Identification of betacyanins in Basella alba L. and Basella alba L. var. ‘Rubra’ fruits was performed by low- and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LRMS and HRMS) as well as ¹H, ¹³C and two-dimensional NMR which revealed hitherto completely not known betacyanin classes in the plant kingdom. Especially, the presence of unique nitrogenous acyl moieties in the structures of the pigments was ascertained by the HRMS Orbitrap detection. Except for detected polar betacyanin glycosylated derivatives, presence of a series of previously not reported pigments such as malonylated betanidin 6-O-β-glusosides with their acyl migration isomers along with the evidence of the 3′′-hydroxy-butyrylated betacyanins is reported. The first complete NMR data were obtained for novel and principal acylated gomphrenins with hydroxycinnamic acids: 6′-O-E-caffeoyl-gomphrenin (malabarin), 6′-O-E-sinapoyl-gomphrenin (gandolin), 6′-O-E-4-coumaroyl-gomphrenin (globosin) and 6′-O-E-feruloyl-gomphrenin (basellin).

Optimal weather conditions are necessary for the proper course of the flowering process and high activity of pollinators, which is the most important factor affecting pollination. Because weather conditions do not always favour effective pollination and because pollinators’ activities are decreasing, the application of compound stimulating pollination and fertilization may be a good perspective for increasing yield. Titanium is considered a beneficial element for plants. Preliminary studies have indicated the positive effect of titanium organic complex on pollen adhesion to the stigma and pollen germination on the stigma of tomato and cucumber. Therefore, a 2-year experiment was designed to determine the effect of titanium organic complex application on the pollination process and fruit development of apple cv. Topaz (Malus domestica Borkh.) The experiment demonstrated the positive effect of titanium organic complex on fertilization of ovules because of effective pollination, seed setting, and fruit development of apple. Application of titanium organic complex improved pollen adhesion to the stigma and pollen germination on the stigma. In addition, titanium organic complex increased the number of pollen tubes growing through the pistil style, which resulted in fertilization that was more effective, as confirmed by the higher number of seeds set in fruits. Higher numbers of seeds set in fruits positively affected their weight and size. Therefore, fruit harvested from trees to which titanium organic complex was applied were characterized by greater weight, length, and diameter compared to fruits obtained from the trees to which titanium organic complex was not applied.

The concentrations of sugars and acids are very important for the quality and the stability of wines. In addition, the proportion of the two main acids, i.e., tartaric acid and malic acid, is a significant factor for wine taste and stability. Over a period of three seasons in an organic vineyard, the influence of leaf area on the concentration of total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), the concentration of tartaric acid and malic acid, and their mutual proportions were monitored. Vines of three varieties (‘Rhine Riesling’, ‘Pinot Gris’, ‘Sauvignon Blanc’) were treated using three different treatments (proportion of leaves removed 0%, 40%, and 70%). All varieties exhibited positive correlations between leaf area and TSS. In terms of relationships between TA and leaf area, ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ was the most sensitive variety. The highest differences between the individual variants were found for this variety. The tartaric to malic acid ratio displayed a significant seasonal effect, which was mostly more important than leaf area reduction. The size of the leaf area mainly affected the accumulation of sugars in the grapes, while content and ratio of acids was not affected so significantly. Therefore, leaf area regulation is one of the ways to optimize the composition of grapes in organic vineyards.

This article focuses on analysing the properties of six varieties of haskap berry (honeyberry) as a valuable raw material for producing health-promoting juices. Significant differences in the content of bioactive compounds were observed between juices derived from fruits of the same species. This study demonstrated that controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions (20% CO₂ and 5% O₂) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in Xtend bags affected juice quality by minimising nutritional losses. The analysis of polyphenol content in the juices revealed significant differences between varieties and years (2021 and 2022), primarily due to varying weather conditions. In 2022, the polyphenol content of the varieties ‘Usłada’, ‘Candy Blue’, ‘Boreal Beauty’, and ‘Boreal Beast’ was from 69% to twice as high compared to values recorded in 2021. CA and MAP storage conditions were found to be more effective than normal atmosphere (NA) in preserving bioactive components, and thus the antioxidant activity of the fruits, as measured by the DPPH method. The variety ‘Sinij Utes’ had the highest total polyphenol contents and their lowest loss during storage. Conversely, the variety ‘Boreal Beauty’ contained the lowest polyphenol levels both after harvest and storage. This study confirmed the importance of proper storage conditions for maintaining the antioxidant properties of haskap berries.