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Description of the subject. Red clover is an important forage legume and a rich source of high quality forage for livestock feed. This study assesses of a diverse red clover collection for agronomic value, forage quality and antioxidant activity in relation to status (cultivar vs natural population) and ploidy level (diploid or tetraploid) for the purpose of diversity study and for identification of potential heterotic groups and classification of accessions according to the results of analyses. Objectives. The aims of this research were to: i) explore agronomic traits, forage quality, and antioxidant activity in relation to status and ploidy level; ii) assess trait associations and the possibility of indirect selection; iii) cluster red clover accessions with regard to forage quality and antioxidant activity. Method. Red clover was represented by 46 accessions, the cultivars and natural populations of diploid (2n) and tetraploid (4n) ploidy levels from 17 countries, which were collected and preserved in the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, Serbia. The following traits were determined from the two-year field trial at Rimski Šančevi, Serbia: plant height (PH), internodes number (IN), green mass yield (GMY), dry matter yield (DMY), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestible dry matter (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI), relative feed value (RFV) and antioxidant activity. All accessions were characterized in the second cut of the second year of life when 20-25% of flowers appeared. Results. The cultivars had higher values for PH, IN, GMY, DMY, DDM, DMI, and RFV. The tetraploid accessions had higher values for IN, GMY, DMY, CP, NDF and DDM. The natural populations and diploid accessions had 39.9% and 21.9% smaller antioxidant capacity, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was positively associated with RFV, DDM, DMI, PH, IN, GMY and DMY, but negatively with ADF and NDF. Conclusions. The grouping of red clover accessions based on forage quality parameters and antioxidant activity was represented by five clusters. High-quality cultivars had a shorter length of internodes and a good leaf to stem ratio with a high leaf proportion.

Corn is the main cereal cultivated in the world. As feedstuffs for broiler chickens, corn grains provide the majority of the animals' required metabolizable energy and an appreciable amount of protein. However, when submitted to high temperature treatment, such as during drying, the feeding value of corn grain may change significantly. This review reports the current knowledge on changes that occur within corn grains during high temperature drying processes, which can impact on the feeding value of the grains. Studies show that during these high temperature drying processes, structural changes occur within the major components of corn grains, including starch and proteins, which may affect their bioavailability. These changes may have a significant impact on metabolizable energy and zootechnical performance. Drying could also affect the physical traits of corn grains and in turn the feeding behavior of animals. In spite of the importance of grain drying within the corn grain sector, few studies have been devoted to the effect of drying on the feeding value of corn and no consensus has been reached on this subject, possibly because of the different conditions involved in the experiments reported to date. Strict controls over drying conditions and the use of appropriate methods of analysis for a better appreciation of the effects of drying are therefore recommended.

Global biogeochemical models have improved dramatically in the last decade in their representation of the biosphere. Although leaf area data are an important input to such models and are readily available globally, global root distributions for modeling water and nutrient uptake and carbon cycling have not been available. This analysis provides global distributions for fine root biomass, length, and surface area with depth in the soil, and global estimates of nutrient pools in fine roots. Calculated root surface area is almost always greater than leaf area, more than an order of magnitude so in grasslands. The average C:N:P ratio in living fine roots is 450:11:1, and global fine root carbon is more than 5% of all carbon contained in the atmosphere. Assuming conservatively that fine roots turn over once per year, they represent 33% of global annual net primary productivity.

The healthy lifestyle and appropriate nutrition are stressed nowadays. New foodstuffs are still investigated with the aim to improve the diet and conduce to a better health state of the population. Pseudocereals (amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa) are convenient for this purpose. Their high nutritious and dietary quality meets the demands of the food industry and consumers. Our article deals with quinoa, a commodity from the Andean region, because quinoa is a good source of essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine. Quinoa contains relatively high quantities of vitamins (thiamin, vitamin C) and minerals.

Food is a major health issue; the links between diet and health are dominant in nutrition discourse and practice. Food and Health: Actor Strategies in Information and Communication identifies the informational practices of nutrition professionals and consumers to study the structural elements of food and health. It analyzes the communication strategies of actors and the dissemination and use of information related to both food for health and health through food. The book considers nutrition from the point of view of public policies, educational organizations, preventive measures, consumers and patients.

Traditionally a source of nutrition, proteins are also added to foods for their ability to form gels and stabilize emulsions and the range of specialized protein ingredients used in foods is increasing. This book provides an authoritative overview of the characteristics, functionalities and applications of different proteins of importance to the food industry in one convenient volume. The introductory chapter provides an overview of proteins and their uses in foods. The following chapters each focus on a particular protein ingredient or group of ingredients covering their origins, production, properties and applications. The proteins discussed are caseins, whey proteins, gelatin and other meat-derived protein ingredients, seafood proteins, egg proteins, soy proteins, pea and other legume proteins, mycoprotein, wheat gluten, canola and other oilseed proteins, algal proteins and potato protein. A chapter on texturized vegetable proteins completes the volume. Innovative products and potential methods for improving nutrition and diet using these proteins are described. This Handbook is an invaluable reference tool for professionals using food protein ingredients for both food and other applications.

A diet rich in carotenoid-containing foods is associated with a number of health benefits. Lycopene provides the familiar red color to tomato products and is one of the major carotenoids in the diet of North Americans and Europeans. Interest in lycopene is growing rapidly following the recent publication of epidemiologic studies implicating lycopene in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancers of the prostate or gastrointestinal tract. Lycopene has unique structural and chemical features that may contribute to specific biological properties. Data concerning lycopene bioavailability, tissue distribution, metabolism, excretion, and biological actions in experimental animals and humans are beginning to accumulate although much additional research is necessary. This review will summarize our knowledge in these areas as well as the associations between lycopene consumption and human health

Buckwheat is introduced into the diet as an alternative crop of renewed interest due to its nutritive and health-promoting value. Experiments with animal models have demonstrated that buckwheat flour may alleviate diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. A number of nutraceutical compounds exist in buckwheat grains and other tissues. These are a rich source of starch, proteins, antioxidants, and dietary fibre as well as trace elements. The biological value (BV) of buckwheat proteins is comparable to BV of other protein sources. Besides high-quality proteins, buckwheat grains contain some components with prophylactic value: flavonoids, fagopyrins, or thiamin-binding proteins. For the food industry, buckwheat grains are a valuable raw material to be used for the production of functional foods. Buckwheat flour may be a valuable and important ingredient in diets or food products, taking into consideration its nutritive value and potential promotion of human health.

Introduction. This research focused on the variation of the kernel and pellicle (seed coat) constituents during nut growth, from early development to maturity. Material and methods. Nuts of three hazelnut cultivars widely grown in Italy: ‘Tonda Gentile Romana’, ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ and ‘Nocchione’. were randomly sampled weekly, from the same trees, starting from the first week of July 2007 (day of the year: DOY = 186) until the beginning of September (DOY = 249), at harvest time. Results and discussion. Oil content increased continuously during the development of the kernel, from 30–35 g 100 g-1 dry weight (DW) at the beginning of July, to 61–68 g 100 g-1 DW in the first week of September. Total monounsaturated fatty acids were the main group of fatty acids in the oil and oleic acid was the most predominant one, showing slight variations depending on the cultivar and kernel growth stage. Nitrogen content in the kernel decreased continuously during development, from 4.2 g 100 g-1 DW to 2.9 g 100 g-1 DW on average among the cultivars. Soluble sugars, mainly sucrose, showed a wide fluctuation until late July, and the content observed in the mature seed was about 5 g 100 g-1 DW in all cultivars. The organic acids, mainly represented by malic acid, showed a large decrease during the early stages (July), and reached on average a content of about 0.3–0.4 g 100 g-1 DW at the mature stage. Starch content for all cultivars was highest at the first sampling date, then decreased rapidly, coinciding with the initial kernel expansion stage. Starch levels then increased to a second peak in early August, then rapidly decreased again, followed by a gradual decline up to the time of nut ripening. The total phenol content was mainly concentrated in the pellicle and showed wide variation during the nut development both in the kernel and pellicle. Conclusion. The complexity of these dynamics can explain the different kernel taste in immature and mature states, and highlights the possibilities of optimizing the orchard management and harvesting time. Introduction. Cette étude a porté sur la variation de la composition de la noisette et de son tégument pendant la croissance des fruits, depuis le début de leur développement jusqu’à maturité. Matériel et méthodes. Les noisettes de trois cultivars de noisetiers largement cultivés en Italie : ‘Tonda Gentile Romana’, ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ et ‘Nocchione’. ont été échantillonnées au hasard chaque semaine, sur les mêmes arbres, à partir de la première semaine de juillet 2007 (jour de l’année : DOY = 186) jusqu’à début septembre (DOY = 249), à la récolte. Résultats et discussion. La teneur en huile des fruits a régulièrement augmenté au cours du développement des noisettes, de 30–35 g 100 g-1 masse sèche (MS) au début de juillet, à 61–68 g 100 g-1 MS lors de la première semaine de septembre. Les acides gras mono-insaturés étaient le principal groupe d’acides gras dans l’huile de noisette, et l’acide oléique était prédominant, montrant de légères variations selon le cultivar et le stade de croissance de la noix. La teneur en azote de la noix n’a cessé de diminuer au cours de son développement, de 4,2 à 2,9 g 100 g-1 MS en moyenne pour les cultivars étudiés. Les sucres solubles, essentiellement le saccharose, ont montré une grande fluctuation jusqu’à la fin juillet, et la teneur observée dans la graine mature était d’environ 5 g 100 g-1 MS pour tous les cultivars. Les acides organiques, principalement représentés par l’acide malique, ont montré une baisse importante pendant les premiers stades de développement (juillet), pour atteindre une teneur moyenne de 0,3 à 0,4 g 100 g-1 MS à maturité. La teneur en amidon dans tous les cultivars était le plus élevé à la première date d’échantillonnage, puis a rapidement diminué, coïncidant avec la phase initiale d’expansion de la noix. Les teneurs en amidon ont ensuite présenté un second pic au début août, puis à nouveau rapidement diminué, avec une baisse progressive jusqu’à la maturité des noix. La teneur en phénols totaux est principalement concentrée dans le tégument et a présenté de fortes variations au cours du développement à la fois dans la noix et son tégument. Conclusion. La complexité de ces dynamiques peut expliquer le goût différent de la noix aux états immature et mature et met en évidence les possibilités d’optimiser la gestion des vergers et de leur récolte.

During the past decade, tremendous growth has occurred in the use of nutrition symbols and rating systems designed to summarize key nutritional aspects and characteristics of food products. These symbols and the systems that underlie them have become known as front-of-package (FOP) nutrition rating systems and symbols, even though the symbols themselves can be found anywhere on the front of a food package or on a retail shelf tag. Though not regulated and inconsistent in format, content, and criteria, FOP systems and symbols have the potential to provide useful guidance to consumers as well as maximize effectiveness. As a result, Congress directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to undertake a study with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to examine and provide recommendations regarding FOP nutrition rating systems and symbols.The study was completed in two phases. Phase I focused primarily on the nutrition criteria underlying FOP systems. Phase II builds on the results of Phase I while focusing on aspects related to consumer understanding and behavior related to the development of a standardized FOP system.Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols focuses on Phase II of the study. The report addresses the potential benefits of a single, standardized front-label food guidance system regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, assesses which icons are most effective with consumer audiences, and considers the systems/icons that best promote health and how to maximize their use.