Ewelina Hallmann

The influence of organic and conventional cultivation systems on the nutritional value and content of bioactive compounds in selected tomato types

BACKGROUND Tomato fruits contain a high level of antioxidants such as vitamin C, polyphenols (including flavonoids), and carotenoids (such as lycopene and β-carotene). Some studies have shown the higher level of bioactive compounds in organically produced tomato fruits compared to conventional ones, but not all studies were consistent in this respect. The levels of carotenoids and phenolics are very variable and may be affected by ripeness, genotype and cultivation. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of organic and conventional production systems on chemical properties and phenolic compounds of two tomato types (standard and cherry). The experiment was carried out in two growing seasons of 2008 and 2009, and in three organic and three conventional farms. RESULTS The results obtained have shown that, in 2008, organic tomatoes presented a higher ratio of reducing sugars/organic acids, and contained significantly more total sugars, vitamin C and total flavonoids, 3-quercetin rutinoside, and myricetin in comparison with the conventional fruits. In 2009, organic tomatoes contained significantly more vitamin C, quercetin-3-O-glucoside and chlorogenic acid, myricetin and kaempferol in comparison with the conventional fruits. CONCLUSIONS The organic growing system affects tomato quality parameters such as nutritional value and phenolic compound content. The second significant factor of nutritional value of tomato is the type of fruits. It would be necessary to continue this study as a long-term experiment in order to eliminate the influence of seasonality.

Characterisation of antioxidant compounds in sweet bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under organic and conventional growing systems

BACKGROUND Sweet red bell pepper is one of the best sources of ascorbic acid and carotenoids as well as phenolic compounds important in the human diet. There have been some studies showing a higher level of bioactive compounds in organic bell pepper fruits compared with conventional fruits, but not all studies have been consistent in this respect. The levels of carotenoids and phenolics are very variable and may be affected by ripeness, genotype and cultivation. RESULTS The results obtained in this study showed that an organic growing system affected the level of bioactive compounds (carotenoids and polyphenols) in sweet bell pepper fruits cultivated in Poland. Organic bell pepper fruits contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, cis-β-carotene, total phenolic acids (as well as individual gallic and chlorogenic acids) and flavonoids (quercetin D-glucoside, quercetin and kaempferol) compared with conventional fruits. The bell pepper variety also affected the level of antioxidant compounds in fruits. CONCLUSION Organic growing increased the level of antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds and vitamin C in sweet bell pepper. The second significant factor affecting the antioxidant compound content of sweet bell pepper was variety. It would be necessary to continue this study as a long-term experiment in order to eliminate the influence of seasonality.

The Seasonal Variation in Bioactive Compounds Content in Juice from Organic and Non-organic Tomatoes

A specific objective of this paper was to evaluate seasonal changes in bioactive compounds level (carotenoids and polyphenols) in juice prepared from organic and non-organic tomatoes in Poland. In the examined tomato juice, the content of dry matter, vitamin C, carotenoids as well as polyphenols (by HPLC method) has been measured. The presented results indicate the impact of the growing system and the year of production on the composition of tomato juice. The organic tomato juice contained significantly more beta-carotene, chlorogenic acid, rutin as well as more total phenolic acids, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, total flavonoids, quercetin-3-O-glucoside and quercetin in comparison with the non-organic. The tomato juice from 2008 contained significantly more carotenoids and some flavonoids compared to the one produced in 2009, which contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, as well as quercetin and it derivatives.

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) and naturally fermented beetroot juices from organic and conventional production: metabolomics, antioxidant levels and anticancer activity

BACKGROUND The aim of the paper was to determine the level of antioxidants and metabolomic fingerprinting in both raw beetroots and naturally fermented beetroot juices from organic (ORG) versus conventional (CONV) production. In addition, the anticancer properties of the fermented beetroot juices were evaluated. RESULTS The obtained results showed that ORG fresh beetroots contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C and some individual phenolic compounds than CONV beetroots. The content of total phenolic acids was significantly higher in CONV beetroots compared with the ORG ones. The level of flavonoids was similar in ORG and CONV beetroots. There were only slight differences in the chemical composition of ORG and CONV beetroot juices. Metabolomic analysis provided a possibility to distinguish clearly between ORG and CONV fermented beetroot juices. However, this method was less useful in the case of fresh whole beetroots. It was found that anticancer activity was stronger in the case of ORG fermented juices when compared with CONV ones. CONCLUSION The obtained results indicate that ORG- and CONV-produced beetroots and fermented beetroot juices have different chemical properties and different impacts on cancer cells. It is necessary to continue research on this topic in order to confirm and understand the achieved results.

Differences in N uptake and fruit quality between organically and conventionally grown greenhouse tomatoes

Soil-bound intensive greenhouse production has been scrutinized for its sustainability due to contamination of ground water by over-fertilization resulting in leaching of nutrients. As environmental guidelines are becoming more restrictive worldwide, and especially in Europe, many greenhouse growers have converted to more sustainable production systems including rockwool culture with recycled water and organic cropping systems in soil. The increase in popularity of organic production systems has amplified the debate whether organically grown produce is healthier than conventional produce. So far, little is known about the variations in fruit quality associated with production systems for greenhouse grown tomatoes. Thus, two organic (organic fertilization with and without straw amendment) and three conventional tomato cropping systems (regular and increased nutrient solution in rockwool and regular fertilization in soil) were compared in order to evaluate differences in nutrient availability and effects on fruit quality over a three-year period. Three modern medium-sized round tomato cultivars and one old cultivar were compared. There were no significant interactions between cropping systems and cultivars, so that main effects of systems and cultivars could be evaluated. Fruit yields in the organic systems were similar to those obtained in the conventional soil-bound system, but 15% lower than in the regular rockwool system, even though nitrogen concentrations in soil were not limiting in any of the production systems. Frequent organic amendments resulted in higher soil NO32− contents in the organic system without straw than in the other soil-bound systems, indicating that the organic systems were not yet stable in terms of nutrient availability after three years. A fruit quality index, based on the contents of compounds such as lycopene, β-carotene and vitamin C, was similar in all cropping systems. The old cultivar had a significantly higher quality index, but a lower yield than the other cultivars. According to this study, high quality tomatoes can be obtained through proper adjustment of the quantity and the source of nitrogen fertilizers in organic and conventional cropping systems and the use of selected cultivars with a high nutrient use efficiency for organic systems.

Effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on the oxygen cost of exercise and walking performance in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial

Dietary nitrate supplementation has been shown to reduce the oxygen (O2) cost of exercise and enhance exercise tolerance in healthy individuals. This study assessed whether similar effects could be observed in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 48 participants with T2DM supplemented their diet for 4 days with either nitrate-rich beetroot juice (70ml/day, 6.43mmol nitrate/day) or nitrate-depleted beetroot juice as placebo (70ml/day, 0.07mmol nitrate/day). After each intervention period, resting plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations were measured subsequent to participants completing moderate-paced walking. Pulmonary gas exchange was measured to assess the O2 cost of walking. After a rest period, participants performed the 6-min walk test (6MWT). Relative to placebo, beetroot juice resulted in a significant increase in plasma nitrate (placebo, 57±66 vs beetroot, 319±110µM; P < 0.001) and plasma nitrite concentration (placebo, 680±256 vs beetroot, 1065±607nM; P < 0.001). There were no differences between placebo juice and beetroot juice for the O2 cost of walking (946±221 vs 939±223ml/min, respectively; P = 0.59) and distance covered in the 6MWT (550±83 vs 554±90m, respectively; P = 0.17). Nitrate supplementation did not affect the O2 cost of moderate-paced walking or improve performance in the 6MWT. These findings indicate that dietary nitrate supplementation does not modulate the response to exercise in individuals with T2DM.

Effect of crop protection and fertilization regimes used in organic and conventional production systems on feed composition and physiological parameters in rats.

Very little is known about the effects of an organic or conventional diet on animal physiology and health. Here, we report the effect of contrasting crop protection (with or without chemosynthetic pesticides) and fertilization (manure or mineral fertilizers) regimes on feed composition and growth and the physiological parameters of rats. The use of manure instead of mineral fertilizers in feed production resulted in lower concentrations of protein (18.8 vs 20.6%) and cadmium (3.33 vs 4.92 μg/100 g) but higher concentrations of polyphenols (1.46 vs 0.89 g/100 g) in feeds and higher body protein (22.0 vs 21.5%), body ash (3.59 vs 3.51%), white blood cell count (10.86 vs 8.19 × 10³/mm³), plasma glucose (7.23 vs 6.22 mmol/L), leptin (3.56 vs 2.78 ng/mL), insulin-like growth factor 1 (1.87 vs 1.28 μg/mL), corticosterone (247 vs 209 ng/mL), and spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation (11.14 vs 5.03 × 10³ cpm) but lower plasma testosterone (1.07 vs 1.97 ng/mL) and mitogen stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes (182 vs 278 × 10³ cpm) in rats. There were no main effects of crop protection, but a range of significant interactions between fertilization and crop protection occurred.

The content of biologically active compounds in some fruits from natural state.

The Content of Biologically Active Compounds in Some Fruits from Natural State The ornamental plants with edible fruits can play several important functions, ensuring food for the wild animals and embellishing city parks, also these fruits contain high level of bioactive compounds and therefore provide valuable endorsement to the everyday diet. The previous studies of chemical composition of such fruits were fragmentary and superficial. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyse the content of major bioactive substances in these fruits. The experiment was performed at the Laboratory of Division of Organic Food in 2010. The fruits of rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia L.), flowering quince (Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach), wild rose (Rosa rugosa Thunb.) and berry apple (Malus baccata) were selected for the study. The content of dry matter (by gravimetric method), vitamin C (by colorimetric method), carotenoids and polyphenols (by HPLC) have been determined. The results collected indicate that the fruits of wild rose were characterized by the highest diversity of biologically active compounds among the species examined. At the same time, in these fruits the highest content of vitamin C, lycopene, gallic acid, D-quercetin glucoside, and myricetin has been found compared to the fruits of the other species tested. The highest content of beta-carotene was typical for rowanberry fruits and they contained chlorogenic and caffeic acids as well as quercetin and luteolin which were not detected in the fruits of the other species. Flowering quince and berry apple fruits contained significantly more lutein in comparison with other unusual fruit species examined. Zawartosc Zwiazków Biologicznie Czynnych w Róznych Owocach Ze Stanu Naturalnego Gatunki roslin ozdobnych majacych jadalne owoce spelniaja wiele funkcji: srodowiskowa (ozdobne owoce stanowia pokarm dla ptaków, szczególnie w okresie zimowym oraz sa dekoracja drzew w parkach miejskich), zdrowotna (owoce zawieraja liczne zwiazki biologicznie czynne, pozytywnie dzialajace na organizm czlowieka), a takze zywieniowa (z owoców mozna wykonywac rózne przetwory stosowane jako dodatki w tradycyjnej kuchni). Dotychczasowe badania skladu chemicznego opisanych owoców sa fragmentaryczne i powierzchowne. Dlatego celem podjetych badan byla szczególowa analiza zawartosci najwazniejszych substancji bioaktywnych w tych owocach. Doswiadczenie wykonano w Laboratorium Zakladu Zywnosci Ekologicznej, w roku 2010. Do badan przeznaczono owoce jarzebu zwyczajnego (Sorbus aucuparia L.), pigwowca japonskiego (Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach), rózy pomarszczonej (Rosa rugosa Thunb.) oraz jabloni jagodowej (Malus baccata). W owocach zmierzono zawartosc suchej masy (PN-R-04013:1988), witaminy C (PN-A-75101-11:1990), karotenoidów (Helsper et al. 2003) oraz polifenoli (Hertog et al. 1992). Otrzymane wyniki wskazuja, ze owoce dzikiej rózy charakteryzowaly sie najwiekszym zróznicowaniem zwiazków biologicznie czynnych, w porównaniu z pozostalymi badanymi gatunkami. Jednoczesnie owoce te zawieraly najwiecej witaminy C, likopenu, kwasu galusowego, D-glikozydu kwercetyny i myrycetyny w porównaniu z owocami pozostalych gatunków. Najwieksza zawartosc beta-karotenu stwierdzono w owocach jarzebu zwyczajnego. Owoce tego gatunku zawieraly tez kwas chlorogenowy, kawowy oraz kwercetyne i luteoline, które to zwiazki nie zostaly wykryte w owocach innych badanych gatunków. W owocach pigwowca japonskiego oraz jabloni jagodowej stwierdzono najwyzsza zawartosc luteiny w porównaniu z pozostalymi badanymi gatunkami.

Effects of organic and conventional production systems on the content of bioactive substances in four species of medicinal plants

This paper aimed to compare the content of compounds with antioxidant properties in four species of medicinal plants, rosemary, peppermint, lemon balm and sage grown under organic and conventional conditions in 2 consecutive years. The dry matter and vitamin C content was determined according to Polish Standards; carotenoids and polyphenols were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Organic medicinal plants contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic acids and total flavonoids than the plants from conventional production. On the other hand, conventional plants contained significantly more carotenoids than the organic ones. A high content of beneficial bioactive compounds in medicinal plants, especially coming from organic farming, is an important prerequisite for their use in a healthy diet.

Allergenic Potential of Tomatoes Cultivated in Organic and Conventional Systems.

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) are a widely consumed vegetables and contain many health beneficial micronutrients. Unfortunately, they may also cause adverse allergic reactions in sensitized people. Many studies, conducted in recent years, indicate that organically produced vegetables have higher nutritional value, improved sensory quality and contain more health-enhancing bioactive compounds than vegetables grown under the conventional system. However, the relation between organic methods of cultivation and allergenic potential of tomatoes has received little scientific attention. This study analyzed samples of five tomato cultivars taken from organic and conventional systems over three consecutive years. The content of profilin, Bet v 1 and lipid transfer protein (LTP) analogues in tomato samples was determined using an indirect ELISA assay. Substantial quantities of these proteins were found in certain cultivars across all three years of cultivation. On the basis of these findings, organically grown tomatoes appear to offer little advantage over conventionally cultivated plants in terms of reduced allergenic potential.