Solar drying of agricultural products: A review

The use of solar energy in recent years had reached a remarkable edge. The continuous research for an alternative power source due to the perceived scarcity of fuel fossils is its driving force. It had become even more popular as the cost of fossil fuel continues to rise. Of all the renewable sources of energy […]

Effect of pollination intensity; frequency and pollen source on fig (Ficus carica L.) productivity and fruit quality

Yield and fruit quality in fig (Ficus carica L.) are highly dependent on cultural practices especially caprification (pollination). However; this technique remains not well controlled in Tunisia. This study was conducted during two successive years; 2009 and 2010; to investigate different pollination conditions; i.e. number of caprifigs and repetitions of caprification on fruiting of two […]

Evaluating the opportunities and limitations to multiple use of Brazil nuts and timber in Western Amazonia

Multiple-use forest management; which includes timber; non-timber forest products; and environmental services; is considered a promising tropical conservation and development strategy. In the tri-national frontier region of Madre de Dios (Peru); Acre (Brazil); and Pando (Bolivia) in Western Amazonia; we evaluated perceptions of representatives from four stakeholder groups – communities; industries (Brazil nut and timber); […]

Determination of ochratoxins in nuts and grain samples by in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of ochratoxins A and B in nuts and grain samples was developed using an automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Ochratoxins were separated within 5 min by high-performance liquid chromatography using an Inertsil ODS-3 column with 5 mM anmonium acetate/acetonitrile (65/35 v/v) […]

Polyphenolic Composition of Hazelnut Skin

Skins from different hazelnut samples were characterized for total polyphenol content; total antioxidant capacity (TAC); and their content in specific polyphenolic compounds. The main polyphenolic subclass; identified and quantified by means of HPLC-MS/MS; comprised monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols; which accounted for more than 95% of total polyphenols. Flavonols and dihydrochalcones were 3.5% while phenolic acids […]

Effects of walnut consumption on cognitive performance in young adults

Walnuts contain a number of potentially neuroprotective compounds like vitamin E; folate; melatonin; several antioxidative polyphenols and significant amounts of n-3 a-linolenic fatty acid. The present study sought to determine the effect of walnuts on verbal and non-verbal reasoning; memory and mood. A total of sixty-four college students were randomly assigned to two treatment sequences […]

Effects of temperature and packaging atmosphere on total antioxidants and colour of walnut (Juglans regia L.) kernels during storage

The effects of cultivar and storage conditions (time; temperature and O2 availability) on total phenolics (TP); total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and colour in walnut kernels of three cultivars (Chandler; Hartley and Ioli) were investigated. Harvested walnuts were dried at 36 °C for 24 h; packaged in polyethylene||polyamide pouches flushed with dry air or N2 or […]

The role of diet in the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an important preventable disease and a growing public health problem. Epidemiologic and interventional studies suggest that weight loss is the main driving force to reduce diabetes risk. Landmark clinical trials of lifestyle changes in subjects with prediabetes have shown that diet and exercise leading to weight loss consistently reduce the […]

Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men

BACKGROUND: Specific dietary and other lifestyle behaviors may affect the success of the straightforward-sounding strategy "eat less and exercise more" for preventing long-term weight gain. METHODS: We performed prospective investigations involving three separate cohorts that included 120;877 U.S. women and men who were free of chronic diseases and not obese at baseline; with follow-up periods […]

Nuts improve diet quality compared to other energy-dense snacks while maintaining body weight

Previous studies have reported that regular nut consumption reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and does not promote weight gain despite the fact that nuts are energy-dense. However; no studies have investigated the body composition of those regularly consuming nuts compared to similar intakes of other snacks of equal energy density. This parallel study (n = […]