Wild edible plants are an important source of healthy food and have played an important role in traditional Mediterranean diets. In this paper, quality characteristics were typified in Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass, undervalued plants inherent to the spring-summer season in the Valencian coastal region. Nutritional composition and bioactive compounds were analyzed and compared between plants in wild and organic cultivation conditions. Proximate analysis was carried out according to Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. Total antioxidants were measured as 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate and total polyphenols content via the Folin–Ciocalteu procedure. The HS-SPME technique was used to characterize the volatiles profile, and the polyphenol profile was evaluated by HPLC. The most important microelement was iron. Total antioxidants ranged from 4392.16 to 7315.00 μmol Trolox·equivalents 100 g⁻¹ fw, and total phenolic content ranged from 99.09 to 391.18 mg gallic acid equivalents·100 g⁻¹ fw. Results show that the content of antioxidants and phenols was higher in wild species than in cultivated ones. The volatiles profile revealed that P. ruderale was rich in monoterpenoids (48.65–55.82%), and fatty alcohols were characteristic in P. oleracea species (16.21–54.18%). The results suggest that both plants could be healthy foods and could have new sustainable agro-ecological potential for the local commercial sector.

The wild species Solanum incanum has been used as a donor parent for the development of a set of eggplant introgression lines (ILs), which are of interest for breeding for stress tolerances and relevant morpho-agronomic traits but could also be useful for breeding for fruit quality, due to the generally higher content in health-promoting compounds of S. incanum. The use of eggplant ILs with introgressions from S. incanum requires ensuring that glycoalkaloids levels are below safety limits. We evaluated 25 fruit composition traits, including proximate composition, sugars, acids, phenolics, glycoalkaloids, and minerals in a set of 16 eggplant ILs with S. incanum, both parents and the F₁, grown under two environments (open field and screenhouse). The results demonstrated that the parents were significantly different regarding most fruit composition traits. Large variation was found among the 16 ILs for all traits analyzed and a strong influence of the environment accounted for the variation of 17 out of the 25 traits evaluated. Although the S. incanum parent produced fruits with high levels of glycoalkaloids, the 16 ILs showed mean values of total glycoalkaloids below the currently accepted safety limit for human consumption (200 mg kg⁻¹ fresh weight). Overall, the ILs produced fruits that are safe for consumption, with nutritional and functional quality similar to the recipient parent. Furthermore, six putative QTLs were detected spread over chromosomes 3 for crude protein, 5 for malic and total acids, and 7 for chlorogenic acid and solamargine, and potential candidate genes were spotted for most of them, which provide new relevant information for eggplant breeding.

The aim of this work concerns the manufacturing process of fresh egg tagliatelle labeled as a “source of fiber” based on tiger nut flour and wheat semolina. An attempt to improve the quality attributes and cooking properties of the obtained product was made by means of structuring agents. More specifically, a combination of three hydrocolloids (carboximethylcellulose, CMC; xanthan gum, XG; and locust bean gum, LBG) was tested. A Box–Behnken design with randomized response surface methodology was used to determine a suitable combination of these gums to achieve fewer cooking losses, higher water gain and swelling index values, and better texture characteristics before and after cooking. Positive effects on textural characteristics were observed when incorporating XG into the pasta formulation. Cooking and fiber loss also significantly diminished with the XG-CMC combination over 0.8%. No significant effect was found for the other evaluated parameters. A synergistic interaction between LBG and XG was only significant for the water absorption index. The cooked pasta was considered a source of fiber in all cases.

The main objective of this study was the development of gluten-free cracker-type snacks with a balanced supply of essential amino acids, a lower glycemic index, and a lower caloric intake that were sensorially acceptable. For this purpose, chickpea flour was replaced by quinoa (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) and the fat was partially (75%) replaced by chicory inulin. The flours were characterized in terms of their proximate composition, individual mineral content, particle size distribution, and functional properties. The parameters analyzed for the crackers, once baked, were the water content, water activity, weight, dimensions, color, and texture. A sensory analysis was performed as well, using the formulations containing 50% chickpea flour and 50% quinoa flour (g/100 g flour), with and without inulin, as well as those made with 100% chickpea flour. From the analysis of the raw flours, it can be concluded that snack products developed from them could be a nutritive option for children, in terms of the protein, magnesium, and fiber content. The functional properties revealed that both flours are suitable for producing doughs and baked products. The obtained results indicate that snacks made with 50% quinoa flour (g/100 g flour) and 75% chicory inulin (g/100 g high oleic sunflower oil) could be an interesting alternative for children as, in addition to offering a very interesting nutritional contribution, the energy intake from fat is reduced by 57%.

A transition towards an organic food system is taking place around the world. This process is favored by growing consumer demand, who associate organic crops with being healthier, tastier, and safer for the environment than conventional crops. Citrus is one of the most widely produced crops worldwide and has important socio-economic and cultural significance in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this work is twofold; on the one hand, it reveals the variability of a set of physical–chemical and nutritional quality parameters of two citrus fruit varieties, ‘Navelina’ oranges and ‘Clemenules’ mandarins, from organic and conventional production in a long-term study. On the other hand, taking advantage of the large number of results, a model is proposed that allows the successful differentiation of citrus fruits from organic and conventional production and a tool that allows predicting the production system of citrus fruits. The results suggest that organically produced citrus fruits do not generate differences in terms of external aspects, providing fruits that are acceptable to the market. Organic production techniques influenced the lower peel content and higher pulp and juice content in ‘Navelina’ orange and ‘Clemenules’ mandarin fruits and led to a greater ability to synthesize vitamin C in the juice, more essential oils in the skin, and higher seed numbers, although in all cases, the fruits can be classified as having low seed numbers. Two discriminating equations were obtained that use easy-to-measure parameters to successfully classify organic citrus fruits. The classification and prediction models obtained constitute useful tools to help in the control of the purity/authenticity of organic citrus fruits.

Almond fruit is characterized by a mature, hardened endocarp enclosing the seed. Despite being a drupe botanically, almonds are commonly referred to as nuts due to their low water content. The edible seed, known as the kernel, is the primary commercial product. Fatty acid composition was determined to value the quality of fat over four years in almonds of the Guara variety, from plots where the production system (organic and conventional), the irrigation system (intense irrigation, support irrigation and dry land), and the use of plant cover varied. The oil content and fatty acid composition were determined over four years in almonds of the Guara variety, using different sustainable agriculture techniques. Oil almond content ranged from 35% to 55% of total fresh weight of the kernel, with strong variability between years. Fatty acid composition was also highly variable, with significant differences depending on agricultural practices. Oleic acid, which ranged from 59% to 78%, was statistically higher with support irrigation. Plant cover also favored the synthesis of oleic acid. Linoleic acid, which ranged from 11% to 25%, had a statistically higher content in almonds from organic farming and dry land conditions. The atherogenic and thrombogenic indices and the value of health-beneficial fat was better in organically prod\uced almonds. The great variability observed in the quality of almond fat represents a very promising basis for establishing practices for adaptation to arid cultivation conditions, irrigation management, and organic and regenerative techniques, satisfying requirements for healthier and more sustainable diets.