Peach Pulp Research Articles

A comparative UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based metabolomics approach for distinguishing peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) fruit cultivars with varying antioxidant activity

Peaches (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) are nutritionally and economically important and they are one of the most popular fruits consumed worldwide. Understanding metabolite-caused bioactivity differences among cultivars is essential for designing a peach with enhanced nutritional traits. In this study, we report an untargeted UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based metabolomics approach for comprehensively discriminating between peaches with different antioxidant activities. Mature fruit from 40 peach cultivars were distinguished using principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis. Seventeen differential metabolites were tentatively identified between peach cultivars with high and low antioxidant potency composite indices, and eight metabolites, including procyanidin C1, procyanidin trimer isomer 1, procyanidin trimer isomer 2, procyanidin B1, procyanidin B2, procyanidin B3, prunus inhibitor b, and phloridzin, were identified as marker compounds responsible for the discrimination of the cultivars base on potential antioxidant activity. Our study highlights the essence and predictive power of metabolomics for detecting small differences and for identifying potential marker metabolites based on their levels and composition in plants exhibiting varying bioactivities. Overall, the variations in the metabolites in peach pulp reflected the diversity in the peach germplasm, and these eight compounds are good candidate markers for future genetic breeding of peach fruit with enhanced antioxidant activity.

Effect of peach puree incorportion on cookie quality and on simulated digestion of polyphenols and antioxidant properties

The aim of this work was to identify and quantify the bioaccesible phenolic compounds and evaluate their relationship with the antioxidant properties of three different cookies formulated with 10.5% peach pulp incorporation and 50% fat or added-sucrose reduction. Peach pulp and dietary fiber were incorporated in cookie formulation and two levels of fat or sucrose were analyzed. Cookie quality was modified by fruit incorporation and reduction of fat and added-sucrose. Fruit incorporation changed the polyphenol profile and improved antioxidant properties. Most phenolic compounds quantified in both the extracts and the different stages of the simulated digestion were higher in the sucrose/fat reduced samples than in the control samples, which represents a nutritional improvement of the pulp-enriched cookies. Evaluation of the bioaccessibility of polyphenols from cookies showed that a fraction of polyphenol could be absorbed by the small intestine. This fraction ranged between ~21% and ~25%, according to the sample.

Escalating the technical bounds for the production of cellulose-aided peach leathers: From the benchtop to the pilot plant

This contribution falls within the context of sustainable functional materials. We report on the production of fruit leathers based chiefly on peach pulp, but combined with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as binding agent and cellulose micro/nanofibrils (CMNF) as fillers. Increased permeability to moisture (from 0.9 to 5.6 g mm kPa−1 h−1m−2) and extensibility (from 10 to 17%) but reduced mechanical resistance (67–2 MPa) and stiffness (1.8 GPa–18 MPa) evidenced the plasticizing effect of peach pulp in HPMC matrix, which was reinforced by CMNF. A ternary mixture design allowed building response surfaces and optimizing leather composition. The laboratory-scale leather production via bench casting was extended to a pilot-scale through continuous casting. The effect of scaling up on the nutritional and sensory features of the peach leather was also depicted. The herein established composition-processing-property correlations are useful to support the large-scale production of peach leather towards applications both as packaging materials and as nutritional leathers.

ENEA, a peach and apricot IgE-binding protein cross-reacting with the latex major allergen Hev b 5

Peach and apricot can cause allergic reactions with symptoms ranging from mild to very severe, including anaphylaxis. Sometimes subjects allergic to fruits of the Prunus genus have been reported to be also allergic to rubber latex products. The objective of this study is the characterization of a newly identified peach and apricot protein showing similarities with the allergens Hev b 5 from rubber latex and Man e 5 from manioc. This protein has been named ENEA on the basis of the single letter amino acid code of the first four N-terminal residues of the isolated molecule. It has been found in very variable amounts in different peach cultivars and batches. ENEA was isolated from peach pulp extracts by chromatographic separations and identified by direct protein sequencing. At that time, the full length sequence was available only for the homologous protein of the taxonomically closely related apricot, which was produced as a recombinant molecule in Escherichia coli. The following availability of the full length sequence of peach ENEA revealed a very high identity (97%) with the apricot homolog. Similarly to Hev b 5 and to Man e 5, the structural characterization indicated that ENEA is an intrinsically disordered protein. The immunological properties, investigated by dot blotting, the ABA system and the FABER test, showed that ENEA is recognized by specific IgE of allergic patients. In a selected population of 31 patients reporting allergic reactions to peach fruit and/or IgE positive to Hev b 5, 28 and 27 subjects resulted co-sensitized to rENEA and Hev b 5 in the ABA and ISAC test, respectively. In a random population of 3305 suspected allergic patients, analyzed with the FABER test, 17 of them were sensitized to rENEA and 10 of them were also positive to Hev b 5. In addition, both the natural molecule from peach and the recombinant protein of apricot partially inhibited the IgE binding to Hev b 5. In conclusion, a new peach and apricot IgE-binding protein, cross-reacting with the major latex allergen Hev b 5, has been identified. Its variable concentration in the fruit might explain some occasionally occurring allergic reactions. The apricot molecule has recently been registered by the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee with the allergen name Pru ar 5. The recombinant form of apricot ENEA, now available, will contribute to allergy diagnosis.

Effect of different reverse transcription aproaches in Pru p 3 transcripts semiquantitative amplification

Reverse transcriptase transcribes the cDNA based on its previous extraction and standardization. Reverse transcription step is considered to be critical in the workflow of quantification of transcribed genes. The aim of the study was to extract total RNA by different methods and to analyse the results of the subsequent reverse transcription reaction when different commercial RT kits were used to process RNA extracted from pulp of matured peach fruit. Mature peach pulp was used in the study. The fruit of variety Vistarich was collected in summer 2017 in the orchard of Dvory nad Žitavou. Two RNA extraction methods, TRIzol® Reagent and GeneJET Plant RNA Purification Kit, were tested in to determine the suitable method for peach fruit RNA extraction. Three different cDNA reagent sets were used to transcribe 115 ng/500 ng total RNA or 11 ng/115 ng, respectively. Both variants of the primers, random hexamers as well as oligo (dT) 18, were used to anneal the target mRNA of Pru p 3 allergen following the manufacturer instructions. No specific effect was obtained in the case of peach fruit when using ethanol-extracted tissue treatment and the effect of the used extraction method was more significant. The A260/230 ratios were similar for three from four tested methods. In the case of these three methods, the A260/A230 ratios for all the extracted samples were higher than 1.9 which indicates high purity without contamination by polyphenols and polysaccharides. The specificity of obtained amplicons was proved by restriction cleavage using Tse I restriction endonuclease. This provided the cleavage of the 179 bp long product in all amplicons. Working with mature fruit meet a specific situation in the field of RNA extraction and subsequently all the downstream applications. That is, why choosing the most fitting methods and kits is a crucial step. Here, the method for the semi-quantitative analysis of the Pru p 3 allergen expressions was set up in the way that will be directly applicable for Pru p 3 expression analyses.

SOME PHYSIOCHEMICAL AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF PREPARED SPREADABLE TOFU BLENDS

Abstract Recently, the use of soy and soybean products has been grown in food industry. The study objective of the research is to prepare products of spreadable tofu with different flavors. Six formulated spreadable tofu with different flavors were prepared; control without addition, and with chopped green olives, ground black pepper and chopped green peppers; sugar; guava pulp, and peach pulp. The spreadable Tofu blends were subjected to chemical and sensory evaluation to ensure different qualities. L values were decreased with adding fruit, vegetable and spices to tofu. It took 80.16, 79.37, 76.12, 79.28, 75.70 and 75.40 for control, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 in respective order. The same trend was observed of A value and B values were increased, while yellowish was decrease because of tofu. Obtained data showed that meltability value in control, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 ranged (49-72), (33-55), (42-53), (35-71), (32-70) and (31-70), respectively. The control showed the highest value compared to other treatments. Texture properties of spreadable tofu blend indicated that the ranges of hardness presented (1.2- 8.4N), cohesiveness (0.19-0.63), springiness (2.48-8.00mm), gumminess (0.6-2.6N) and chewiness (3.69-12.66m.j). The highest hardness values was treatment T4 which contain tofu with 20% guava pulp compared to control and other treatments. Key words: spreadable tofu, texture properties, guava pulp, peach pulp, green peppers, black peppers, green olives.

USING SPREADABLE TOFU BLENDS IN THE PREPARATION OF CROISSANTS

Abstract Soy protein (tofu) is the most inexpensive source of high nutritional quality protein. The biological value of soy protein is higher than that of casein. The study aimed to prepare croissant with spreadable tofu blends to enhance nutritional value and function. Spreadable tofu blends, with different flavors, were added to the croissant as filling materials. Seven samples were prepared. Samples included; control without addition, and with spreadable tofu only, tofu with chopped green olives, tofu with ground black pepper and chopped green peppers, tofu with sugar; tofu with guava pulp, and tofu with peach pulp. The croissant samples were subjected to chemical, physiological, microbiological and sensory assessment. Results indicated slight differences among treatments within the range of moisture. The protein, fat and ash contents in all the croissant samples stuffed with tofu were higher than the control sample. In contrast, control croissant showed higher carbohydrates content compared to the other samples. Water activity was decreased with extending storage time and addition of tofu mixtures. The sensory test of the croissant samples confirmed that the croissant samples with the tofu blends were more acceptable than the control sample and proved the superiority of the green olives sample and the peach sample among the formulated ones. The microbiological assay assured the safety of all samples. Key words: croissant, spreadable tofu, chemical composition, water activity, sensory evaluation, microbiological examination.

Profilin sensitization and its clinical relevance to a population of atopic adults in Greece

Abstract Background Profilin is a panallergen often responsible for cross-reactivity between pollen and plant foods. Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) consists a clinical expression of this cross-reaction, in some profilin-sensitized patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sensitization to profilin in Greece and to examine the correlation of profilin-sensitization with OAS. Methods Two hundred and sixty-four atopic adults were included in the study, with at least one positive SPT to airborne and/or food allergens. Sensitization to profilin was examined with the use of purified date palm profilin Pho d 2. SPT with our standard battery of commercial extracts and an additional panel with profilin-containing foods and pollen were conducted. Results Twenty-nine of our atopic patients (11%) resulted positive to profilin and 79 (29.9%) patients referred symptoms of OAS. Patients with OAS reported peach, walnut, kiwi, banana and hazelnut, as the commonest plant foods causing OAS. OAS was correlated to positive SPT to apple, peach pulp (showing the highest correlation), and other plant foods. No statistically significant correlation was found between sensitization to profilin and OAS. A significant trend of profilin-sensitization was found in patients with allergic rhinitis, but not in asthmatics. Conclusion Our results show a low prevalence of sensitization to profilin, in Greece. The in vivo sensitization to profilin's extract was not correlated to OAS and it is probable that another culprit panallergen is the cause for many OAS cases in our country.

English

Rootstocks influence the performance and characteristics of fruit trees. However, there is still insufficient information on the relation of rootstocks in mainly cultivars of peach trees grown in Brazil. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the performance of eight rootstocks: Aldrighi, Capdeboscq, Flordaguard, Nemaguard, Okinawa, Umezeiro, Tsukuba and Seleção Viamão grafted by ‘Chimarrita’ peach tree, planted in 2006 and evaluated in the 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 in Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil. The following dependent variables were evaluated on the field: floral phenology, affinity with rootstocks, trunk diameter, crown volume, number of fruits, fruit mass and productivity. Fruit mass, diameter, color, pulp firmness, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, total carotenoid content, L-ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity were evaluated. The Umezeiro rootstock provided the lowest values for crown volume, trunk diameter, number of fruits and productivity. The blossoming period of peach trees can be early or delayed depending on rootstock and harvest seasons. Field compatibility constant of Chimarrita cultivar was higher with the rootstocks of Capdeboscq, Okinawa, Tsukuba and Aldrighi. Fruits of plants grafted on Capdeboscq and Okinawa rootstocks showed reddish epidermis. The Okinawa rootstock enabled ‘Chimarrita’ peaches to have higher soluble solid concentrations and L-ascorbic acid. The highest concentrations of total carotenoids were verified in the pulp of fruits obtained from the ‘Chimarrita’ cultivar grafted on Aldrighi, Okinawa, Tsukuba and Umezeiro. The antioxidant activity of the peach pulp was higher on the Capdeboscq rootstock.   Key words: Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, vegetate-productive behavior, phytochemical.

Quantitative visualization of pectin distribution maps of peach fruits

Pectin content is an important quality index of fruits, as pectin content undergoes significant changes during the peach ripening process. The commonly used carbazole colorimetry method measures only the total content value of each kind of pectin for each pulp sample and cannot provide distribution maps of the pectin contents for the whole fruit pulp. This work used the hyperspectral imaging technique to quantitatively visualize the distribution maps of pectin contents inside peach pulp at the pixel level. The protopectin contents were well predicted, with the best residual predictive deviation of 2.264, whereas the predictions of the water-soluble pectin and the total pectin contents were not satisfied. On the basis of the best predictive model, the distribution maps of the protopectin contents were quantitatively visualized. A histogram of an example protopectin distribution revealed the existence of a wide range of protopectin contents in peach pulp. Our results show that hyperspectral imaging holds promise as a powerful alternative to the carbazole colorimetry method for measuring the spatial variations in the protopectin distribution inside peach pulp. The distribution maps could be used as a maturity indicator to understand and evaluate the ripening process of peach fruit in depth.

Hydrogen Gas Production from Waste Peach Pulp by Natural Microflora

Dark fermentative hydrogen gas production from waste peach pulp was studied without external microbial culture inoculation. First, most suitable pulp concentration for hydrogen production was determined in bench scale serum bottles then a 140 L pilot scale reactor was operated at most convenient pulp concentration. During the bench scale experiments the pulp concentration was varied between 3.42 and 170.80 g TS/L and the highest cumulative hydrogen volumes were obtained at 102.5 and 170.8 g TS/L, respectively. The initial pulp concentration of 34.16 g TS/L showed the best performance in terms of hydrogen formation yield (180 mL H2/g COD) and rate (6.44 mL H2/h). Hydrogen yield and rate increased up to 34.16 g TS/L due to substrate limitation. However, higher pulp concentrations resulted in substrate inhibition. This result was in accordance with the kinetic analysis where the substrate inhibition constant was determined as 43.86 g TS/L. The pilot scale reactor operated at optimum 34.16 g TS/L pulp concentration resulted in 323.67 mL H2/g COD and 3900 mL H2/h hydrogen formation, respectively. Our results demonstrated that waste peach pulp could be used both as substrate and inoculum source for hydrogen gas production when the initial substrate concentration is adjusted properly.

Study on the quantitative measurement of firmness distribution maps at the pixel level inside peach pulp

Firmness is a major quality index for peaches and many other fruits. Because firmness varies among different parts of the pulp, maps of the firmness distribution inside peach pulp can be used as an important indicator for deeply understanding and evaluating the ripening process of fruit and for further optimizing planting patterns and postharvest storage strategies. However, the commonly used Magness-Taylor firmness tester cannot provide the firmness distribution at the pixel level, because it measures only one or a few sampling points where the probe is located. In this study, a laboratory-based hyperspectral imaging system in the wavelength range of 380–1030nm was developed to detect and visualize the firmness distributions for different cross sections of peach pulp. Two calibration methods based on partial least squares regression (PLSR) and least squares support vector machines were applied to establish firmness calibration models. In addition, the successive projections algorithm, uninformative variable elimination, and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were applied separately to select the optimal wavelengths to improve the models’ accuracy and robustness. CARS-PLSR without preprocessing was determined to be the best model for determining the firmness of peach pulp, yielding prediction results with a correlation coefficient of 0.852 and a residual predictive deviation of 1.739. Using this model, the firmness distributions for different cross sections of peach pulp were quantitatively visualized at the pixel level. The firmness histogram revealed the existence of a wide range of firmnesses inside peach pulp. The overall results demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging shows great potential for visualizing the spatial variations in the firmness distribution inside peach pulp at the pixel level, which can provide a more detailed understanding of the ripening process of peach fruits during the preharvest and postharvest periods.

Bio-hydrogen production from waste peach pulp by dark fermentation: Effect of inoculum addition

This study reports the effect of inoculum addition on bio-hydrogen production from waste peach pulp by dark fermentation. Batch mode experiments were done at constant 200 g/L waste peach pulp concentration by varying the inoculum addition between 0 and 10% (v/v). The highest hydrogen yield (123.27 mLH2/gTOC) was obtained at 5% inoculum addition with 46% hydrogen content in the gas phase. On the other hand highest hydrogen formation rate (35.6 mLH2/h) and TOC removal (25.17%) were obtained with 10% sludge addition. Hydrogen production yield increased by increasing the sludge addition from 0 to 5% and then decreased at higher values. The control bottle showed a significant performance in terms of hydrogen production indicating the contribution of natural microflora for hydrogen gas formation. However, hydrogen formation rate and yield increased significantly with inoculation. The addition of 5% (v/v) inoculum resulted most convenient hydrogen formation compared with other ratios. The minimum amount of inoculum per substrate at 5% (v/v) was 0.009 g biomass/g TS.

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Pulp and Peel from Peach and Nectarine Fruits

Peach (Prunus persica L.) is a fruit of high nutritional and economic value. Carbohydrates, dietary fibers, minerals and organic acids are among the major constituents of peach fruit, which contribute to the nutritional quality of both fresh fruits and juice. Polyphenolic compounds found in peach may play an important role in physiological functions related to human health. Different polyphenolics may have varied biological activities including antioxidant activity. In this study antioxidant characteristics between peel and pulp of different peach cultivars (‘Radmilovčanka’, ‘June Gold’, ‘Blake’, ‘Hale’, ‘Vesna’, ‘Adria’) and one of nectarine (‘Fantasia’) were investigated. The peel and pulp extracts showed a huge amount of total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), total hydroxycinnamates (TH) and total flavonols (TFL), ranging from 42.7-211.4, 11.1-128.5 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (f.w.) (TP), 21.9 -94.9, 5.0-58.9 mg CE/100 g f.w. (TF), 28.4-389.2, 8.5-165.8 mg kg-1 f.w. (TH) and 17.3-54 mg kg-1 f.w. (TFL). High contents of phenolic compounds were significantly correlated with high antioxidant capacities. Peach pulp and peel differ significantly in their phenolic profiles: the pulp contains mainly chlorogenic, neochlorogenic and p-coumaric acids, whereas the peel possesses chlorogenic, neochlorogenic and p-coumaric acids together with several flavonol glycosides in huge amounts. Our results indicate that cultivar and extraction solvent play important roles in phenolic compositions and antioxidant properties of peach and nectarine extracts, which was shown using statistical analysis (ANOVA). There are high correlations between extracted phenolic compounds and peach and nectarine cultivars, and used solvent and part of the fruit (peel and pulp).

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Pulp and Peel from Peach and Nectarine Fruits

Peach (Prunus persica L.) is a fruit of high nutritional and economic value. Carbohydrates, dietary fibers, minerals and organic acids are among the major constituents of peach fruit, which contribute to the nutritional quality of both fresh fruits and juice. Polyphenolic compounds found in peach may play an important role in physiological functions related to human health. Different polyphenolics may have varied biological activities including antioxidant activity. In this study antioxidant characteristics between peel and pulp of different peach cultivars (‘Radmilovčanka’, ‘June Gold’, ‘Blake’, ‘Hale’, ‘Vesna’, ‘Adria’) and one of nectarine (‘Fantasia’) were investigated. The peel and pulp extracts showed a huge amount of total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), total hydroxycinnamates (TH) and total flavonols (TFL), ranging from 42.7-211.4, 11.1-128.5 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (f.w.) (TP), 21.9 -94.9, 5.0-58.9 mg CE/100 g f.w. (TF), 28.4-389.2, 8.5-165.8 mg kg-1 f.w. (TH) and 17.3-54 mg kg-1 f.w. (TFL). High contents of phenolic compounds were significantly correlated with high antioxidant capacities. Peach pulp and peel differ significantly in their phenolic profiles: the pulp contains mainly chlorogenic, neochlorogenic and p-coumaric acids, whereas the peel possesses chlorogenic, neochlorogenic and p-coumaric acids together with several flavonol glycosides in huge amounts. Our results indicate that cultivar and extraction solvent play important roles in phenolic compositions and antioxidant properties of peach and nectarine extracts, which was shown using statistical analysis (ANOVA). There are high correlations between extracted phenolic compounds and peach and nectarine cultivars, and used solvent and part of the fruit (peel and pulp).

Hydrogen gas production from waste peach pulp by dark fermentation and electrohydrolysis

The effects of C/N, C/P, C/Fe and C/Ni ratios on hydrogen formation yield and rate during batch dark fermentation of waste peach pulp by natural microflora was investigated in this study. The determination of experimental conditions and analysis of results were done by using Box-Behken statistical experiment design. C/N, C/P, C/Fe and C/Ni ratios were selected as independent variables while the hydrogen yield and rate were chosen as the objective functions. A quadratic function was used to correlate the results and all quadratic terms were found to have significant effect on the responses. The optimum C/N/P/Fe/Ni ratio resulting highest hydrogen yield (460.93 mLH2/gCOD) and rate (2.44 mLH2/h) was 100/2.09/3.89/0.047/0.043. The effluent of dark fermentation was subjected to electrohydrolysis to liberate the embedded hydrogen ions within volatile fatty acids resulting in 30.09 mLH2/mLreactor in 310 h.

Physicochemical properties and carotenoid content of extruded and non-extruded corn and peach palm (Bactris gasipaes, Kunth)

Abstract Increasing demands for ready-to-eat products that also involve claims of being healthy food have motivated the investigation of new sources of foods, such as regional fruits with high carotenoid content. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of extrusion on the physicochemical properties and carotenoid content of corn with added peach palm pulp flour (0, 15 and 25 g/100 g). The chemical composition and total and profile of carotenoids were measured in raw and extrudate materials. Data on the sectional expansion, apparent density, paste viscosity, X-ray diffraction, and image analysis were collected from the extrudates. The sectional expansion reduced from 6.1 to 3.8 as peach pulp flour increased and the apparent density increased from 0.22 to 0.35 g/cm3. The paste viscosity profile was influenced by the addition of peach palm pulp flour, which reduced the cold peak viscosity from 244.0 to 60.5 mPa.s and increased the peak viscosity from 149.0 to 306.3 mPa.s. The extruded blends showed V-type crystals; however, other peaks appeared, indicating the formation of other complex forms of lipids. Red palm raw flour presented higher β-carotene content (8.1 μg/g), which was the major isomer. The total carotenoid content did not decrease with extrusion.

Production and evaluation of mineral and nutrient contents, chemical composition, and sensory properties of ice creams fortified with laboratory-prepared peach fibre

BackgroundIn the coming years, a nutraceutical food may provide both physical and mental benefits that are commonly attributed to the active components of the food.ObjectiveIn this study, we determined the nutrient and mineral contents, sensory properties, and physical and chemical characteristics of ice creams manufactured using peach fibre at different concentrations (1 and 2%).MethodA total of five experimental groups were formed: two types (from peach peel and pulp) of flour, two fibre concentrations (1 and 2%), and a control group without fibres.ResultsFlour obtained from peach pulp and peel was found to have a significant (p<0.05) effect on the chemical composition and elemental composition of ice cream samples, especially the rates of Ca, K, Mg, and P, which increased in the samples depending on the content of peach fibre. Sensory ratings and acceptability of ice creams decreased significantly with increasing peach peel fibre, whereas ice creams made with C (control) and B1 (ice creams made from 1% peach pulp fibre) was the highest scored by the panellists.ConclusionsPeach fibre concentrates might be used as a good source of nutraceutical ingredients.

Preparation and Evaluation of Peach-Soy Fruit Toffees

The peach-soy toffee was prepared from different blends of peach pulp and soy-slurry. The peach pulp and soybean slurry were blended in the ratios of 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20, 75:25 and 70:30. The product was prepared as per the standard recipes and was stored for four months to ascertain changes in physico-chemical and sensory characteristics. The analysis of toffees revealed significant differences among different blends. In toffees, maximum moisture content of 17.17 per cent was recorded in B1 (100:0:: P:S). The highest TSS and titratable acidity of 12.23 0B and 1.62 per cent were recorded in B1 (100:0:: P:S), respectively. Reducing sugar (37.95 per cent) and total sugar (64.93 per cent) were also found to be highest in B1 (100:0:: P:S). It was observed that protein and fat contents of 3.43 and 8.66 per cent were recorded highest in B7 (70:30:: P:S), respectively, whereas highest ascorbic acid content of 21.80 mg/100 g was recorded in B7 (70:30:: P:S). Sensory evaluation of toffees revealed that the highest score of 8.30 was recorded in B4 (85:15:: P:S) and lowest score of 6.01 was recorded in B7 (70:30:: P:S). In general there was an increase in TSS, acidity and sugars and decrease in protein, fat and ascorbic acid contents and all sensory attributes during four months storage in different blends of toffees.

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Biomass from Agro-industrial Processes in the Central Macedonia Region, Greece

This work aims to identify the potential biomass resources produced in the area of the Central Macedonia Region, in Northern Greece, in order to contribute to the efforts to achieve national targets for renewable energy sources. Specific objectives included the evaluation of the biomass amounts in each regional unit, the measurement of their characteristics and properties, and the investigation of their utilization potential. According to this survey, a total of 1.33 million tonnes of fresh biomass residues are produced in the Greek Central Macedonia Region. The utilization potential of available biomass resources may be evaluated according to the quality characteristics of the various types of biomass based on the results of laboratory tests and classified in the following ranking in descending order: peach and olive stone, cotton residues, almond shell, olive cake, pressed grape skins, peach pulp and peach and potato peels. The residues from oil production and cotton mill residues are of high importance. Agricultural residues remaining in the farming areas, such as olive and peach branches, represent another challenging biomass source. Furthermore, according to the survey for each regional unit, there is a significant number of biomass types that could be utilized, after appropriate management. An efficient management plan should be based on the use of biomass resources with a regular production regime over the year, such as manure or potato residues, combined with or supported by the sequential use of various other residues produced through the year, on a temporary basis. Thus the presence of different types of biomass resources in the specific area, with seasonal variability, could justify the continuous availability of raw materials all year round.