0000000000919347

AUTHOR

Roberto Lo Scalzo

Cooking influence on physico-chemical fruit characteristics of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Physico-chemical traits of three eggplant genotypes ("Tunisina", "Buia" and "L 305") were evaluated before and after two cooking treatments (grilling and boiling). Different genotypes revealed different changes after cooking, with "Tunisina" showing a better retention of phytochemicals with respect to other two genotypes. The main physical phenomena were water loss during grilling, and dry matter loss after boiling. Chlorogenic acid, the main phenolic in eggplant, resulted higher in grilled samples, while delphinidin glycosides resulted more retained in boiled samples. Glycoalkaloids, thiols and biogenic amines were generally stable, while 5-hydroxy-methyl-furfural was found only in grilled…

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Methods used to evaluate the peroxyl (ROO·) radical scavenging capacities of four common antioxidants

Different methods that are used to measure peroxyl radical (ROO) scavenging capacity were used in model systems containing four common antioxidant compounds: ascorbic acid, cysteine, gallic acid and Trolox, a water-soluble vitamin E analogue. Five tests were performed, with differences in the method of peroxyl radical generation (lipoxygenase, azo-compound thermal degradation and spontaneous oxidation from a natural source of fatty acids) and in the addition of probes such as linoleic acid, crocin, fluorescein and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) by spin-trapping with a-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone. Significant differences were found in antioxidant reactivity, evaluated by dose–effect se…

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Mapping quantitative trait loci affecting biochemical and morphological fruit properties in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Eggplant berries are a source of health-promoting metabolites including antioxidant and nutraceutical compounds, mainly anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid; however, they also contain some anti-nutritional compounds such as steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGA) and saponins, which are responsible for the bitter taste of the flesh and with potential toxic effects on humans. Up to now, Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for the metabolic content are far from being characterized in eggplant, thus hampering the application of breeding programs aimed at improving its fruit quality. Here we report on the identification of some QTL for the fruit metabolic content in an F2 intraspecific mapping population of 156…

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