BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish the elemental profiling and origin combined with the genetic asset of coffee samples collected from major coffee‐producing countries. A total of 76 samples were analysed for 41 elements using inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES), inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), and inductively coupled plasma‐triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS/MS). The mineral composition of the silver skin detachment during the roasting process was also evaluated to verify the loss of minerals during roasting, differences in composition with beans, and between species.RESULTS: Application of linear discriminant analysis provided models with an accuracy of 93.3% for continents, 97.8% for countries of cultivation, and 100% for species. Discrimination between Arabica, Canephora coffee, and Eugenoides, and different varieties of Arabica species were identified in both models with calcium (Ca), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), rubidium (Rb), and strontium (Sr) as significant discriminant elements. Rb, Sr, sulphur (S), and thulium (Tm) were significant discriminant elements in both models for geographical distinction at different scales. Most of the elements had significantly higher values in silver skin than those in roasted coffee at different magnitudes, with exceptions of P and Rb.CONCLUSION: In summary, determination of mineral elements, processed by multivariate statistical analysis, was demonstrated to be discriminant for different coffee species. Linear discriminant analysis of the elemental analysis of samples from the seven major producing countries provided a reliable prediction model. Elemental analysis of major and minor elements is relatively easy and can be used together with other traceability systems and sensory evaluations to authenticate the origin of roasted coffee, different species, and varieties. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Salt stress and selenium are known to elicitate the production of plant secondary metabolites with antioxidant properties. On this basis, maize grains obtained from mother plants fertilized or not fertilized with selenium were sprouted at different levels of salinity (0, 25, and 50 mM NaCl) to evaluate the effects on the sprout yield, inorganic and organic Se species, minerals, and secondary metabolites, as revealed by a metabolomics analysis. Grain endogenous selenium (135 mg kg⁻¹ vs. 0.19 mg kg⁻¹ of the non-enriched grain) and salinity affected the sprout yield and composition, with salinity having the greatest effect on secondary metabolites. Most of the Se in sprouts was in an inorganic form, despite Se-enriched grains only containing organic Se. Some synergic effect was observed between Se and salinity. The best combination was obtained with Se-enriched grains sprouted at 25 mM NaCl, since this provided a good yield (not lower than in the untreated control), while sprout shoots were enriched in selenocystine and pro-nutritional semipolar compounds with antioxidant properties. Therefore, using grains from Se-fertilized crops and sprouting them under mild salt stress might represent a promising technique for improving the nutritional value of sprouts.

The phytoremediation potential of four crop species cultivated on carbonation lime coming from the sugar industry with water-soluble nickel (Ni) exceeding the Italian legal limit of 10 µg L⁻¹ was assessed. Two autumn–winter species (spinach and canola) were tested with and without the addition of bentonite in a greenhouse experiment in order to overcome prolonged unfavourable weather conditions. Two spring-summer species (sunflower and sorghum) were grown in outdoor boxes. Plant species were selected among crops of interest for phytoremediation and their rotation throughout the year enable to maintain a permanent vegetation cover. Nickel concentration in different plant tissues and the concentrations of soluble and bioavailable Ni in lime were measured. In the greenhouse study, soluble Ni decreased below the legal limit in all the tests, and the combined effect of bentonite and plants reduced Ni in lime mainly in the bioavailable fraction. Spinach and sunflower emerged to be more suitable for phytoextraction than canola and sorghum, because of the higher concentration of the metal in the epigeal portions. The results from the outdoor experiment highlighted that sorghum has a good phytostabilisation potential since its ability to accumulate Ni mainly at the root level and to attract a significant amount of bioavailable Ni in the rhizosphere. This study arose from a real scenario of environmental contamination and investigated the potential of different approaches on the bioremediation of a specific industrial waste product.