Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional and use value of berries grown in organic and conventional systems. The polyphenol content, fruit colour and firmness, and yeast, mould, and mycotoxin contents were assessed in blueberry fruit freshly harvested and stored for 8 weeks in controlled conditions (CA: CO2-12%; O2-1.5%, temperature 1.5 °C). The Shannon–Wiener diversity index was comparable in both systems and was lower for mould in organic fruit than in conventional fruit. Mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, zearalenone) were found only in organic fruits. The optimal mineral content and pH of the soil allowed the cultivation of blueberry in accordance with organic standards. The storage of highbush blueberry fruit in CA cold storage for 8 weeks resulted in a slight deterioration in fruit quality and polyphenol content. The lower nutritional value of these fruits is compensated by the lack of pesticides and artificial fertilizers residues. The use of fungicides in conventional cultivation reduces the population of sensitive fungi and therefore reduces the contamination of fruits with mycotoxins.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional and use value of berries grown in organic and conventional systems
Fungi belonging to eight different genera (Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, Acremonium, Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Bipolaris, and Mucor) were isolated from organic fruits, and five genera of fungi were isolated from conventionally cultivated fruits (Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Eurotium)
The storage of highbush blueberry fruits in controlled atmosphere (CA) cold storage influenced the decrease in polyphenolic compound content; it had no significant influence on the decrease in antioxidant activity or on the effectiveness of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors
Summary
The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional and use value of berries grown in organic and conventional systems. In the case of fruit from conventional field No 1, the number of yeasts significantly increased by 0.5 log[10] CFU/g with the storage time of these fruits. More types of fungi were found on the organic fruit, the vast majority belonged to one dominant genus, i.e., Cladosporium (Table 1) This is why the mould from organic fruit had a low value for the biodiversity index (in the case of organic fruits from field No 2, the Shannon–Wiener index = 0.284 ± 0.095). The total count of moulds on these fruits did not decrease even after 8 weeks of cold storage, and the share of Fusarium in the total number of fungi colonizing the fruit increased from 15 to 27%. No ochratoxin A, toxin T2 HT2, aflatoxin (BI, B2, GI, G2), or patulin were identified in the tested samples of fresh and stored fruit
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