.5 ng/g aflatoxins by LC. The fourth incorrect response was a false positive on a sample containing 1.9 ng/g aflatoxins by LC. On the basis of these results, the CITE PROBE was determined to be a reliable screening method for the detection of greater than or equal to 5 ng/g aflatoxins in corn.