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In recent decades, adverse effects of unexpected contaminants on the quality of crops have threatened both the food security and human health. Vegetable production in heavy metal contaminated soils is a serious concern regarding the quality of food. Glutamic acid has been extensively studied as a stress-responsive antioxidant molecule and its function is involved in triggering plant growth during abiotic stress. Therefore, in the present study, the alleviating role of exogenously applied glutamic acid was examined in soil grown cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) under four levels of cadmium (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg Cd/kg) and two levels of glutamic acid (0, 10 mM). The results showed that the Cd stress reduced the plant growth and chlorophyll contents in the cucumbers. Significant decreases were more pronounced in the photosynthetic parameters under the Cd stress alone in both cultivars. However, pronounced deleterious effects were observed in the Ashly cultivar as compared to SSC-228 in respect to the plant growth and photosynthetic attributes. However, the exogenous treatment of glutamic acid significantly improved the plant growth and chlorophyll contents of plants under the Cd stress. The glutamic acid also decreased the Cd contents in the cucumber roots and leaves, and further decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) which were elevated by the high Cd concentrations. Interestingly, the antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD and POD) increased under the different elevated Cd levels in the leaves of the cucumber plants. However, the CAT and APX activities were reduced with an increasing Cd concentration in the soil in both cultivars. Meanwhile, the exogenously applied glutamic acid exhibited synergic effects and further activated the antioxidant enzyme activities in the cucumber leaves under the Cd stress. In this study, the SSC-228 cultivar was found to be more tolerant to Cd stress as compared to the Ashly cultivar. Furthermore, the findings of this study highlight that a glutamic acid application can play a significant role in enhancing the plant growth and stimulating the biochemical activities in cucumbers under Cd stress.

The chemical composition of the secondary metabolites is of great significance to the quality control of agricultural products. The genus Dianthus is famous for its beautiful flowers in the cut flower trade and also used in the traditional Chinese medicinal system and food market. However, the chemical composition in Dianthus is still unknown. The current study examined the levels of different metabolites of the flowers in Dianthus caryophyllus, Dianthus chinensis and Dianthus superbus via the use of the widely targeted metabolomic strategy. We obtained the structure and content of 423 metabolites in Dianthus, which included the primary and secondary metabolites. The principal component analysis was able to clearly seperate Dianthus caryophyllus, Dianthus chinensis and Dianthus superbus based on the flower metabolites. The differential metabolites can be categorised into 11 different classes, the majority were flavonoids, amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic acids and lipids. The results of this study provide important information for the effective use of Dianthus flowers in edible, medicinal and therapeutic aspects.

Viniculture in colder countries requires the use of rootstocks adapted to the climatic and soil conditions, which influence the essential characteristics of the vine yield in terms of the physiological and morphological features. The current study was carried out in 2015-2018 in southern Poland to examine the impact of the '5BB', '125AA', '101-14M', 'SO4' and 'Börner' rootstocks on the growth, yield and fruit quality of three grape varieties: 'Seyval Blanc', 'Johanniter' and 'Solaris'. The following biometric parameters were compared: the increment in the trunk cross-sectional area, number of inflorescences on the vine, total yield, mean weight of a cluster and chemical parameters, such as the total soluble solid (TSS) content and grape titratable acidity (TA). The cluster weight of the individual varieties was also assessed in eight categories by weight (0-700 g). The results showed that 'Solaris' and 'Johanniter' grafted onto 'Börner' and 'Seyval Blanc' onto '5BB' had significantly increased trunk diameters. For the 'Solaris' cultivar, the 'Börner' rootstock increased the TSS volume by 8.2%. In the 'Seyval Blanc' cultivar, '125AA' and 'Börner' reduced the TSS content and increased the content of TA in the berries. In the 'Johanniter' cultivar, the 'Börner' rootstock led to an increase in the TSS content with a concomitant increase in the TA.

In the paper, we investigate the relationship between the walnut fruit quality and the leaf-to-fruit ratio (LFR). The LFR had a significant effect on the physical quality of walnuts (P < 0.05), and the fruit volume, fruit fresh weight, fruit dry weight, nut dry weight and kernel dry weight increased with an increasing LFR. However, the LFR had no significant effect on the crude protein and crude fat kernel contents (P > 0.05). The number of cells per unit area and the cross-sectional area of the green husk cells with 5L:1F were significantly higher than those with 1L:3F and 2L:3F (P < 0.05). The number of cells per unit area of the kernel with 1L:3F and 2L:3F was significantly higher than that with the other LFRs (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the NDW between the natural and girdled fruit-bearing shoots with 2L:1F (P > 0.05). We concluded that the high carbohydrate availability with the high LFR augmented the fruit size by increasing the number of cells in the green husk and kernels. There was no change in the crude protein and crude fat contents in the kernels, possibly due to the proportion of the sugar to the fat distribution not affected by the LFR. Two leaves with good light were necessary to ensure the normal growth and development of one walnut fruit on girdled fruit-bearing shoots.

Recent studies have discussed the increasing number of accidents caused by agricultural machinery and tractors, specifically on higher-class roads. High-quality traffic signage with the required retroreflection can prevent these serious accidents, especially under reduced visibility conditions. The retroreflective materials are divided into three classes: RA1, RA2 and RA3 according to their optical performance. This distribution apparently turned out to be insufficient, as significantly different optical materials may be assigned to the same class. This research focused on the detailed optical resolution of retroreflecting sheeting with the aim to support enhancement of the current standards. The coefficient of retroreflection (CR) was measured under standard requirements. It was concluded that the combination of 3M 3930 sheeting (CR = 7.81) and 3M 4090 (CR = 9.03) sheeting is not recommended, as the difference between these values and the other monitored samples is significantly higher than CR = 2. Especially with the introduction of autonomous mobility, the recognition of signs will also have fundamental effects on agricultural technologies, where elements of independent mobility will be gradually introduced.

A mathematical model for predicting the peeling efficiency of a cassava peeler was developed using a dimensional analysis based on Buckingham' s pi theorem. The model was validated using data from experimental studies which revealed a maximum coefficient of determination of R2 = 0.8366 between the measured and predicted values. The developed model proved appropriate in estimating the peel removal efficiency for a cassava peeler by up to 83.66%. There was no significance difference between the experimental and predicted values at a 0.05 significance level.

A 9.69 kW power tiller's drawbar performance was tested by using a drawbar loading vehicle consisting of a power tiller with a mould board (MB) plough. A spring-loaded dynamometer was attached between the tested power tiller and the loading vehicle to measure the drawbar pull. The drawbar pull was changed from 0.905 kN to 2.232 kN by varying the operating depth of the MB plough. Empirical equations were developed to correlate the drawbar pull to the wheel slip, drawbar power, fuel consumption, and drawbar specific fuel consumption (DBSFC), and one was developed to correlate the drawbar power to the wheel slip. The wheel slip increased exponentially with an increase in the drawbar pull and drawbar power. A maximum wheel slippage of 48.94% was observed at a 2.232 kN drawbar pull and 0.763 kW drawbar power. A second-degree polynomial equation was found to correlate the drawbar pull to the drawbar power, fuel consumption, and DBSFC. The maximum drawbar power was found as 0.763 kW at a 2.02 kN drawbar pull, which was 7.87% of the rated engine power. The fuel consumption increased by 66.93%, and the DBSFC reduced by 10.56% due to the increase of the drawbar pull from 0.905 kN to 2.232 kN. The lowest DBSFC of 2.01 kg.kWh^-1 was found at a 2.232 kN drawbar pull.

In the last two decades, pulsed electric fields (PEF) have successfully been introduced into the food industry, as one of the most promising and "game changing" technologies. This review is devoted to the recent applications of pulsed electric fields used in processing potatoes. The potato processing market size was estimated to be ca. USD 24.83 billion (2018) and with an annual growth rate of 5.2%. The physicochemical characteristics of potatoes and the specificity of potato processing lines makes a pulsed electric field very versatile and flexible allowing one to achieve different technological aims by its implementation into technological lines. In this paper, a short analysis of the potato structure and its nutritional properties, applications of moderate electric fields, ohmic heating, and pulsed electric fields are presented. Moreover, the basic electroporation effects, metabolic responses, texture modification and different PEF assisted processes applied to the potato are discussed. Finally, some examples of commercial applications and a brief description of the available equipment for the PEF processing of potatoes are presented.

Pulsed electric fields (PEFs) are becoming more and more popular in different applications in processing agricultural products. The PEF technology is based on the application of high voltage short pulses that allow electroporation in the cell membranes. This review outlines the PEF applications used in processing sugar beets. New perspective technologies of the cold or warm aqueous extraction of sugar, cold pressing of sugar beet cossettes, and combined pressing-diffusion process are discussed. Electroporation devices for pilot and industrial applications in the sugar beet industry are also presented.

The pulsed electric field (PEF) technology is a non-thermal processing technique usually used for microbial inactivation in food industries. The application of this technology at sub-lethal levels prior to or during the fermentation processes enhances the mass transfer and cell permeability. It could also cause changes in the genetic, metabolic, and physiological responses of microbial strains leading to an improvement in the fermentation process. Several studies reported the benefits of PEF on microorganisms including growth stimulation, an increase in the fermentation rates and product yields, and improvement in the metabolite extraction. All of these modifications could improve the organoleptic and nutritional properties of fermented food products. The purpose of this review is to summarise and discuss the main findings reported in the literature to date about the effect of PEFs applied at sub-lethal levels on microorganisms in the context of food processing.

The study aimed to determine the influence of a pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on vacuum drying (VD) of apples and their selected quality parameters. The apples were treated with a PEF at 1 kV.cm-1 (with a variable amount of the specific energy input: 1, 3.5, and 6 kJ.kg^-1) before VD at 4 kPa (with a variable drying temperature: 40 °C, 55 °C, and 70 °C). The drying time, microstructure, retention of total phenolics (TPC) as well as the antioxidant activity of the obtained dried materials were studied. As a result of opening the cell structure of the apple tissues, the PEF significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the drying time - depending on the used process parameters - by 6-22%. Moreover, an increase in the drying temperature also shortened the drying time. The electroporation led to obtaining porous materials after drying, and with the higher amount of specific energy during the PEF pre-treatment that was applied, a higher porosity was observed in the dried apples. After the PEF-assisted VD, a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the TPC (by 12-40%) and antioxidant activity (by 23-81%) were observed.

Two types of samples were prepared from fresh carrot roots. The first type represented samples of untreated carrots. The second type was treated with a pulsed electric field. Nine specific sensory properties characterising the carrot root tissue were evaluated by means of a sensory profile method to determine the differences between the untreated and treated carrot samples. For the resilience and elasticity, which were evaluated by the fingers, and the juiciness, which was evaluated in the mouth, significant differences were found between the two types of samples.

2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase (HID) plays an important role in isoflavone biosynthesis. In this study, HID was isolated from the seeds of the purple-grained Tibetan hulless barley variety Nerumuzha and the white-grained variety Kunlun 10. The HvnHID gene includes the 981 bp open reading frame and encodes a protein of 327 amino acids. It has a typical Abhydrolase_3 domain (78-306) and belongs to the carboxylesterase (CXE) family of the Abhydrolase_3 (α/β hydrolase) superfamily. There are eight nucleotide differences in the HvnHID coding sequence and two amino acid differences (one in the Abhydrolase_3 domain) between Nerumuzha and Kunlun 10. The HvnHID of hulless barley has the closest relationship with the HID in Hordeum vulgare, and the most distant relationship in Panicum hallii. At the early-mid stage of the seed colour development, the HvnHID expression levels in the purple and black seeds were significantly higher than in the white and blue ones (P < 0.01). During the seed colour development of purple-grained hulless barley, the expression of the key genes (HvnF3'H, HvnDRF, HvnANT1, and HvnGT) in the anthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway increased significantly, while the HvnHID expression decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Thus, it is likely that HvnHID negatively regulates the anthocyanidin biosynthesis. This result provides an important basis for further study of the biological functions of HvnHID in the anthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway.

Late blight (LB) disease can cause potato yield losses in both Egypt and the world. Therefore, the structural analysis of resistance (R) genes responsible for LB resistance will help in understanding their functions. This work aimed to identify the variations between the dominant and recessive alleles of two genes, R3a and R8 at the nucleotide and amino acid levels in five potato genotypes. Two genes of R3a and R8 representing the broad-spectrum LB resistance were amplified by specific primers, which gave one amplicon of 194 and 220 bp of each gene, respectively. Two fragments were sequenced after purification using an ABI 3730xl System DNA Sequencer. The DNA sequence alignments of two genes, R3a and R8, were determined among five selected potato genotypes. The percentage of genetic similarity of the nucleotide sequences of the R3a and R8 genes ranged between (82-83%) and (86-87%), respectively, in comparison to the reference sequences in the nucleotide BLAST. We report on the existence of positional differences in the nucleotide sequences, and base-pair substitutions of two fragments, resulting in amino acid changes between the resistant and susceptible potato genotypes. On the other hand, the highest total number of base-pair substitutions was recorded as 16 in the recessive allele r8 of the varieties Bellini and Cara. However, the lowest number was recorded as four in the dominant allele R3a of the variety Cara. The dendrograms of the five potato genotypes were made up of phylogenetically different clusters, separate from all the other named potato accessions of the two genes. The results of this study will create a solid base for the further understanding of the mechanism of plant-pathogen interactions and supply a theoretical reference for durable resistance to late blight diseases in the potato.

OsSUT genes have been demonstrated to be relevant for diverse biological processes in rice. In this study, we identified the close relationship between a 31-bp insertion in a 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of the OsSUT3 gene and higher OsSUT3 expression in rice panicles by qRT-PCR and transgenic research. Statistically significant results (P < 0.01) were found for this 31-bp insertions/deletions (indels) in the rice pollen development and other panicle traits, such as the pollen number, pollen fertility, seeding rate, and grain length. An evolution analysis showed that the proportion of the 31-bp insertion significantly increases in rice domestication. Therefore, the 31-bp Indel could be considered as a convenient molecular marker to screen more pollen and better panicle traits in rice breeding.

Twenty hop genotypes were selected for the evaluation of resistance to primary and secondary Pseudoperonospora humuli infection and of alpha acid and hop oil content in the hops. From the wild hop genotypes, two from Canada and one from Belgium showed resistance. Among the registered hop varieties, the Czech varieties Kazbek and Boomerang were the most resistant. Both wild hop genotypes from Canada showed the highest content of alpha acids among the wild hop entries, namely 4% w/w. The lowest variability of the alpha acid content in the wild hop category was found in two wild hop varieties from the Caucasus, one from Austria and one from Lithuania. The highest content of hop oils was determined in two hop genotypes from Canada and two from Belgium. Wild hop genotypes from the Caucasus have the lowest variability of hop oils among the wild hop entries. Two hop genotypes from Canada and one from Belgium were selected for breeding aimed at drought resistance.

The stem juice yield is a key factor that influences both the biological and economic production of sweet sorghum [Sorghum dochna (Forssk.) Snowden]. To elucidate upon the genetic basis of the stem juice yield, an F₅ population developed from a cross between the low juice yielding Xinliang52 (XL52) and high juice yielding W455 lines, were used in a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. A main effect of the QTL controlling stem juice yield was separated with an SSR marker called Xtxp97, which explained 46.7% of the phenotypic variance. In addition, F₅ and F₆ populations were constructed with XL52 and W452 as the parents to further verify the QTLs, and a significant correlation was found between the juice yield trait and the Xtxp97 marker. Based on the progeny tests of 29 recombinants, QJy-sbi06 was located in a region of about 21.2 kb on chromosome 6, where a candidate gene encoding an NAC transcription factor (sobic.006G147400) was identified. Combining the different population association analysis and sequencing technology showed that XL52 inserted a 1.8 kb transposon in the NAC to directly interrupt and inactivate the juice yield gene. This study also demonstrated that the colour of the leaf midribs was controlled by a single gene and was significantly positive correlated with juiciness (r = 0.784, P < 0.01). These results could lay the foundation for map-based cloning of QJy-sbi06 and provide genes or QTLs for breeding sorghum lines with a high juice yield and quality.

Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f.sp. melongenae (FOM), Verticillium dahliae (Ve) and Ralstonia solanacearum are major limiting pathogens affecting eggplant cultivation and their yield in the world. Natural resistance genes are the most environmentally friendly method to control the disease. Thus, marker-assisted selection (MAS) is preferred as a tool for screening resistance genes (R-genes) in eggplant resistance breeding. In this study, markers that are specifically linked to major disease resistance genes conferring resistance to F. melongenae, V. dahliae and R. solanacearum were tested in a population containing breeding materials to validate the resistance. Resistant Solanum melongena accessions LS1934 and LS2436 and their reciprocal crosses were used as the resistance resource for this validation study. Moreover, classical resistance tests to FOM and Ve were performed with the root-dip inoculation method for classification of all the accessions based on their resistance/susceptibility responses. The SCAR₄₂₆, CAPs_903 and SIVR844 markers were highly informative for the determination of resistance genes (Fomg, Ve and ERs1). Therefore, in areas with high susceptibility to diseases, a highly efficient combination of the relevant R-genes and their pyramiding into commercial eggplant varieties are proposed to be implemented as a pragmatic approach.

The inheritance of anther orientation of 154 individuals from two B₁ populations of Brassica rapa (syn. Brassica campestris) was evaluated under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. The anther orientation was evaluated visually at the time of fully open flowers. The observed extrorse:introrse ratios were 1 : 1 in R-o-18 × (R-o-18 × RM29) population and 3 : 1 in R-o-18 × (R-o-18 × R c-50) population. It was concluded that this trait is controlled by two duplicated pairs of genes (A₁, A₂) for extrorse anthers, either of which can produce extrorse anthers when a single dominant allele is present. Introrse anthers result when all alleles at both loci are recessive.

Phytopathogenic bacteria are one of the most significant causes of crop yield losses. Until now, the direct treatment of bacterioses was limited to the application of antibacterial compounds or resistance inducers. This is about to change due to the revolutionary discovery of phages. Indeed, bacteriophages look very promising as therapy agents: cheap, self-amplifying, self-eliminating, and safe for the host organism. However, phage therapy of plant diseases remains a "direction with high potential", which, so far, has very few successful implication cases. Here, we discuss recent advances in phage research, focusing on the challenges associated with the evaluation of phage biological activity, under both laboratory and environmental conditions.

Leaf spot caused by Cercospora lactucae-sativae is one of the most damaging diseases of 'Green Oak' lettuce in Thailand. This study was conducted to estimate the effectiveness of Trichoderma asperellum NST-009, a native strain in Thailand, to manage the leaf spot disease and enhance the growth of 'Green Oak' lettuce in a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system. In vitro tests showed that T. asperellum NST-009 significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of C. lactucae-sativae by 72.50%, and its antifungal metabolite from the culture filtrate of T. asperellum NST-009 inhibited the mycelial growth of C. lactucae-sativae by 93.26%. In the hydroponics experiment, T. asperellum NST-009 reduced the disease severity index by 67.51% compared to the inoculated control and significantly stimulated the growth of the 'Green Oak' lettuce in terms of the plant height (8.62%), canopy width (16.67%), leaf number (18.39%), shoot fresh weight (25.71%), root fresh weight (39.26%), and total P in the leaves (31.45%) compared to the control. In addition, T. asperellum NST-009 was found to survive in both the lettuce leaves and roots at 100.00%.

The apple ermine moth (Yponomeuta malinellus Zeller) is an economically important pest of apple trees and apple orchards. It is also a pest of ornamental trees and shrubs in urban habitats. The aim of our study was to determine the degree of parasitisation of the apple ermine moth pupae collected from the common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacquin) in the allotment gardens in Poznań, Poland, by parasitoids from the Ichneumonidae family, to determine parasitoid species and the dates when they start flying. Judged from the parasitisation of pupae, the parasitoids reduced the apple ermine moth population by 9.1% over the period 2014-2016. The apple ermine moth pupae were parasitised by the following six parasitoid species: Gelis areator (Panzer), Herpestomus brunnicornis (Gravenhorst), Itoplectis alternans (Gravenhorst), I. maculator (Fabricius), I. tunetana (Schmiedeknecht), and Pimpla turionushtana (Linnaeus). The most effective entomophages H. brunnicornis and I. tunetana reduced the apple ermine moth population by 3.2% and 2.7%, respectively. Our results suggest that the apple ermine population in urban allotment gardens exposed to heavy anthropogenic pressure can be reduced by parasitoids of the Ichneumonidae family. The degree of parasitisation of the moth in this particular urban habitat may be comparable to the degree of its parasitisation in orchards.

Chemical plant protection methods have been used for decades. For some time now, society has paid attention to the hazards to human health resulting from the excessive use of chemical protection products. The presence of plant protection agent residues in crops causes changes in the natural environment, including biodiversity loss and the appearance of organisms harmful to plants, resistant to plant protection agents. To protect the health of humans, animals, and the environment, the principles of integrated plant protection have been introduced, giving priority to biological plant protection methods, for example, the use of biological active substances containing microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, fungi) and natural substances. Microorganisms, as well as other natural substances, can accelerate the degradation of chemical plant protection products present in the environment and agricultural products. This review paper focuses on the effect of natural and biological pesticides on the degradation of synthetic pesticides. The most important and most perspective in integrated pest management (IPM) systems are Bacillus spp. and Trichoderma spp. because their effectiveness in pesticide degradation and the large number of commercial preparations containing these microorganisms available on the market. The application of biological pesticides recommended in IPM systems could significantly improve the quality of the soil, environment, and human health.

Meloidogyne spp. is an important pest of cucurbits in tunnel farming of vegetables in Pakistan. A cucumber germplasm was evaluated for resistance against the root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita) based on the number of galls and egg masses recorded under glass house conditions. All the cucumber accessions showed varying responses towards the RKN inoculation. Out of the fifteen cucumber lines, two were found to be moderately susceptible to M. incognita, ten were susceptible while the other three were highly susceptible. For the management of the nematodes, resistance was induced in a highly susceptible cucumber accession (28294) by the application (both drench and foliar) of elicitors, i.e., salicylic acid (SA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH). The application of SA and BTH significantly enhanced the defence mechanism of the cucumber plants when compared to the control. Increased enzymatic activities in the cucumber plants as the result of the elicitor applications were determined through spectrophotometer to correlate the induced resistance. There was a significant increase in the enzymatic activities when compared to the control in the cucumber plants, which ultimately enhanced the resistance as there was a decrease in the number of galls and egg masses per plant. The enzymatic antioxidant activity was also found to increase in response to the nematode infection. Both SA and BTH were reported to play pivotal roles in inducing resistance in cucumber plants against M. incognita.

Palm oil (PO) is an edible vegetable oil that is extracted from the mesocarp of oil palm fruit (Elaeis guineensis), which is known to contain an almost equal proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs). PO is used globally, because of its wide application as a frying medium. Extracted from the mesocarp of the oil palm fruit, PO needs to be processed to make it of edible quality. However, to meet growing global demand, it is often adulterated with recycled cooking oil (RCO), which is of inedible quality. As the methods of fresh palm olein (FPO) adulteration are sophisticated, it created an urgent need for commensurate analytical techniques with which to detect FPO adulteration. As such, chromatography and spectroscopy are commonly used to detect adulterations in edible oil. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of utilising gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to detect the adulteration of FPO with inedible RCO. Although previous studies attest to the efficacy of utilising GC-MS and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in adulteration detection, both these techniques only provided specific qualitative and quantitative insights into the compounds present in oil samples. As such, further extensive studies on the application of a variety of adulteration detection methods are needed to provide regulatory authorities with information on the reliability of these modern adulteration detection methods.

To investigate the feasibility of image colour information in predicting the moisture content of dried Hami jujube, the images were obtained under different colour space models, and the colour model component mean and chromaticity frequency sequences of R, G, B, H, S, V, L*, a* and b* were extracted through image analysis. After optimising the colour model component mean and chromaticity frequency sequence, the model was established and compared. The results showed that the GA-ELM (genetic algorithm - extreme learning machine) model established by CARS (competitive adaptive reweighted sampling) method to optimise 12 chromaticity features of S chromaticity frequency sequence had the best prediction effect, with R_c of 0.917, R_p of 0.934 and residual predictive deviation (RPD) of 2.507. Therefore, the colour image information can accurately predict the moisture content of dried Hami jujube.

Riptortus pedestris is a potential edible insect, and its powder can be considered as an ideal nutrient source. This study sought to determine the nutritive quality of the powder from Riptortus pedestris. The protein and crude fat content of dried R. pedestris powder were 77.61 g 100 g^-1 and 18.01 g 100 g^-1, respectively. It contained 18 amino acids and 6 fatty acids comparable to eggs and soybean. The total essential amino acid contents could meet the requirement of preschool children and adults. The unsaturated fatty acid content in R. pedestris powder was comparatively more than saturated fatty acid content. Essential unsaturated fatty acids content, especially linoleic acid, was quite high than egg or some other edible stinkbugs. Additionally, R. pedestris powder was rich in various mineral substances, and the macro-element and micro-element contents were more balanced than other edible stinkbugs. These results suggest that R. pedestris powder could be a highly nutritious, alternative novel nutrition source for humans.

In this paper, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the optimised process conditions of lotus root starches modified by treatment with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Based on the Box-Behnken design, quadratic models were developed to correlate the reaction variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the active chlorine content was the most significant variable for the response. Under the experimental conditions in this paper, the calculated carboxyl content (CN_COOH) of obtained samples was approximately 0.98% ± 0.02% (n = 5). The spectra of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy displayed that the formation of carboxyl groups successfully occurred on the oxidised lotus root starches. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that the oxidised lotus root starch (CN_COOH, 0.98%) granules were mostly spherical in shape and their surfaces were slightly rougher than those of native lotus root starch. This work may contribute to providing technical support and theoretical guidance for the production of oxidised lotus root starches using NaOCl as an oxidising agent.

Honey is composed mainly of carbohydrates which are represented by mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, pentasaccharides, and oligosaccharides. The content and proportions of individual carbohydrates reveal information about the origin and technological properties of honey. A total of 5 987 samples of natural honeys originating from the Czech Republic and harvested during a period of nine consecutive years were analysed to research their carbohydrate content, sum of fructose and glucose (Fru + Glc), fructose and glucose ratio (Fru/Glc), and electrical conductivity (Ec). Monosaccharides, melezitose (Mel), and Ec varied according to the source of nectar or honeydew. Sucrose (Suc) content was low 0.87 ± 1.26 g (100 g)^-1 and did not exceed 15 g (100 g)^-1.

In this study, four different apple varieties were dried in a solar tunnel dryer using four different methods. Apple slices were immersed in a solution consisting of 0.5% ascorbic acid, 0.5% sodium metabisulphite, and 0.5% citric acid for 3 min. Constant measurements were performed in various parts of the dryer for drying air temperature, solar irradiation, air velocity, and relative humidity during drying. The change in the mass of apples was measured on a daily basis. Furthermore, ten mathematical models were used to study the drying process, which were Newton, Page, Henderson and Pabis, logarithmic, diffusion, two-term, two-term exponential, Midilli, Alibas, and logistic equation. Then, these models were compared in terms of their performance levels based on correlation coefficient (R²), chi-square value (χ²), and root mean square error (RMSE) between moisture ratios (MR) that were observed and predicted. Furthermore, we observed that the Alibas model and the two-term model revealed the ratio of drying in a satisfactory way for all drying methods.