Nowadays, intensive agriculture correlated with the impact of climate change has led to nutrient soil depletion and the salinization of agricultural lands, making them unsuitable for conventional agricultural crops, with a direct impact on the food industry. Therefore, it is necessary to find sustainable alternative solutions that satisfy the needs of both consumers and food production. One such solution may be represented by salt-tolerant species that can fulfill food requirements. One of the most promising salt-tolerant plant species that can be used is Salicornia europaea L. The present work was conducted in greenhouse conditions, and the adaptability of the species on different cultivation substrates was investigated by means of monitoring the plant indicators such as cuticle, epidermis, parenchyma, polyphenols content, and minerals. Moreover, the correlation between the polyphenol and mineral contents was highlighted. Therefore, three cultivation substrates with different levels of salinity/electrical conductivity were used. The reference (I) for biochemical indicators was represented by the plant grown in natural salinity conditions in the Southeast region of Romania. The results indicate that Salicornia europaea L. can be grown on different cultivation substrates other than salted soils, the plant showing the capacity to accumulate bioactive compounds similar to natively grown ones.

Considering the current global climate and demographic conditions, combined with the growing demand for food diversification, the need for innovative functional foods that adhere to the principles of the circular economy is becoming clear. Therefore, this research aims to identify an appropriate cultivation system and growth substrate to maintain a high germination rate and produce basil aromatic microplants with superior quality traits that are entirely edible, together with the substrate. Microplants were grown in both aseptic (AS) and non-aseptic (NAS) systems. Both AS and NAS experiments were conducted in vitro using eco-innovative production technology. Moreover, various growth substrates were tested, such as perlite, agar, banana peel, peat, and their combinations. The analyses focused on the germination capacity, morphometric measurements, and biochemical analyses of the microplants. The results showed that the edible agar-based substrate, used in both AS and NAS, increased the germination capacity up to 95.00 ± 0.30%, while peat provided a germination capacity of only 12.07 ± 1.27% under AS conditions and 6.07 ± 0.35% under NAS conditions. Most biochemical analyses indicated that AS conditions are more suitable for basil microplant production, increasing the dry matter content, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and total antioxidant capacity compared to NAS conditions. These findings support the adoption of a new eco-innovative technology that provides organic basil microplants, which are fully usable along with the edible agar substrate.

The use of wheat bran (WB) to obtain functional meat products is a concept to be studied, due to sustainability issues and the nutritional advantages related to the decrease in caloric value, and the intake of phytonutrients, which can limit the incidence of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, or colon cancer. Beef meatballs with added wheat bran (5, 10, and 15%) were analyzed in terms of their physico-chemical parameters: pH, proximal composition, fiber content, caloric value and texture, antioxidant activity, fatty acids, amino acids, mineral content, and peroxide value. The fiber concentration in the meatballs increased proportionally with the WB addition. Although the antioxidant activity of the meatballs with WB was higher at the time of sample production, their stability proved to be weaker over time. The addition of wheat bran resulted in an overall decrease in amino acid concentrations and an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations from 9.32 g/100 g to 14.36 g/100 g. For Mg, Ca, Mn, Cu, and Cr, there were significant increases between groups (p < 0.001), while Na and Zn decreased with the addition of wheat bran. The peroxide value (PV) and free acidity (FFA) decreased with the increase in the proportion of added fiber. The increase in the percentage of wheat bran also generated significant reductions (p < 0.001) for all textural parameters investigated. Including wheat bran in meatballs can present technical challenges related to composition cohesion and product shaping, as well as sensory acceptance. At the industrial scale, problems may arise related to the processing equipment, and the shaping of meatballs becoming difficult with the increased wheat bran addition.

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a sustainable source of plant protein, dietary fiber, polyphenols, essential minerals, and antioxidant pigments, increasingly valued as a raw material for functional foods and nutraceutical ingredients. Consistent compositional characterization of new lines is therefore essential both for nutritional labeling and authenticating food-grade germplasm. This study characterizes the nutritional profile, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and mineral contribution of three new bean genotypes grown in Buzău County, Romania, across two consecutive harvest years, complemented by ISSR molecular fingerprinting for cultivar authentication. Genotypes were evaluated for dry matter, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, assimilatory pigments, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, crude fiber, total sugars, protein, starch, ash, and microelements (Mn, Cu, Zn) and macroelements (Na, Mg, K, Ca) with nutrient reference values (NRVs) per 100 g. Distinct compositional profiles supported differentiated food applications: L BEC (green, long pod) recorded the highest protein, soluble sugars, titratable acidity, pigments, total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, Na, Mg, Mn, and Zn, indicating suitability for functional and nutraceutical formulations. L 301B (purple pod) accumulated the highest dry matter, ash, crude fiber, total flavonoids, K, and Ca, favoring high-fiber and mineral-fortified products. L HELD (green, flattened pod) yielded the highest °Brix, starch, and Cu, suited to starch-rich, energy-dense foods. All genotypes delivered nutritionally significant amounts of Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Cu, and Zn under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. ISSR analysis revealed clear polymorphism and genotype-specific banding patterns, and inter-annual compositional consistency indicated the reliability of these lines as standardized food raw materials. Coupling biochemical profiling with molecular fingerprinting provides a practical tool for nutritional valorization, cultivar authentication, and prevention of food fraud or substitution.