Five types of honey (multifloral, sunflower, linden, rapeseed, and acacia), from Southern Romania, were classified using chemometrics methods coupled with IR spectroscopy. The botanical origin’s effect on the physicochemical characteristics of honey was studied to highlight the most valuable plant source of honey. Except for antioxidant activity, the moisture, ash, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, free acidity (FA), total sugar content (TSC), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), total phenolic (TPC), tannin (TTC), and flavonoid content (TFC) were significantly influenced by the botanical origin of the honey. The results showed that sunflower honey had the highest moisture (15.53%), free acidity (16.67 mEq kg⁻¹), electrical conductivity (483.92 µS cm⁻¹), phenolics (167.59 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹), and flavonoids (19.00 mg CE 100 g⁻¹), whereas multifloral honey presented the highest total sugar content (69.64 g Glu 100 g⁻¹). The highest HMF content was found in linden honey (33.94 mg kg⁻¹). The HMF contents of all tested honey were within the standard recommended limit, and they confirmed that the tested honey was free of any heat treatment. All five types of tested honey presented a safe moisture content for storage and consumption (12.21–18.74%). The honey′s free acidity was in the range of 4.00 to 25.00 mEq kg⁻¹; this indicated the freshness of the samples and the absence of any fermentation processes in the tested honey. Honey with a total sugar content over 60% (except for linden honey, with 58.05 g glucose 100 g⁻¹) showed the characteristic of nectar-derived honey. The elevated antioxidant activity of honey was correlated with its high moisture, flavonoids, and HMF, whereas the tannins and HMF were positively correlated with ash and electrical conductivity. The higher content of phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins was correlated with higher free acidity. The chemometric method, coupled with ATR-FTIR spectra, revealed a clear separation between linden honey from acacia, multifloral, and sunflower honey.

This paper’s aim was to study how the antioxidant activity and the level of certain phenolic complexes and carotenoids vary in the pomace obtained from the fruits of two cultivars of chokeberry at different times of harvest after reaching the stage of maturity. The influence of the cultivar, harvest moment, and the combined effect of these two factors on the antioxidant activity and the dehydrated pomace content in components with antioxidant potentials, such as total phenolics, total tannins, total flavonoids, lycopene, and β-carotene was analyzed. The methanolic extract from the pomace obtained from the ‘Melrom’ cultivar had the highest efficiency (92.14 ± 5.02%). The antiradical activity of the pomace was maximal (93.27 ± 4.32%) after the middle of the harvest season (3 September). The pomace obtained from the ‘Nero’ cultivar displayed superior levels of phenolic content (13,030.16 ± 1414.46 mg/100 g), flavonoids (4627.83 ± 509.63 mg CE/100 g), tannins (7458.56 ± 529.43 mg/100 g), and lycopene (1.171 ± 0.388 mg/100 g). The ‘Melrom’ cultivar presented superior content of β-carotene (0.313 ± 0.07 mg/100 g). On average, a positive significant correlation between radical scavenging activity with total phenolic content and β-carotene was observed. The combined cultivar × harvest moment effect was reflected in the variations in the total tannins content and the total flavonoid content, but also in the antiradical activity of the methanolic extracts. Dehydrated pomace from chokeberry fruit can be an important source of antioxidant biological compounds and can be used to make innovative foods.

This paper aimed to study the adaptation of a crop to the specific climatic conditions of southern Romania, Pitești-Mărăcineni, Romania, in terms of the phenology of two chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) cultivars (‘Melrom’ and ‘Nero’). The BBCH (Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemische Industrie) scale was used for phenological observations. The recorded data were statistically processed, calculating the average onset time and duration of fruiting phenophases and dormancy duration, average air temperatures, total solar radiation, and the cold and heat accumulation. Bud swelling was registered between 28 January and 8 February, budburst occurred starting on 3 March, while flowering began in stages, between 15 April and 1 May, and was completed between 27 April and 14 May. During the 154 days of 53–87 BBCH, the average air temperature, 16.1 °C, ranged between the extremes of −6.1 and 36.8 °C. The onset data and spring–summer phenophases were mainly related to the minimum air-temperature oscillations. The flowering timing shortened as the maximum temperature and total solar radiation increased. The relation between the environmental factors and the flowering strategy indicates the A. melanocarpa as a species adapted to the temperate continental climate of southern Romania.

This paper aimed to investigate the bioactive compounds in the dry powder residue of honeysuckle cultivars after extracting the juice. Based on the analyses performed on the total content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, carotenoids and vitamin C, the results indicated that dried Lonicera caerulea residue represented a rich source of phenolic compounds (8041.36 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹), of which about 80% were tannins (6432.10 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹). The flavonoid content varied around 2436.95 mg CE 100 g⁻¹. Vitamin C (185 mg 100 g⁻¹), lycopene and β-carotene (over 2.5 and 2.8 mg 100 g⁻¹, respectively) were also quantified. Among the phenolic acids, chlorogenic acid predominated (316 mg 100 g⁻¹), followed by cryptochlorogenic acid (135 mg 100 g⁻¹) and neochlorogenic acid (32 mg 100 g⁻¹). Flavonoids were mainly represented by catechin (2594 mg 100 g⁻¹) and anthocyanins (1442 mg 100 g⁻¹). Similar amounts of epicatechin and rutin were measured (156 mg 100 g⁻¹ and 148 mg 100 g⁻¹), while the isoquercetin concentration was below 15 mg 100 g⁻¹. In conclusion, the high level of phytocompounds and the diverse composition of dry Lonicera caerulea residue support its high nutraceutical value and high health-promoting potential.

Berries of three Romanian Lonicera caerulea cultivars ‘Cera’, ‘Kami’, and ‘Loni’, grown at the Research Institute for Fruit Growing, Pitesti, Romania, were analyzed between 2020 and 2022 in terms of chemical composition. The study aimed to determine the concentrations of some compounds with antioxidant activity, highlight the most valuable cultivar, encourage the consumption of honeysuckle berries, and indirectly stimulate growers’ interest in this little-known species in Romania. Some phenolic compounds—lycopene, β-carotene, and vitamin C—were quantified. As a result of the study, the ‘Loni’ cultivar’s high total phenolic content, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, lycopene, chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids, catechin, and rutin are to be noted. ‘Cera’ cultivar had the highest cryptochlorogenic acid content, and ‘Kami’ summarized the highest carotenoid level. These characteristics indicated that the three honeysuckle cultivars’ berries could have multiple uses, from fresh consumption, as part of a diet focused on maintaining human health, to being used as raw materials in the para-pharmaceutical industry, to obtain food supplements. The novelty characteristics and the nutritional value of its berries highlighted by this study have indicated that honeysuckle can become a crop of interest and profitability.

Biochemical changes that undergo during the harvest season in 2020 (between 28 July and 11 September) were evaluated by a comparative study of two Aronia cultivars. The experiment was conducted at the Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, Arges County, Romania, on ‘Melrom’ and ‘Nero’ cultivars. Dry matter, total soluble content, pH, vitamin C, and biologically active components such as anthocyanins and phenolics variations were assessed from 28 July to 11 September 2020, for berries harvested every five days. ‘Melrom’ cultivar berries had significantly higher dry weight content, 251.43 g kg^-1. ‘Nero’ showed a significantly higher vitamin C (1.87 g /kg^-1 DW), total anthocyanins content (29.71 g cyanidin 3 – glucoside kg^-1 DW), and juice pH (3.87). As harvest time main effect over the two cultivars taken together, dry weight, anthocyanins, total soluble content, and juice pH content increased significantly during the harvest season with 43.32%, 54.10%, 36.33%, and 17.98%, respectively, whereas significant losses of vitamin C, by 26.21%, and total phenolics compounds, by 27.90%, were recorded. Overall, early harvested fruits contained higher levels of moisture, vitamin C, and phenolics compounds, although the last crops provided less acidic fruits, with higher total soluble solids and anthocyanins content.