A two-year field study (2013−2014) was performed to evaluate phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of two high-lycopene tomato breeding lines (HLT-F71 and HLT-F72) grown under open field conditions as compared to the traditional cultivar (cv) Rio Grande. Two open-field trials were conducted in 2013 and 2014. Three tomato cvs were used: two high-lycopene tomato advanced breeding lines (HLT-F71 and ‘HLT-F72’) (F7 generation), and the open-pollinated cv Rio Grande commonly grown in Tunisia. Regardless the growing years and cvs, lycopene content ranged from 98.8 to 280.0 mg/kg fw, total phenolics from 176.1 to 831.8 mg GAE/kg fw flavonoids from 169.7 to 552.1 mg RE/kg fw and total vitamin C from 183.4 to 370.0 mg/kg fw. Significant year-to-year variability was only detected in total phenolics and flavonoid content. No significant year-to-year variability in antioxidant activity was detected in high-lycopene lines. Disregarding the cv, tomato berries harvested on July 2014 had 143% - 224% higher total phenolics and 8% to 47% higher flavonoid contents compared to tomato berries harvested on July 2013. However, disregarding the cv, tomato berries harvested on July 2013 had 6% -17% higher lycopene and 8% -21% higher LAA compared to berries harvested on 2014. During the second growing year, the higher temperature, particularly prior to harvest, determined a decrease in lycopene content and a significant increase in total phenolics regardless the cv. Although the huge variability in total phenolics and the decrease in lycopene content during the second harvest, the antioxidant activity was not affected by year-to-year variability. This reveals consistent functional quality of these cvs and minimal genotype*environmental conditions interaction.

The maize germplasm variation is valuable for breeders to develop elite hybrids with increased mineral contents in the maize grain to eliminate mineral malnutrition, which is referred as HIDEN HUNGER. Therefore, we aimed to determine mineral element diversity of maize landraces collected from different geographical regions of Turkey. There was huge diversity for all mineral traits and other quality traits. Turkish maize landraces showed high variation for Zn (17-41.34 mg kg-1), Fe (13.52-29.63 mg kg-1), Cu (0.77-3.34 mg kg-1), Mn (5.68-14.78 mg kg-1), Protein (6.6-11.6%), starch content (73.3-80.0%), oil content (3.15-4.7%) and thousand grain weight (177.0-374.9g). There were significant positive and negative associations among mineral elements and quality traits. The principal component analysis differentiated some maize landraces from the rest, and these diverse landraces could be used in the maize breeding program with biofortification purpose.

Sous vide is a cooking method in which food is heat processed after vacuum packaging in heat stable pouches. Meat, chicken, fish and vegetables can be cooked by this method; even meals containing these ingredients can be preserved by heat processing after precooking and vacuum packaging steps. Meanwhile sous vide cooking is a preservation method that the product is cooled rapidly after heat processing and can be stored for long periods. By this method, food can be cooked in vacuum packed without losing its flavour, taste and nutritional value. In this review, the effects of sous vide cooking on the major nutrients of vegetables such as antioxidant compounds and vitamins will be mentioned.

Lupin seeds of genetically improved cultivar (Golo) were subjected to different processing methods and investigated according to anti-nutritional factors content and protein quality. Results showed that tannin content of raw seeds was significantly increased in sprouted and debittered seeds before and after boiling but in fermented seeds it declined significantly. Phytate content was significantly decreased in all processed seeds with a significant reduction observed in germinated seeds. The reduction in Phytate as a result of processing was accompanied by a significant improvement in protein digestibility. The protein content of lupin seeds decreased in sprouted seeds and increased in fermented and debittered ones. Boiling of the seeds even the sprouted ones significantly increased the protein content compared to raw lupin seeds. In raw lupin seeds, globulins comprised the major fraction followed by glutelin. Debittered seeds characterized by high glutelin, fermented are characterized by high globulin while germinated characterized by both fractions. Most of the amino acids level was increased after processing of the seeds.

In this study was carried out to determine the effects of humic acid in heavy metal stress of lettuce changes in some of the morphological and physiological characteristics. In studies conducted in controlled greenhouse conditions, lettuce plants subjected to four different 4 different humic acid levels humic acid doses (0, 2, 4, 8 L/da) and 4 different heavy metal irrigation levels (Control: 0 ppm; I. mixture: 0.2 ppm Cu + 0.01 ppm Cd + 5 ppm Pb + 2 ppm Zn; II. mixture: : 0.4 ppm Cu + 0.02 ppm Cd + 10 ppm Pb + 4 ppm Zn; III. mixture: 0.8 ppm Cu + 0.04 ppm Cd + 20 ppm Pb + 8 ppm Zn). Four weeks after at heavy metal and humic acid treatment young plants were harvested and the shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, shoot and root length, and leaf areas, MDA, superoxyde dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) were determined. The most highly toxic effects were determinate III. mixture level (0.8 ppm Cu + 0.04 ppm Cd + 20 ppm Pb + 8 ppm Zn). MDA and antioxidative enzyme activities increased in plants irrigated with water containing a mixture of heavy metal. Humic acid applications had a positive effect on reducing of the limiting effect of heavy metal stress on growth and development.

WRKY transcription factors are a class of DNA-binding proteins that bind with a specific sequence C/TTGACT/C known as W-Box found in promoters of genes which are regulated by these WRKYs. From previous studies, 43 different stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana, identified and then categorized in three groups viz., abiotic, biotic and both of these stresses. A comprehensive genome wide analysis including chromosomal localization, gene structure analysis, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis and promoter analysis of these WRKY genes was carried out in this study to determine the functional homology in Arabidopsis. This analysis led to the classification of these WRKY family members into 3 major groups and subgroups and showed evolutionary relationship among these groups on the base of their functional WRKY domain, chromosomal localization and intron/exon structure. The proposed groups of these stress responsive WRKY genes and annotation based on their position on chromosomes can also be explored to determine their functional homology in other plant species in relation to different stresses. The result of the present study provides indispensable genomic information for the stress responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis and will pave the way to explain the precise role of various AtWRKYs in plant growth and development under stressed conditions.

Response of sunflower germplasms viz. cultivated sunflower H. annuus and two breeding lines H. annuus x T. rotundifolia and H. annuus x V. encelioides developed after wide hybridization were used for identification of drought tolerant sunflower genotypes at the seedling growth stage. Three water stress levels of zero (control), -0.4, and -0.8 MPa were developed using polyethyleneglycol-6000 (PEG-6000). Physiological and biochemical stress determining parameters such as root and shoots length, fresh weight, antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPO), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and antioxidant metabolite content (total antioxidant capacity, total phenols and total flavonoids content) were compared between seedlings of all three genotypes. Results revealed that sunflower genotypes have similar responses at two osmotic potentials for shoot and root length and fresh weight. The data also showed that drought stresss could induce oxidative stress, as indicated by the increase level of ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase at -04 MPa in H. annuus cv 1114. Although the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase was differentially influenced by drought, the changes of antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase subjected to drought stress follow a similar pattern in both breeding lines, indicating that similar defense systems might be involved in the oxidative stress injury in sunflowers. Increase in content of phenols and flavonoids were detected for all three genotypes under stress, which showed that these were major antioxidant metabolites in scavenging cellular H2O2.

The economic evaluation for the production of fruit juice from the Africa star apple otherwise known as ‘Agbalumo’ in the south western part of Nigeria was evaluated using the NPV (Net Present value) and IRR (Internal Rate of Return) methods assuming a uniform cash flow over a 10-year plant life. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by varying the number of production days (330, 300 and 250 days) at 100% plant capacity and varying the plant capacity (100, 85 and 70%) for a 330-day production schedule. Some components of the operating cost reduced with number of days and plant capacities. The production cost and product cost per unit increased with either plant capacity utilization or the number of days. It was observed that product cost/ 500ml Tetra Pak of Agbalumo juice at 85% and 70% stood at ₦37.48 while payback time/profitability percent had better index at 300 and 250 days compared to 330 days of plant operation. The results further indicated that the plant should not be operated for less than 250 days and plant capacity utilization of 70% in the year. Flexibility in the plant capacity utilization in the range of 70%-85% for 330 days shows a good economic performance as well as result of the NPV and IRR for this operating condition.

The aim of this study is to determine socio-economic properties and problems of the control officers in Istanbul province. The data are obtained via the questionnaire method from 99 control officers in the period of August-October 2015. As method, it is used to frequency, percent distributions and averages for personal and professional characteristics, opinions about related laws and categorized problems of control officers. Also, it is analyzed the relationship between sufficient and effective of official checking and some characteristics of control officers with Chi-square test (X2). It is determine that 58.59% of control officer are men and their averaged ages are 35.09. The people have been worked in the Ministry for 8.59 years and are control officers for 5.90 years in average. The majority of the people (91.92%) have been got trained in-service, and HACCP basic training is the most participated issue (85.86%). Although 64.65% of the people are satisfied with their jobs, the ratio of the people who consider with sufficient and effective of official checking is very low (27.27%) and 38.38% of the people stated that feel coercion with applying administrative sanction. The most important categorized problems of control officers are amendments frequently in legislation (74.75%), insufficient teams/officers in official controls (70.71%), lack of own directorate buildings in physical structure and equipment (36.36%) and insufficient payments in other job problem (59.60%). It is determined with chi-square test that there were significant relationships between the sufficiency and effectiveness of official controls and homeland of persons, job satisfaction, sufficiency in providing food safety of 5996 numbered law, feeling coercion applying administrative sanction. Solution of control officers’ problems and periodically training in food safety aspects could provide the contributions in food safety.