Antioxidant activity of fresh and processed Jalapeño and Serrano peppers

In this research, total phenols, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity (ORAC, hydroxyl radical, DPPH, and TEAC assays) of fresh and processed (pickled and chipotle canned) Jalapen?o and Serrano peppers were determined. All fresh and processed peppers contained capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin, even though the latter could be quantified only in fresh peppers. Processed peppers contained lower amounts of phytochemicals and had lower antioxidant activity, compared to fresh peppers. Good correlations between total phenols and ascorbic acid with antioxidant activity were observed. Elimination of chlorophylls by silicic acid chromatography reduced the DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts, compared to crude extracts, confirming the antioxidant activity of chlorophylls present in Jalapen?o and Serrano peppers.     

Ertragsreaktion von wintergerste im internationalen organischen stickstoffdauerdüngungsversuch (IOSDV) WROClaw-swojec

Wintergerste in der Fruchtfolge: Zuckerrüben--Sommerweizen--Wintergerste reagierte auf die mineralische N-Düngung stärker als auf die organische Düngung. Der maximale Kornertrag (5,10 t/ha) wurde bei 135 kg N/ha der organischen Düngungsvariante mit Biokompost zur Zuckerrübe erreicht. Winter barley cultivated in crop rotation: sugar beet, spring wheat, winter barley reacted more on differentiated rates of mineral nitrogen than on various organic fertilization. Winter barley yielded highest (5,10 t/ha) upon the effect of 135 kg N/ha after vermicompost application under sugar beet.     

Effects of Soil Water Repellency on Moisture Patterns in a Degraded Sapric Histosol

An understanding of soil moisture content variability is fundamental in hydrological studies of peat soils, whose preservation depend on water‐related processes. Dehydration of fens and adapting them for agricultural production have contributed to the degradation of peat soils. The goal of this study was to determine how the critical soil moisture content (CSMC) and soil water repellency (SWR) affect soil moisture patterns in a degraded peat‐muck soil profile. SWR was measured under laboratory conditions using the water drop penetration time test, and then the CSMC was assessed. An investigation of moisture patterns was based on soil moisture data collected over short distances in a grass‐covered peat‐muck soil profile on seven dates. Observed differences in moisture patterns demonstrate that the CSMC can be used for the prediction of preferential flow occurrences in peat‐muck soils. Lower values of the CSMC and lower levels of SWR persistence in muck layers than in peat layers indicate that degradation of peat soils improves their wettability. The relatively low values of CSMC and the low shrinkage potential in the muck layer suggest that preferential water flow in the degraded organic soils can occur when heavy rains are preceded by long periods of summer drought. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Peptides with angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity from defibrinated,hydrolyzed bovine plasma

Defibrinated bovine plasma (DBP) was treated with the microbial protease Flavourzyme to obtain protein hydrolysates with various degrees of hydrolysis (DH). The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting activity of the hydrolyzed protein was assessed with hippuryl-His-Leu as the substrate. The amount of hippuric acid released, due to uninhibited ACE activity, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. ACE inhibiting (ACEI) activity was found to increase with increasing DH; the 43% DH hydrolysate exhibited the highest activity and had an IC(50) of 1.08 mg/mL. Peptide fractions with high ACEI activity were isolated using size exclusion chromatography. The fraction that possessed the highest ACEI activity contained peptides with GYP, HL(I), HPY, HPGH, L(I)F, SPY, and YPH sequence motifs, as determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using a novel immonium precursor-ion scanning technique. Some of these motifs correspond to sequences found in bovine serum albumin, a potential source of ACEI peptides in bovine plasma.     

Laboratory equipment and calculation procedure to rapidly determine hysteresis of some soil hydrophysical properties under nonsteady flow conditions

Laboratory equipment was developed to measure nonsteady water potential and water content profiles in soil columns, with a high resolution in time and space. Moisture content was monitored using TDR-miniprobes and water potential was measured with microtensiometers. Gradients were applied by controlling the water potential at the bottom of the soil column during adsorption and desorption with the aid of a ceramic plate. The described experimental setup was designed specifically to determine effects of hysteresis on the water content/water potential and water potential/hydraulic conductivity relationships in undisturbed soil samples. In addition, an algorithm to process the data and to calculate the above mentioned relationships is presented. The algorithm includes the smoothing of data with Bezier functions before the calculation of the moisture retention curves and the conductivity functions. Results obtained from an albic E-horizon of a silty Luvisol are presented exemplarily to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method in studying hysteresis effects.     

Evaluation of Cellulolytic Enzyme-Assisted Microwave Extraction of Punica granatum Peel Phenolics and Antioxidant Activity

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Conventional techniques for phenolics extraction from pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel (PP) have several insufficiencies like longer time duration, bioactive...     

Effect of data resolution on soil hydraulic conductivity prediction

The aim of the paper is to compare results of the instantaneous profile method (IPM) for measurement and calculation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity k(ψ) of soils obtained with different measurement data resolution. The application of IPM allows to realize a great number of k(ψ) measurements for the purpose of mapping soil properties on large areas. Application of shorter samples i.e. less sensors makes the method even more quick and cheap. The calculation of unsaturated soil water conductivity by the IPM method bases on measurements of time and space variability of water content and water pressure within the soil sample in a cylinder. The spatial resolution of data depends on the number of probes applied in the core. The question arises how the number of compartments within one core influences the calculation of soil hydraulic conductivity. Application of three sensors instead of five reduced the accuracy of calculation but allowes to use 5 cm long standard cores during unsaturated flow experiment.<?show $6#>     

Valorization of the Red Algae Gelidium sesquipedale by Extracting a Broad Spectrum of Minor Compounds Using Green Approaches

Until now, the red algae Gelidium sesquipedale has been primarily exploited for agar production, leaving an undervalued biomass. In this work, the use of eco-friendly approaches employing ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and green solvents was investigated to valorize the algal minor compounds. The green methods used herein showed an attractive alternative to efficiently extract a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds in short extraction times (15 to 30 min vs. 8 h of the conventional method). Using the best UAE conditions, red seaweed extracts were characterized in terms of total phenolics (189.3 ± 11.7 mg GAE/100 g dw), flavonoids (310.7 ± 9.7 mg QE/100 g dw), mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) (Σ MAAs = 1271 mg/100 g dw), and phycobiliproteins (72.4 ± 0.5 mg/100 g dw). Additionally, produced algal extracts exhibited interesting antioxidant and anti-enzymatic activities for potential applications in medical and/or cosmetic products. Thus, this study provides the basis to reach a superior valorization of algal biomass by using alternative methods to extract biologically active compounds following eco-friendly approaches. Moreover, the strategies developed not only open new possibilities for the commercial use of Gelidium sesquipedale, but also for the valorization of different algae species since the techniques established can be easily adapted.     

Treatment of Air Polluted with Xylenes using a Biofilter Reactor

Biofiltration of air polluted by VOCs is now beingrecognized by the industrial and research communitiesto be an effective and viable alternative for theclassical environmental technologies. While a numberof biological aspects of the biofiltration process arewell understood, the effect of certain engineeringparameters such as temperature, pressure drop,bacterial count, etc., remained ambiguous especiallywhen several isomers have to be removedsimultaneously. In this paper are reported theresults of purification of air containing vapors ofxylenes in a laboratory-scale biofilter reactor. Thelatter is a packed bed of peat balls particlesspecifically designed and produced for this purpose. Three types of micro-organisms strains werescrutinizingly selected and immobilized on thefiltering material. Xylenes entering the biofilter ata relatively high inlet load (110 g m^-3 h^-1)are removed with an elimination capacity of60 g m^-3 h^-1 (at steady state). Theexperimental results obtained on the reduction ofxylenes were satisfactorily represented by thegeneralized Ottengraf's model.     

Environmentally friendly spray techniques for tree crops

Environmentally safe spray techniques have been developed to use minimal pesticide inputs and apply them only when and where needed with reduced losses to the environment. In this paper, two such systems are described: (1) shielded systems that recycle spray liquid that would otherwise be lost; (2) detection systems that recognise where there are gaps in crop rows for which spray is not needed. The results of studies by several research groups prove the relevance of these sprayers in reducing pesticide losses. Shielded spraying allows a reduction in chemical input in orchard protection by up to 85% by exploiting more uniform in-canopy spray distribution, recycling the spray that would otherwise be wasted. Sprayers with target detection systems apply spray only where target trees or bushes are present. This technique can reduce chemical consumption in orchards by 30% and decrease drift by 50%.