Nut Type Research Articles

Metabolisable energy from nuts and patterns of nut consumption in Australia: secondary analysis of the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey

Nut consumption in Australia does not meet recommended levels, and concern regarding the impact of nuts on body weight is a reported barrier to regular intake, due to their high energy content(1). Nut intake is not associated with higher body weight(2), which may be explained by their lower metabolisable energy(3). Hence, total energy intake may be overestimated among nut consumers. Nut consumption patterns in Australia are also unknown. This study aimed to describe the metabolisable energy from nuts, and nut consumption patterns of the Australian population. A previously developed nut-specific database was expanded to include the metabolisable energy of nuts based on nut type and form, and applied to the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS). Mean metabolisable energy was compared to mean energy intake determined using Atwater factors for nut consumers. Additionally, nut consumption patterns were also explored, including the proportion of nuts consumed at meals and snacks, proportion of nuts consumed alone or combined with other foods, and timing of nut intake. Among nut consumers, the mean metabolisable energy from nuts, based only on nut type, was 241.24 (95% CI: 232.00, 250.49) kJ/day. The mean metabolisable energy when considering both nut type and form was 260.69 (95% CI: 250.18, 271.21) kJ/day, while energy from nuts using Atwater factors was 317.60 (95% CI: 304.85, 330.35) kJ/day. Nuts were more likely to be consumed as snacks, with approximately 63% of all nut intake (in grams) occurring as a snack. Nuts were frequently consumed with other foods and beverages, with only 27% of nuts consumed alone or with plain water. Furthermore, nuts were most often consumed after midday (68% of intake) rather than in the morning (32% of intake). Application of metabolisable energy data to the 2011-12 NNPAS has a significant impact on the calculation of energy intake from nuts. Nut consumption patterns identify most nut consumption occurring as snacks and two-thirds of nut intake occurring in the afternoon and evening. These findings may inform strategies to promote nut consumption in Australia.

Effect of different roasting conditions on the physicochemical properties, acrylamide concentration, and mineral bioaccessibility of nuts

The effect of different roasting conditions (temperature and time) on the physico-chemical properties, aflatoxin and acrylamide contents, and mineral bioaccessibility (BA) of different nuts (almond, hazelnut, cashew, roasted chickpea (leblebi)) was investigated. Moisture content and water activity of all nuts decreased with roasting. A crispier texture was obtained in all nuts due to the decreased hardness and brittleness after roasting. A significant decrease in L* values of all nuts was accompanied by visible darkening. Although roasting affected a* and b* values of nut samples, the differences depended on nut type. No aflatoxin was detected in control nuts. Acrylamide concentration was increased as the nuts darkened. Highest acrylamide contents (ppb) were found in the darkest samples of cashew (148.59), chickpea (148.63), almond (120.25), and hazelnut (67.33). Considering mineral contents, highest concentrations (ppm) of Ca (2518.97), P (8340.68), and K (13902.70) were found in almonds, Ag (1.51), Mn (88.68), and Se (5.60) in hazelnuts, Cu (6.99), Fe (107.53), Mg (1813.26), and Na (1139.09) in cashews, and Zn (177.57) in chickpeas. Although the mineral content of chickpea was generally lower than other nuts, it showed the highest BA for Ca (38.8 %), Zn (38.2 %), P, (37.3 %) Se (41.8 %), and K (39.8 %), while the highest BA of Fe (21.4 %), Mg (46.8 %) and Mn (48.5 %) was observed in almonds and cashews, respectively. The roasting process generally decreased the BA values of minerals. As a conclusion, since the roasting conditions and food matrix have a direct effect on the absorbed amount of minerals, a product-based evaluation is crucial.

Metabolisable energy from nuts and patterns of nut consumption in the Australian population: a secondary analysis of the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.

Nut intake is not associated with increased body weight, which may be explained by their metabolisable energy, among other factors. Therefore, total energy intake may be overestimated among nut consumers. This study aimed to describe the metabolisable energy from nuts and nut consumption patterns in the Australian population. A nut-specific database was expanded to include metabolisable energy of nuts (based on nut type and form) and applied to the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS). Participants were Australians aged 2 years and older from the 2011-12 NNPAS (n = 12,153, with n = 4,765 nut consumers). Mean metabolisable energy intake was compared with mean energy intake using Atwater factors in nut consumers. Additionally, nut consumption patterns were explored, including the proportion of nuts consumed at meals and snacks. Among nut consumers, mean metabolisable energy from nuts based only on nut type was 241.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 232.0, 250.5) kJ/day and mean metabolisable energy considering both nut type and form was 260.7 (95% CI: 250.2, 271.2) kJ/day. Energy intake from nuts using Atwater factors was 317.6 (95% CI: 304.8, 330.3) kJ/day. Nuts were more likely to be consumed at snack occasions, with approximately 63% of nut intake occurring as a snack. Application of metabolisable energy to the 2011-12 NNPAS has a significant impact on calculation of energy intake from nuts. Nut consumption patterns identified a majority of nut consumption occurring as snacks. These findings may inform strategies to support nut consumption in Australia.

Biomass attachment and microbiota shifts during porcine faecal in vitro fermentation of almond and macadamia nuts differing in particle sizes.

Nuts are highly nutritious and good sources of dietary fibre, when consumed as part of a healthy human diet. Upon consumption, nut particles of various sizes containing lipids entrapped by the plant cell walls enter the large intestine where they are fermented by the resident microbiota. This study investigated the microbial community shifts during in vitro fermentation of almond and macadamia substrates, of two particle sizes including fine particles (F = 250-500 μm) and cell clusters (CC = 710-1000 μm). The aim was to determine how particle size and biomass attachment altered the microbiota. Over the 48 h fermentation duration, short chain fatty acid concentrations increased due to particle size rather than nut type (almond or macadamia). However, nut type did change microbial population dynamics by stimulating specific genera. Tyzzerella, p253418B5 gut group, Lachnospiraceae UCG001, Geotrichum, Enterococcus, Amnipila and Acetitomaculum genera were unique for almonds. For macadamia, three unique genera including Prevotellaceae UCG004, Candidatus Methanomethylophilus and Alistipes were noted. Distinct shifts in the attached microbial biomass were noted due to nut particle size. Bacterial attachment to nut particles was visualised in situ during fermentation, revealing a decrease in lipids and an increase in attached bacteria over time. This interaction may be a pre-requisite for lipid breakdown during nut particle disappearance. Overall, this study provides insights into how nut fermentation alters the gut microbiota and the possible role that gut microbes have in lipid degradation.

Design, construction and evaluation of a miniature soil bin plus predicting the measured parameters during primary tests using ANFIS

A clear understanding of soil-machine interaction is utilised in many areas, such as rational design and performance optimisation of soil-engaging tools/implements. This research developed a new soil bin to investigate the interaction between soil-narrow tines and soil failure. The new soil bin consisted of a chassis, a bin, a variable speed carriage and a bolt and nut type power transmission system between the motor and carriage. The design criteria of the new soil bin were based on the drive system's immediate acceleration of the carriage unit. A curved chisel tine was tested to evaluate the system's capabilities. Three parameters, including lift height, failure side area and forward failure distance, were investigated at two forward speeds of 0.037 and 0.05 m/s and three rake angles of 5°, 10° and 20°. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) test revealed the effect of rake angle on the lift height, failure side area, and forward failure distance was significant (P < 0.01). However, the forward speed did not have any significant influence on parameters. Also, the lift height and failure side area increased significantly (P < 0.01) by increasing the rake angle, while the forward failure distance decreased. Regarding soil failure, the results were in harmony with Godwin and Spoor's model. The regression and ANFIS models were developed to predict the output parameters by considering input parameters. The R2 values and ANFIS models were 0.4895, 0.7264, 0.9856, and 0.9999, 1, 1, respectively, for lift height, side area, and forward distance. Therefore, ANFIS approach was more accurate for predicting soil failure parameters.

Study on the rate of change of thread angle and thread distance considering the interference factor under before and after the dynamic vibration of the fastening system

Precision nuts are widely used in tool spindles and ball screws. Proper locking gives the bearing the right amount of pre-pressure so that the inner balls can roll steadily and inhibit friction and rapid temperature rise. If no pre-pressure is given to the bearing, it will cause the inner ball to slide irregularly and generate extremely high temperatures. In this paper, the precision nuts used are the flank locking precision locked nut and clasp locking precision locked nut for Taguchi method experiments. The control factors are nut type, Fitting clearance, and lubrication oil. Interference factors are surroundings temperature, assembly personnel, and torque wrench. The purpose is to obtain more suitable anti-loosening characteristics by the Taguchi method under the influence of interference factors and to check the thread angle and thread pitch before and after the experiment. The experimental results were analyzed form Taguchi method to find the combination of parameters with the maximum S/N and the variance analysis to obtain the significant factor. Finally, the regression equation of the loosening prevention characteristics was obtained by regression analysis, which shows that the optimized parameters effectively improve the loosening prevention characteristics and explore the interference factor on the loosening prevention characteristics of precision nuts.

Implementation of Transfer Learning in CNN for Classification of Nut Type

Nut has a high nutritional value and is widely used as an ingredient in cooking and snacks. Nut is included in the group of grains and has many types. Each type of nut has different nutritional content. Some types of nuts can also cause allergies or negative reactions in certain people, so it is important to identify the type of nut to be consumed. There are many types of nut that are different from each other, but some of them are similar. This makes it difficult to distinguish between the types of nuts, so there is a need for technology that can accurately identify nut types. Transfer Learning method is used to utilize trained models and applied to nut type classification. The two CNN models used are Inception V3 and Xception. The dataset consists of 11 types of nuts consisting of 1,320 data. The data is divided into 60% for training data and 40% for validation data. Preprocessing is done to ensure the image size is consistent and clarify the focus on the data image to be tested. The training results show that the Xception model is superior to Inception V3, with an accuracy of 86.36% on the validation data, while Inception V3 only reached 74.05%. Xception is able to predict nut types more precisely.

A breakage index for characterizing in vitro nut fragmentation and predicting human oral fragmentation.

Breakage of food influences eating experience and sensory perception. The aims of the study were to identify an appropriate breakage index and to develop an in vitro method for predicting the ease of oral breakage of nuts. Kernels of five types of nuts were fragmented in vitro using a texture analyzer and 12 subjects therefore performed molar bites. In addition, peanuts were differently roasted (over 0, 15, 25, and 35 min) to vary texture within the same nut type. Projected particle areas were determined using imaging. Two Breakage Indices were compared (1) BI-I, the difference, after and before fragmentation, in square root values of ratios between total projected area and volume [Agrawal et al., 1997, Archives of Oral Biology, 42(1), 1-9], and (2) BI-II, the ratio of the total projected area after and before fragmentation. BI-II gives a stronger linear regression than BI-I between in vivo and in vitro index values for different types of nuts; Pearson's r = 0.834 versus 0.499 (12 subjects with all data pooled). Using BI-II, a subject's regression result in fragmentation tests with differently roasted peanuts was as strong as when testing different nut types: Pearson's r = 0.984 versus 0.964. Since the range of the in vitro BI-II values was 5.5 times smaller in the peanut tests, the finding of a similarly strong regression indicates a high sensitivity of BI-II to detect differences in food texture. BI-II is useful for food industry to determine how easily solid foods break down and thereby compare the potential of flavor release between foods during chewing.

Impact of Nut Consumption on Cognition across the Lifespan.

Cognitive health is a life-long concern affected by modifiable risk factors, including lifestyle choices, such as dietary intake, with serious implications for quality of life, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. In addition, nuts are a nutrient-dense food that contain a number of potentially neuroprotective components, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, B-vitamins, non-sodium minerals, and highly bioactive polyphenols. However, increased nut consumption relates to a lower cardiovascular risk and a lower burden of cardiovascular risk factors that are shared with neurodegenerative disorders, which is why nuts have been hypothesized to be beneficial for brain health. The present narrative review discusses up-to-date epidemiological, clinical trial, and mechanistic evidence of the effect of exposure to nuts on cognitive performance. While limited and inconclusive, available evidence suggests a possible role for nuts in the maintenance of cognitive health and prevention of cognitive decline in individuals across the lifespan, particularly in older adults and those at higher risk. Walnuts, as a rich source of the plant-based polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, are the nut type most promising for cognitive health. Given the limited definitive evidence available to date, especially regarding cognitive health biomarkers and hard outcomes, future studies are needed to better elucidate the impact of nuts on the maintenance of cognitive health, as well as the prevention and management of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer disease.

Prevalence of nut allergen sensitization among children in central Poland.

The diagnostics of plant-derived food allergy may be challenging. However, the recognition of sensitization patterns in defined populations, especially in children, is clinically relevant as it enables the use of secondary prophylaxis to prevent life-threatening complications. To investigate the rates and sensitization patterns to nut allergens in children from central Poland. The retrospective assessment concerned data of 598 children diagnosed in a single centre due to suspected food allergy. The analysis included the results of component-based multiparametric assay Allergy Explorer2 (ALEX2). The sensitization to particular nut allergens varied among patients, depending on their age and nut type. The sensitization to any nut was found in 67% of children, whereas sensitization to hazelnut and peanut was the most common (56% and 55% of all children, respectively). Hazelnut sensitization was predominant in every age, and its prevalence increased with age, while peanut sensitization was detected in more than half of individuals from all groups, except for teenagers (44% of cases). Among hazelnut molecules sensitization to Cor a 1.04 was the most prevalent (74% of sensitized children), and for peanut allergens - Ara h 1 (65% of sensitized patients). The simultaneous sensitization to hazelnut, peanut and walnut (two or all of them) was found in almost half of the entire group. Component-based diagnostics enables differentiation between primary and cross-reactive sensitization to nut allergens and detects co-sensitization. The clinical relevance of the latter observation is remarkable as co-sensitization increases the risk of life-threatening reactions even in trace nut contamination.

Behavior of T-shaped embedded-nut bolted shear connectors in prefabricated steel-concrete composite beams

Steel–concrete composite beams joined by shear connectors are extensively used in building and bridge engineering owing to their favourable structural performance, ease of construction, and low cost. Recently, owing to the demand for prefabricated structures, research on demountable shear connectors for prefabricated steel–concrete composite beams has become widespread. In this study, innovative T-shaped embedded nut bolted shear connectors (T-ENBCs) with superior mechanical performance and demountability are proposed and investigated. Push-out tests were conducted to evaluate the shear behavior of T-ENBCs in a steel–concrete composite beam, including twenty-one T-ENBC steel–concrete (EN) specimens and three high-strength friction-grip bolt connector (HF) specimens. For the EN specimens, various types of T-ENBCs were examined to ascertain the effect of variables, such as the diameter of the bolt, length of the embedded nut, and embedded nut type. Accordingly, the failure modes, load–slip curves, ultimate shear resistance, and shear stiffness of the specimens were obtained. Finite element (FE) models for T-ENBCs, validated with test data, were employed to analyse the influence of a number of parameters. Using the experimental and FE results, the properties of the connector, such as its shear resistance, stiffness, ductility, and failure modes, are discussed. The study shows that T-ENBCs have larger shear resistance and higher shear stiffness than high-strength friction-grip bolt connectors. Finally, specific design formulae are proposed for predicting the ultimate shear resistance and load–slip relationship for members with T-ENBCs.

Black holes in a swirling universe

We present a new solution in Einstein's General Relativity representing a Schwarzschild black hole immersed in a rotating universe. Such a solution is constructed analytically by means of the last unexplored Lie point symmetry of the Ernst equations for stationary and axisymmetric spacetimes. This kind of the Ehlers transformation is able to embed any given solution into a rotating background, which is not of NUT type. We analyse the physical properties, ergoregions and geodesics of the new metric, which is regular outside the event horizon and has a well defined thermodynamics. We finally consider the Kerr generalisation.

Harmonic forms on asymptotically ADS metrics

In this paper we study the rotationally invariant harmonic cohomology of a two-parameter family of Einstein metrics g which admits a cohomogeneity one action of SU(2) × U(1) and has AdS asymptotics. Depending on the values of the parameters, g is either of NUT type, if the fixed-point locus of the U(1) action is zero-dimensional, or of bolt type, if it is two-dimensional. We find that if g is of NUT type then the space of SU(2)-invariant harmonic two-forms is three-dimensional and consists entirely of self-dual forms; if g is of bolt type it is four-dimensional. In both cases we explicitly determine a basis. The pair (g, F) for F a self-dual harmonic two-form is also a solution of the bosonic sector of 4D supergravity. We determine for which choices it is a supersymmetric solution and the amount of preserved supersymmetry.

We got nuts! use deep neural networks to classify images of common edible nuts.

Nuts are nutrient-dense foods that contribute to healthier eating. Food image datasets enable artificial intelligence (AI) powered diet-tracking apps to help people monitor daily eating patterns. This study aimed to create an image dataset of commonly consumed nut types and use it to build an AI computer vision model to automate nut type classification tasks. iPhone 11 was used to take photos of 11 nut types-almond, brazil nut, cashew, chestnut, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, and walnut. The dataset contains 2200 images, 200 per nut type. The dataset was randomly split into the training (60% or 1320 images), validation (20% or 440 images), and test sets (20% or 440 images). A neural network model was constructed and trained using transfer learning and other computer vision techniques-data augmentation, mixup, normalization, label smoothing, and learning rate optimization. The trained neural network model correctly predicted 338 out of 440 images (40 per nut type) in the validation set, achieving 99.55% accuracy. Moreover, the model classified the 440 images in the test set with 100% accuracy. This study built a nut image dataset and used it to train a neural network model to classify images by nut type. The model achieved near-perfect accuracy on the validation and test sets, demonstrating the feasibility of automating nut type classification using smartphone photos. Being made open-source, the dataset and model can assist the development of diet-tracking apps that facilitate users' adoption and adherence to a healthy diet.

Effects of nut consumption on blood lipid profile: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background & aimsSeveral randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed the effects of nut consumption on blood lipid profile. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to quantitatively estimate the effects of nut consumption on blood lipid profile. Methods and resultsThe PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were systematically searched to identify RCTs examining the effects of nut intake on blood total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TGs) from inception until March 2021. A random-effects model was used to pool standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Potential publication bias was assessed using Begg's test and Egger's test. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of each individual study on the pooled results. The meta-analysis showed that nut consumption had no significant effect on the blood lipid profile. However, there was a significant reduction in TC (SMD: −2.89, 95% CI: −4.80, −0.98, I2 = 97.4) for pistachio consumption, and cashew consumption significantly increased HDL-C (SMD: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.43, I2 = 0.0) compared with that in controls. There was no significant publication bias in the meta-analysis. The sensitivity analysis showed that removing one study at a time did not change the significance of the results. ConclusionThere was no overall effect of nut consumption on lipid profile, and the results may vary depending on nut type. We found that pistachio consumption may reduce TC levels, while cashew consumption increases HDL-C. Registry numberPROSPERO CRD42021249147.

Nut consumption in association with overall mortality and recurrence/disease-specific mortality among long-term breast cancer survivors.

High nut consumption is associated with reduced total and certain cause-specific mortality in general populations. However, its association with cancer outcomes among long-term breast cancer survivors remains unknown. We examined the associations of nut consumption (including peanuts and tree nuts), assessed at 5-year postdiagnosis, with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) among 3449 long-term breast cancer survivors from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, applying Cox regression analysis. During a median follow-up of 8.27 years post dietary assessment, there were 374 deaths, including 252 breast cancer deaths. Among 3274 survivors without previous recurrence at the dietary assessment, 209 developed breast cancer-specific events, that is, recurrence, metastasis or breast cancer mortality. At 5-year post dietary assessment (ie, 10-year postdiagnosis), regular nut consumers had higher OS (93.7% vs 89.0%) and DFS (94.1% vs 86.2%) rates. After multivariable adjustment, nut consumption was positively associated with OS (Ptrend =.022) and DFS (Ptrend =.003) following a dose-response pattern, with hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of 0.72 (0.52-1.05) for OS and 0.48 (0.31-0.73) for DFS, for participants with greater than median nut intake compared with nonconsumers. The associations did not vary by nut type. Stratified analyses showed that the associations were more evident among participants with a higher total energy intake for OS (Pinteraction =.02) and among participants with early stage (I-II) breast cancers for DFS (Pinteraction =.04). The nut-DFS associations were not modified by estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor status or other known prognostic factors. In conclusion, nut consumption was associated with better survival, particularly DFS, among long-term breast cancer survivors.

Are fatty nuts a weighty concern? A systematic review and meta-analysis and dose-response meta-regression of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials.

SummaryNuts are recommended for cardiovascular health, yet concerns remain that nuts may contribute to weight gain due to their high energy density. A systematic review and meta‐analysis of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to update the evidence, provide a dose–response analysis, and assess differences in nut type, comparator and more in subgroup analyses. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched, along with manual searches. Data from eligible studies were pooled using meta‐analysis methods. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed (Cochran Q statistic) and quantified (I 2 statistic). Certainty of the evidence was assessed by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Six prospective cohort studies (7 unique cohorts, n = 569,910) and 86 RCTs (114 comparisons, n = 5873) met eligibility criteria. Nuts were associated with lower incidence of overweight/obesity (RR 0.93 [95% CI 0.88 to 0.98] P < 0.001, “moderate” certainty of evidence) in prospective cohorts. RCTs presented no adverse effect of nuts on body weight (MD 0.09 kg, [95% CI −0.09 to 0.27 kg] P < 0.001, “high” certainty of evidence). Meta‐regression showed that higher nut intake was associated with reductions in body weight and body fat. Current evidence demonstrates the concern that nut consumption contributes to increased adiposity appears unwarranted.

Full-length transcriptome analysis of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) kernels

Pecan is rich in bioactive components such as fatty acids (FAs) and flavonoids and is an important nut type worldwide. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms of phytochemical biosynthesis in pecan are a focus of research. Recently, a draft genome and several transcriptomes have been published. However, the full-length mRNA transcripts remain unclear, and the regulatory mechanisms behind the quality components biosynthesis and accumulation have not been fully investigated. In this study, single-molecule long-read sequencing technology was used to obtain full-length transcripts of pecan kernels. In total, 37,504 isoforms of 16,702 genes were mapped to the reference genome. The numbers of known isoforms, new isoforms, and novel isoforms were 9013 (24.03%), 26,080 (69.54%), and 2411 (6.51%), respectively. Over 80% of the transcripts (30,751, 81.99%) had functional annotations. A total of 15,465 alternative splicing (AS) events and 65,761 alternative polyadenylation events were detected; wherein, the retained intron was the predominant type (5652, 36.55%) of AS. Furthermore, 1894 long noncoding RNAs and 1643 transcription factors were predicted using bioinformatics methods. Finally, the structural genes associated with FA and flavonoid biosynthesis were characterized. A high frequency of AS accuracy (70.31%) was observed in FA synthesis-associated genes. This study provides a full-length transcriptome data set of pecan kernels, which will significantly enhance the understanding of the regulatory basis of phytochemical biosynthesis during pecan kernel maturation.

Gamma irradiation and drying method: The effects on kola nut powder

Kola nut is a fruit produced by the kola tree which is mostly found in West Africa. Kola nut contains a high amount of caffeine and it is used as a flavoring agent in many drinks. At storage, kola nut may become mold-infested resulting in rotting and rendering it unusable. However, well-dried kola nut coupled with gamma (ƴ) irradiation treatment can prevent fungi infestation at storage. This study sought to determine the effects of ƴ-irradiation and drying method on proximate, phytochemical, and free scavenging properties of kola nuts. The kola nuts were dried in shade and solar tent. The milled samples packaged in polyethylene bags were irradiated with cobalt-60 source at 2 kGy/h dose rate, and the delivered dose determined with ethanolchlorobenzene dosimeter. The ƴ-irradiated and un-irradiated flours were quantitatively analyzed to determine proximate, phytochemical, and free radical scavenging activities. The fat, ash, protein, carbohydrate, and caffeine contents were slightly altered by the ƴ-irradiation, while moisture content remained stable. Total phenolic content in the aqueous extract of the irradiated kola nut increased at irradiation dose above 5 kGy. The changed in total flavonoid content was inconsistent with increasing irradiation dose while 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl decreased at irradiation dose higher than 5 kGy. Importantly, the health and nutritional qualities of kola nut were not sufficiently affected by ƴ-irradiation. The kola nut type, irradiation dose, and drying method, and the respective interactions differed in effects with respect to proximate, phytochemical and free scavenging properties of kola nuts. Generally, the observed irradiation-induced impacts were not deleterious on the studied properties of kola nut.

Rare Earths as Authenticity Markers for the Discrimination of Greek and Turkish Pistachios Using Elemental Metabolomics and Chemometrics.

Pistachios are a nutritionally beneficial food source widely consumed all over the world. Pistachios exhibit high content of antioxidants, vitamins and other beneficial micronutrients, including nutrient elements and rare earth elements (REEs). Considering that the concentration of REEs depends on the climate and soil characteristics that vary among different geographical regions, REEs could constitute markers responsible for the geographical discrimination of this nut type. In this study, Greek pistachios with a protected designation of origin (PDO) label from Aegina Island and Fthiotida and Turkish pistachios from Adana were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to assess their REE profile. La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb were determined and quantified. The quantification results were further analyzed using the main effect plot, permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering (HCA) to investigate the similarities between the pistachios. A decision tree (DT) was developed for the classification of pistachios according to their geographical origin proving to be a promising and reliable tool for verifying the authenticity of food products on the basis of their REE profile.