High Nutritional Quality Research Articles

Primena zrna Amaranthus spp. u ishrani

Recently there has been a rediscovery of some ancient crops due to increased consumer demands for a healthier diet with medicinal and therapeutic effects. One such crop is a pseudocereal Amaranthus sp., which is nutritionally more favourable than many widespread kinds of cereal and meets most of the requirements of modern diets. The incorporation of amaranth species in food formulations would expand the assortment of food products present on the market. The high nutritional quality and potential functionality of amaranth-based food products have been the subject of extensive scientific research. This study aims at reviewing the currently available data on the application of amaranth grains in the food industry and manufacturing and focuses on the functionalities of these products, providing an overview of the current amaranth value chain.

Comparative evaluation of functional properties of composite flours made from Amaranth, Rice and raw Banana

Exploring the functionality of composite flours from Rice, Amaranth and Raw banana for various food products can be advantageous in food industry as it has more benefits. Therefore the purpose of the plan of the current study is to examine the functional characteristics of these composite flours at various proportions. Composite flours were blended in six treatments in the ratio of 100:0:0 (T0), 0:100:0 (T00), 49:49:2 (T1), 48:48:4 (T2), 47:47:6 (T3) and 46:46:8 (T4) respectively. The different functional properties of the blend such as water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity and foaming capacity were determined. It was revealed that the capacity for water and oil absorption was decreased for T00 and decreased with the addingpercentage of raw banana powder in the flour blend from T1 to T4. Also the foaming measurement and swelling measurement of the flour blend ranged between 8% to 14% and 8ml to 17ml respectively. These flours can be used for making the pasta and similar products, because of its high nutritional quality which is beneficial for human health.

Primena zrna Amaranthus spp. u ishrani

Recently there has been a rediscovery of some ancient crops due to increased consumer demands for a healthier diet with medicinal and therapeutic effects. One such crop is a pseudocereal Amaranthus sp., which is nutritionally more favourable than many widespread kinds of cereal and meets most of the requirements of modern diets. The incorporation of amaranth species in food formulations would expand the assortment of food products present on the market. The high nutritional quality and potential functionality of amaranth-based food products have been the subject of extensive scientific research. This study aims at reviewing the currently available data on the application of amaranth grains in the food industry and manufacturing and focuses on the functionalities of these products, providing an overview of the current amaranth value chain.

Development of fresh and dried noodle products with high resistant starch content from banana flour

The functional properties, resistant starch (RS), and glycemic index (GI) of fresh noodles substituted with banana flour (BF) were investigated. When the substitution with BF was increased from 0 to 40%, the viscoelastic properties increased, while tensile strength and elasticity decreased from 53.23 to 26.84 gf and 44.65 to 15.04 mm, respectively. GI was reduced from 77.05 to 62.62 while RS content increased from 5.56 to 23.31%. This is considered a very high RS content and the modified noodles are classified as intermediate GI food. Furthermore, the effects of xanthan gum (XG), guar gum (GG), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) individually at 1.0% and 1.5% levels on quality of dried noodles substituted with 30% BF (DBF30) were investigated. DBF30 with XG had the shortest rehydration time (6.5 min), while DBF30 with CMC had the slowest rehydration (8.5 min). The added hydrocolloids increased rehydration and decreased the cooking loss of DBF30, also increasing tensile strength and elasticity of DBF30. Furthermore, the hydrocolloids increased RS content and reduced GI of DBF30. The results reveal that adding BF and hydrocolloids to noodle products provides high nutritional quality with enhanced quality characteristics.

Explorando o impacto da presença de detritos exóticos na comunidade de invertebrados aquáticos e no processo de decomposição foliar em um riacho na Mata Atlântica

Abstract: Aim In this study, we examined the effects of non-native leaf litter on the functioning of an Atlantic Forest stream ecosystem. Methods Were tested two predictions: (i) Leaf litter from the native trees with high nutritional quality will have higher decomposer’s activity and faster litter decomposition; (ii) Given the presence of anti-grazing defenses, we also hypothesized that non-native leaf litter would be colonized by fewer invertebrates and that native species would be more species-rich. For this, in a forest stream (Florianópolis, SC, Brazil) we conduct the experiment to understand the decomposition and biological colonization of leaf litter among two non-native (Eucalyptus sp. and Pinus radiata D. Don) and two native trees (Ficus eximia Schott and Alchornea triplinervia (Spreng) Mull. Arg). Results Our predictions were partially corroborated. The percentage of dry mass remaining was lower for the native leaf litter. The invertebrate abundance and richness, and functional feeding groups vary between native and non-native leaf litter. Invertebrate abundance was higher in non-native Eucalyptus detritus, largely due to the high larval abundance of Chironomidae (Diptera). Conclusions Our results indicate that the presence of non-native riparian species can modify leaf decomposition and aquatic invertebrate communities in subtropical streams, with potential consequences for ecosystem functioning.

Microclimate control to increase productivity and nutritional quality of leafy vegetables in a cost-effective manner

Food security is one of the key global challenges in this century. In Singapore, our research team has been using novel aeroponic technology to produce fresh vegetables since 1997. Aeroponic systems allow for year-round production of not only tropical, but also sub-tropical and temperate fresh vegetables, by simply cooling the roots suspended in aeroponic systems while the aerial parts grow under tropical ambient environments. It has also been used to investigate the impacts of root-zone CO2 on vegetables by enriching root-zone CO2 while their aerial portions were subjected to constant atmospheric CO2. To compensate for the lack of available land, Singapore also needs to develop a farming system that can increase productivity per unit land area by many-fold. Over the past 10 years, my research team has established a commercially viable LED integrated vertical aeroponic farming system to grow different leafy vegetables under different LED spectra, intensities, and durations in the tropical greenhouse. The results demonstrate that it is possible to increase shoot production and rate of shoot production of leafy vegetables by increasing light intensity and extending the photoperiod under effective LED lighting. Furthermore, temperate vegetable crops such as lettuce were able to acclimate to high light intensity under supplementary LED lights to natural sunlight in the greenhouse. Supplementary LED lightings promote both leaf initiation and expansion with increased photosynthetic pigments, higher Cyt b6f and Rubisco protein contents on a per area basis and thus improve photosynthetic capacity and enhance productivity. Plants sense and respond to changes in their immediate environments (microclimate), manipulating the root zone temperature (RZT) and water supply will impact not only their growth and development but also their nutritional quality. Our on-going research aims to investigate if the nutritional quality of leafy vegetables could be improved under suboptimal RZT and mild water deficit through deficit irrigation. If substantial energy and water savings in urban farming can be achieved without substantial yield penalty but with higher nutritional quality, the amount of water and energy saved can bring substantial benefits to society. Keywords: leaf vegetables, LED lighting, microenvironment, nutrient spraying intervals, nutritional quality, photosynthetic performance, productivity, root-zone temperature DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221503.7367 Citation: He J, Qin L. Microclimate control to increase productivity and nutritional quality of leafy vegetables in a cost-effective manner. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(3): 55–61.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv.VL-1) Seed Production through Organic Farming”

Present investigation entitled ‘Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv.VL-1) Seed Production through Organic Farming’ was carried out with the objectives to produce the fruit of high nutritional quality in sufficient quantity, maintaining and increasing the long-term fertility of soil and to avoid all kinds of pollutions that may result from agricultural techniques. It was also an objective to use renewable resources in locally organized production systems and work with a close system with regard to organic matter and nutrient. The variety of tomato used in this study namely, VL Tamator -1, released in 2003 was collected from VPKAS, Almora, Uttarakhand. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with 13 treatments and 3 replications with the combination of organic and inorganic manure namely Farmyard Manure (FYM), Vermicompost, and inorganic fertilizers NPK during the two-year cropping seasons. In the first year, the maximum field emergence per cent, maximum average height of the plants, maximum average number of leaves per plant, maximum average thickness of stem, Maximum leaf area and maximum number of flowers per plant have been recorded in T2 (15t/h vermi-compost) in comparison to T0 used as a control. This T2 combination of 15 ton per hectare vermi compost exhibited the maximum number of fruit/plants, maximum number of seed per fruit and highest weight of fruit. It was recorded that T2 exhibited the maximum average length of roots per plant and plant yield. During the second year, similar observation has been recorded where maximum achievements were obtained in field emergence per cent, height of plant, number of leaves per plant and thickness of stem. The difference among the treatments found significant for leaf area, number of flowers per plant and number of fruit per plant in T2 (15t/h vermi-compost). Similarly, the maximum numbers of seed per fruit, weight of fruit, average diameter of roots per plant, plant yield (kg/plot) were recorded highest. With the maximum adoption of organic manures can lead in high yielding of above-mentioned variety to fulfill demand of the organic produce.

Diversity Control in Early Transcribed ROS/RNS-balancing Genes: A Common Mechanism for Healthy Resilience?

Diversity Control in Early Transcribed ROS/RNS-balancing Genes: A Common Mechanism for Healthy Resilience?

Phenotyping of varieties of "Collections of genetic resources of rice, vegetable and melon crops" according to the technological characteristics of grain in connection with the developmentof breeding technology for the creation of rice varieties with high nutritional quality of grain

Phenotyping of varieties of "Collections of genetic resources of rice, vegetable and melon crops" according to the technological characteristics of grain in connection with the developmentof breeding technology for the creation of rice varieties with high nutritional quality of grain

Características de consumo de alimentos em sous vide prontos para consumo no contexto habitual do lar

Abstract Preparing cooked food by sous vide is an alternative for the design of products that permit the consumer to eat quickly and practically, without losing the sensory and nutritional characteristics of foods. This study aimed to determine the sensory properties, the overall liking, and the consumer-consumption characteristics and predispositions regarding ready-to-eat high-nutritional-quality preparations made with locally produced vegetables and cooked by the sous vide technique. A vegetable millefeuille and a chicken and vegetable hamburger were prepared for sensory characterization. Questions related to the consumer's consumption characteristics and predisposition to purchase this type of product were incorporated into the survey. Consumers performed the sensory evaluation in their home, within the habitual living ambience where they consumed their usual diet. The results revealed that most consumers accepted both millefeuille (100 %) and chicken and vegetable hamburger (92 %) and also reported a predisposition for purchasing both preparations (87 % and 84 %, respectively). The main characteristics that made the consumption attractive were quality (95%), market availability (89 %), lack of practical cooking skills (87 %), the price (84 %), the shortness of time invested in preparation (78 %), and the consumer's occupation (73 %). These types of preparations constitute an innovative alternative for the design of products of higher nutritional quality, without ignoring the requirements for their consumption.

Dairy Processing: The Soft Spreadable Cheese Xygalo Siteias

The aim of cheese manufacturers is to produce high quality and safe products. Along the food chain of “milk to cheese and food products”, milk is collected, transferred, and managed in a standardized manner; processing results in safe, ready-to-eat products, of high nutritional quality. Soft, acid cheeses are prepared in various regions of Greece, mainly from ewe milk, goat milk, or their mixtures. They are produced from the rennet and/or acid coagulation of thermally-treated, full-fat milk undergoing acidification/curdling and ripening. Xygalo Siteias is a Greek soft cheese, produced in the area of Siteia, Crete, where it was recognized as PDO in 2011. It is close—more in texture and less in taste—with other cream cheeses PDO of Greece, such as Pichtogalo of Chania, and Katiki Domokou, still it differs in the preparation technique as well as in its physicochemical, biochemical, microbiological, and organoleptic characteristics. In this review, we focus on the processing and characteristics of Xygalo Siteias, mentioning perspectives for the further microbiological characterization of the product, the determination of its shelf-life in combination with new packaging-materials, as well as the attention it deserves as a food important for breeders, the local economy, and consumers, since it is associated with the Cretan-Mediterranean diet type.

EXTRAÇÃO DE METAIS TÓXICOS EM SOLOS CONTAMINADOS UTILIZANDO O MILHO COMO POSSÍVEL FITORREMEDIADOR

The phytoremediation is an alternative in the decontamination of the environment, in which plants capable of absorbing contaminating ions are used. Thereby, the scientific research aims to verify if the corn can phytoextract, accumulate, hyperaccumulate and tolerate toxic metals in the plant biomass in anthropically contaminated soils. The experimental design was completely randomized, consisting of four treatments with four replications, totaling sixteen portions for each contaminant. The application of metals and EDTA were carried out in the form of a solution, contaminating the soil 46 days after maize maturation in pots. The concentrations were above the intervention values of CETESB. Soil and plant tissues analyzes were performed by the Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, which resulted in significant concentrations. The results of the Analysis of Variance and post-hoc Tukey's Test, suffered a reduction in dry biomass and an increase in the accumulated amount. Corn was tolerant to the highest dose of lead, but it was intolerant to the highest doses of cadmium and chromium. Thus, the results indicated that the maize phytoextracted contaminants efficiently, but it cannot be used as a phytoremediator in contaminated sites because they cause food poisoning for the living beings, once corn is used in Brazil and worldwide for animal feed and for the food industry of high nutritional and energy qualities.

Dairy bioactive proteins and peptides: a narrative review.

Milk proteins are known for their high nutritional quality, based on their essential amino acid composition, and they exhibit a wide range of bioactivities, including satiety, antimicrobial, mineral-binding, and anti-lipidemic properties. Because of their unique water solubility, milk proteins are readily separated into casein and whey fractions, which can be further fractionated into many individual proteins, including alpha-S1- and alpha-S2-caseins, beta-casein, and kappa-casein, and the whey proteins alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, beta-lactoglobulin, and glycomacropeptide. Many of these proteins have unique bioactivities. Further, over the past 30 years, peptides that are encrypted in the primary amino acid sequences of proteins and released along with amino acids during digestion are increasingly recognized as biologically active protein metabolites that may have beneficial effects on human health. This review examines the current state of the science on the contribution of dairy proteins and their unique peptides and amino acids to human health.

Wheat and White Sorghum Supernatants as Alternatives to Calotropis procera Extract in Making Cheese

Plant coagulant, animal rennet and microbial coagulant are used as milk coagulating agents resulting in different cheese products. However, emphasis has been on the use of plant coagulant as opposed to that from animal source, rennet. Alternative milk coagulants are therefore investigated instead of animal enzymes. The use of vegetable extracts as milk coagulants has evolved in soft cheese processing. This study explored the potential of plant coagulants as an ideal choice in the production of cheese. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the coagulants on the yield and proximate composition of cheese. To compare them with cheese coagulated with supernatants from fermented white sorghums (WSS) and wheat (WS) in the laboratory. The results were also compared with cheese coagulated with Calotropis procera leaf extract (CPE) in terms of yield, the percentage composition of total solids (TS), fat, protein, lactose ash and the pH of the cheeses. The same parameters were evaluated in the whey (by-product). The minerals, pH and the proximate components in WS and WSS were also compared. Maximum cheese yield was recorded at equal volumes of milk and coagulants. CPE was superior to these other two considering the constituents in all three cheeses. The chemical composition of CPE coagulant was superior to WS and WSS in terms of TS, fat, protein and ash but lower in moisture content compared with the other two. Protein content was higher in cheese prepared with CPE (22%) about six times the amount in raw milk and the least was WSS (12%). Moreover, the cheese made with CPE had the highest yield (31.76g) and differed significantly (P< 0.05) from WSS (28.87g) and WS (29.70g). Also, cheese made with WS (30.57g/ml) had the highest whey volume compared with WSS (28.11g/ml). However, increasing levels of each supernatant with a constant volume of raw milk (100ml) produced higher cheese yield at 100ml of the supernatant and 100ml of milk. Whey from WSS was the most acidic (5.85) of all the three produced but with increased acidity as the storage days increased. The study revealed that cheese with high nutritional quality can be produced with CPE, WSS and WS. The use of equal volume of coagulant (WSS or WS) to raw milk would give optimal cheese yield. This will promote the utilization of WSS and WS, which is naturally left as the waste product.

Nutritional Characteristics, Glycaemic Index and Blood Glucose Lowering Property of Gluten-Free Composite Flour from Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Soybean (Glycine max), Oat-Bran (Avena sativa) and Rice-Bran (Oryza sativa)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by increased blood glucose levels due to either lack of insulin production or inefficient as in the activity of insulin. Hence, this study aimed to produce and evaluate nutritional quality, glycaemic index, carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes and blood glucose lowering potential of composite flour samples from wheat, soybeans and rice-bran and oat-bran. The precooked wheat, soycake, rice-bran and oat-bran flour samples were blended (wheat 70% and soycake 30% (WSC); wheat 70%, soycake 25% and rice bran 5% (WSR); wheat 70%, soycake 25% and oat bran 5% (WSO); and wheat 70%, soycake 20%, rice bran 5% and oat bran 5% (WSRO) using material balance equation with reference to 25% of daily requirement for protein (14 g/day) and fibre (5 g/day) for adults. Formulated foods and controls (Cerolina (CERO) & 100% wheat (WF)) were evaluated for nutritional quality, glycaemic index, carbohydrate hydrolyzing inhibitory and antidiabetic potentials using standard methods. Nutritional parameters of formulated composite flour samples showed that WSRO exhibited higher protein content (23.94 g/100g), biological value (98.01%) and growth performance in rats than other food samples including controls, i.e., WF (14.56 g/100g; 66%) and CERO (17.59 g/100g; 97.59%). The α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activity of the experimental food samples ranged from 49.25% - 66.75% and 37.53% 57.40% in WS and WSRO, respectively. While glycaemic load and glycaemic index of the food samples varied from 24.64 - 28.50% and 40.03 - 46.41%, while that of CERO were 25.63% and 40.05%, respectively. Antidiabetic potential of experimental foods showed that WSRO (79.62%) had the highest blood glucose lowering activity; while those rats fed on WS sample (65.65%) had the least activity. However, the antidiabetic activity of WSRO was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of ACAR (Acarbose) (75.07%), CERO (73.87%) and WF (59.10%), respectively. In conclusion, sample WSRO exhibited high nutritional quality, low glycaemic index and ability to lower blood glucose concentration. Hence, this formulated food mighty be suitable as an alternate to synthetic antidiabetic agent in managing diabetes.

Genetic diversity and population structure analysis in a large collection of Vicia amoena in China with newly developed SSR markers

Vicia amoena is a high-nutritional quality forage similar to alfalfa. However, studies on the genetic background of V. amoena are scarce. In the present study, the genetic variation of 24 V. amoena populations was assessed with newly developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 8799 SSRs were identified in the V. amoena genomic-enriched sequences, and the most abundant repeat number was four. A total of 569 sampled individuals were assayed to evaluate the genetic diversity of the V. amoena populations based on 21 polymorphic SSR primers. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.896 to 0.968, with an average of 0.931, which indicated that the markers were highly informative. Based on analysis of molecular variance, 88% of the variance occurred within populations, and the remaining 12% of the variance occurred among populations. The high degree of gene flow (Nm= 4.958) also showed slight differentiation among the V. amoena populations. The V. amoena populations were mainly clustered by steppe and mountain habitats based on principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE analysis. This indicated that the elevation and special habitat of geographical origins may be important factors affecting the clustered pattern of V. amoena populations. Neighbour-joining (NJ) analysis did not separate the populations well by geographical origin, which indicated that the genetic structure of V. amoena was complex and needs further study. Overall, our results showed that the newly developed SSR markers could benefit the V. amoena research community by providing genetic background information to help establish a foundation for breeding improvement and germplasm resource conservation.

Ancient Wheat Species: Biochemical Profile and Impact on Sourdough Bread Characteristics—A Review

In recent years, the attention of farmers, bakers and consumers towards ancient wheat species has been increasing. Low demands of pedo-climatic growth factors, the suitability for organic cultivation along with their high nutritional quality and their content in pro-health compounds make them extremely attractive for bakers and modern consumers, equally. On the other hand, in recent years, sourdough has gained attention due to its ability to produce new functionally active molecules with higher bioaccessibility and thus to produce bread with enhanced nutritional quality. This paper highlights the relevant nutritional profile of einkorn, spelt, emmer and Khorasan which could lead to bread with improved textural, sensorial, microbial and nutritional characteristics through sourdough fermentation. The ancient wheat species could be used as promising substitutes for common wheat flour for the design of innovative types of bread, even for special needs.

Optimization of refractance window drying conditions for passion fruit puree

Passion fruits (Passiflora edulis) have pleasant flavor, an acidic aroma and high vitamins and phytochemicals content. However, they are highly perishable. In this study, the effect of refractance window drying (RWD) temperature and time on nutrients and antioxidant activity of passion fruits was assessed. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the drying temperature and time. Moisture, vitamin C, β-carotene and total phenolic content and total anti-oxidant activity were considered as the response variables. Optimal drying temperature and time conditions were found to be 82.5 °C and 60 min, respectively. The respective values for ascorbic acid, moisture, β-carotene, total antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content under optimal drying conditions were 58.8 mg/100 g solids, 11.1% wet basis, 8.8 μg retinol activity equivalent (RAE)/100g solids, 367.6 mg/100 g solids vitamin C equivalent (VCE) and 352.2 mg/100 g solids gallic acid equivalent (GAE), respectively. All models for prediction of these values were satisfactory and had a non-significant lack of fit (p < 0.05). The retention of ascorbic acid, β-carotene, total antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content at the optimal conditions was 90.2, 75.9, 89.7, 88.3%, respectively. Results show that RWD under optimal conditions gives passion fruit powder high nutritional quality.

Gum Arabic Edible Coating Reduces Postharvest Decay and Alleviates Nutritional Quality Deterioration of Ponkan Fruit During Cold Storage.

The storability recession during storage limits the postharvest storage life of Ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Ponkan) fruit and its nutritional value, which potentially lead to huge losses. To develop an effective technique to reduce Ponkan fruit postharvest decay and to maintain the nutritional quality, the preservation effect of 9, 12, and 15% postharvest gum arabic (GA) coatings on Ponkan fruit was investigated. The 12 and 15% GA coatings effectively reduced fruit decay as well as weight loss, retained higher total soluble solids (TSS) content, suppressed titratable acidity (TA) degradation, and postponed the rise in ripening index (RI). Moreover, the 12% GA-coated fruit exhibited a lower respiration rate, electrical conductivity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation than the uncoated (control) fruit. The 12% GA coating treatment decreased the loss of ascorbic acid (AsA), total phenols, and total flavonoids and maintained higher amounts of non-enzymatic antioxidants. Furthermore, the 12% GA coating treatment increased antioxidant enzymes' activities as well as delayed the reduction of total antioxidant capacity (TAC). These results suggest that, with the cold storage increasing time, the 12% GA-coated fruit exhibited better postharvest storability and higher nutritional quality than the control fruit. The GA coating treatment could be used as a commercial wax to improve postharvest storability, extend its storage life, and maintain the nutritional value of Ponkan fruit up to 120 days of cold storage.

Non-Destructive Assessment of Edible Seed Chemical Content by Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging for the Improvement of Nutritional Traits in Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria Siceraria)

The edible seeds of bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] are rich in oils, proteins and minerals of high nutritional quality. They are highly prized in pan tropical regions where they constitute valuable resources for food and nutrition security. In this study, near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) was combined with chemometrics to assess the variability of seed chemical content of African cultivars for the selection of nutritional traits. Six hundred seeds of four accessions belonging to two cultivars were collected from the Ivory Coast (West Africa) and analysed. The NIR-HSI spectra collected on whole seeds in the 1100-2400 nm range revealed that the main absorption bands of the seed chemical content were associated with water, lipids and proteins. The absorbance values between seeds of the same accession in these spectral regions varied up to 1.8 folds. Among the two chemometric tools used, principal component analysis (PCA) did not separate the accessions while Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) discriminated the accessions with 87.33 % to 94.67 %, and the cultivars with 90 % to 92 % correct classification. Seed oils from bottle gourd are for instance rich in linoleic acid which is an essential fatty acid for human health. The non-destructive and qualitative determination of the content of single seeds was demonstrated in the study and provides the opportunity to select superior seeds for the improvement of key nutritional traits in bottle gourd. Lagenaria siceraria, near-infrared hyperspectral imaging, seed chemical content, PCA, PLS-DA, nutrition security