Root-knot nematode is one of the major problems that face the agricultural production of several vegetable crops. Chemical nematicides have been banned because of their healthy and environmental undesirable attributes. So, this study aimed to evaluate the potential use of sweet annie (Artimisia annua) and garden cress (Lepidium sativum) as green routes for the development of effective and eco-friendly alternative nematicides. Nematicidal activity of sweet annie and garden cress aqueous extracts (500 g/L) in the original and nano-forms were evaluated againstMeloidogyne incognitain tomato planted in infected soil under greenhouse conditions. Nineteen phenolic compounds were identified inA. annuaextract, which was dominated by chlorogenic acid (5059 µg/100 mL), while 11 compounds were identified inL. sativumextract, that dominated byp-hydroxybenzoic acid (3206 μg/100 mL). Nano-particles were characterized with smooth surface, spherical shape and small size (50–100 nm). Under laboratory, the nano-formulations showed mortality percentage ofM. incognitaJ₂greater than the original extract from. Vegetative growth parameters of tomato plants treated withA. annuaandL. sativumextracts significantly improved compared to the control plants. Also, biochemical analysis revealed that the extracts were able to induce tomato plants towards the accumulation of phenolic compounds and increasing the activity of defensive enzymes (protease, polyphenol oxidase and chitinase) resulting in systemic resistance. Regarding tomato fruits yield and quality, the studied treatments significantly improved the yield and physicochemical parameters of tomato fruits in terms of fruit weight, diameter, TSS, pH, lycopene content and color attributes gaining higher sensorial acceptance by the panelist. Generally, both extracts represent promising nematicide alternatives and have potential use in crop management. The nano-form ofA. annuaextract outperformed the nematicidal activity of other studied treatments.

This study aimed to investigate the potential use of okra and psyllium mucilage as co-carrier wall materials with whey protein and gum Arabic polymers for encapsulation of fenugreek oil to mask its undesirable flavor and promote their health benefits. Particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, morphological properties and fatty acid profiles of crude and encapsulated oils were examined using zeta-sizer, SEM and GC-MS techniques. Crude and encapsulated fenugreek oils were added as functional ingredients during production of pan bread and biscuits. The quality characteristics (baking quality, color and organoleptic properties) of bread and biscuits as well as microbiological properties of bred samples were evaluated. Results showed that the forming microcapsules had sphere particles with the size of 5.05 and 31.64 μm for okra and pysillium mucilage, respectively and had smooth continuous surfaces with no holes or fractures. Fatty acids analysis showed that fenugreek oil is superior functional edible oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The organoleptic properties of products were improved when fat replaced with encapsulated fenugreek oil with okra or psyllium mucilage. Likewise, encapsulated fenugreek oil showed antimicrobial activity in bread samples during storage period. On contrary, Bread and biscuits incorporated with crude fenugreek oil gained the lowest scores for all organoleptic parameters. Regarding these results, encapsulated fenugreek oil presents good fat alternatives in dough formulations with acceptable technological, sensory and antimicrobial properties. However, further investigations still needed regarding the biological activity of encapsulated fenugreek oil and its utilization as a food supplement in other food products.

Consumer’s awareness of the health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables consumption has urge the need to effective and proper methods to increase the quality, safety and postharvest life of minimally processed fresh products. In this concern, gaseous ozone has several distinctive features, making it suitable for food application. This work aimed to investigate the effect of ozone treatment on physical, chemical and biological quality of some fresh-cut plants. Plant quality was determined by means of weight loss, color, phytochemical, volatile components and microbiological indexes. The obtained results showed that ozone treatment at the concentration of 25 ppm for 20 min effectively decreased the weight loss of plants with insignificant (p > 0.05) effects on the color parameters. Furthermore, ozone treatment increased the phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of the tested plants. Ozone treatment decreased the concentration of 8, 7 and 6 compounds in the essential oil celery, coriander and parsley, respectively. In contrast, it increased the concentration of 3, 10 and 6 compounds and led to the formation of 5, 4 and 5 new compounds in these oils, respectively. Microbiological results showed that the ozone treatment is effective in reducing the bacterial load by about 2.5, 1.7 and 2.0 log cycle and the fungal counts by 1.49, 1.54 and 1.1 log cycle for celery, coriander and parsley respectively. Regarding the obtained results in this study, the use of gaseous ozone to prolong the shelf life of fresh-cut herbal plants is an appreciated issue.