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Horticulturae
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Innovative Food Products and Technologies within the Horticultural Chain and...
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Innovative Food Products and Technologies within the Horticultural Chain and Circular Economy Framework

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Processed Horticultural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3082

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gianluca Caruso

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy
Interests: plant biology; horticulture; crop systems; quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Otilia Cristina Murariu

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Technologies, Ion Ionescu de la Brad Iasi University of Life Sciences, Iasi, Romania
Interests: food quality assessment; conventional and organic products; development of innovative food products; physico-chemical and sensory analyzes of foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Florin Lipsa

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Technologies, Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Life Sciences of Iași, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley 3, 700490 Iaşi, Romania
Interests: microbiology; innovative technologies; fermented products; quality; plant pathology; yeasts; extraction; genetic diversity; flavonoids; plant genetics; soil microbiology; fruit quality; phenolic compounds
Prof. Dr. Somesh Sharma

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Guest Editor
School of Bioengineering and Food Technology, Shoolini University, Solan, India
Interests: post-harvest technologies; functional food; edible packaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetable crops are widespread worldwide and characterized by different management technologies both pre- and post-harvest, aimed at guaranteeing an appreciable level of technical and environmental sustainability. Conceiving, prototyping, and implementing innovative food products and technologies have increasingly been drawing scientific interest and stimulating related research. Technologies connected with horticultural chains should either improve farming or processing yield, concurrently enhancing product quality.

However, the numerous reports on these topics have not yet addressed all issues, and therefore, in this interesting field of research, plenty of challenges still remain. In this respect, attention should be paid to the interactive dynamics between innovative food products and new advanced technologies to produce food with premium quality characteristics, high functionality, health properties, additional service, and environmental friendliness. In particular, secondary metabolites in edible plant parts have a significant impact on human health and should be the object of special research interest.

In this Special Issue, we warmly welcome articles (original research, reviews, modeling approaches, perspectives, and opinions) that focus on innovative food and technologies and their interaction, leading to vegetable products with a high yield performance and high levels of quality, antioxidant activity, and mineral composition. The handling and valorization of waste are also current important targets, requiring modern technologies which facilitate the extraction of beneficial compounds from waste and/or their conversion into useful energy.

Prof. Dr. Gianluca Caruso
Prof. Dr. Otilia Cristina Murariu
Prof. Dr. Florin Daniel Lipsa
Prof. Dr. Somesh Sharma
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • innovative food products and technologies
  • smart management
  • digitalization in food processing
  • food quality
  • food security
  • sustainable management
  • circular economy
  • vegetable waste handling and valorization
  • extraction of beneficial substances from waste

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1951 KiB  
Article
Enzyme-Assisted Extraction of Proteins from Cauliflower and Broccoli Waste Leaves
by Tea Sedlar, Igor Pasković, Danka Dragojlović, Senka Popović, Strahinja Vidosavljević, Smiljana Goreta Ban and Ljiljana Popović
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020148 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 195
Abstract
This research presents a novel approach to protein extraction from cauliflower (CL) and broccoli (BL) waste leaves by using enzymatic pretreatment, demonstrating its effectiveness on protein yield. Enzymatic pretreatment (pH 4.5, 10 h, t = 35 °C), was performed using commercial enzyme preparations, [...] Read more.
This research presents a novel approach to protein extraction from cauliflower (CL) and broccoli (BL) waste leaves by using enzymatic pretreatment, demonstrating its effectiveness on protein yield. Enzymatic pretreatment (pH 4.5, 10 h, t = 35 °C), was performed using commercial enzyme preparations, Viscozyme® L and Vinozyme®, in three different enzyme-to-substrate ratios E/S (0.2%, 2.5%, and 4.8%) of each enzyme. Leaf proteins (LPs) were obtained with alkaline extraction at pH 10–11 and their isoelectric precipitation at pH 4, following the control sample (extraction without enzymes). Protein yield (%), which was used as a parameter to monitor enzymatic efficiency, demonstrated a direct correlation with the enzyme-to-substrate (E/S) ratio. The highest protein yields were obtained at an enzyme concentration of 4.8% for both cellulolytic and pectolytic enzyme preparations, yielding 14.90 ± 0.12% for CL and 29.88 ± 0.86% for BL. The obtained proteins were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, and these methods confirmed the enzymatic efficiency of protein isolation. Isolated LPs showed high protein content for CLP 4.8% (77.27 ± 0.14%) and BPL 4.8% (84.66 ± 0.51%), and an increase in total amino acids, while the content of essential amino acids was over 40%. Protein solubility was assessed, revealing significant improvements (p < 0.05) in LPs derived from CL and BL at the highest E/S ratio of 4.8%, compared to the control sample C0%. Specifically, the solubility of CLP reached 29.4 mg/mL at pH 11, while BLP achieved 36.4 mg/mL at pH 10. As a result, these leaf proteins not only meet nutritional demands but also open innovative avenues of research in food science and biotechnology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Food Products and Technologies within the Horticultural Chain and Circular Economy Framework)
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14 pages, 946 KiB  
Article
Fruit Quality and Production Parameters of Some Bitter Cherry Cultivars
by Ionel Perju, Iulia Mineață, Sorina Sîrbu, Iuliana Elena Golache, Ionuț Vasile Ungureanu and Carmen Doina Jităreanu
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010087 - 14 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Bitter cherries (Prunus avium var. sylvestris Ser.) represent a valuable raw material in the traditional Eastern European food industry with high potential within the horticultural chain and circular economy in the context of global food security due to exceptional nutritional properties. The [...] Read more.
Bitter cherries (Prunus avium var. sylvestris Ser.) represent a valuable raw material in the traditional Eastern European food industry with high potential within the horticultural chain and circular economy in the context of global food security due to exceptional nutritional properties. The present study was carried out in the period 2022–2024 and had as its main purpose the evaluation of the fruit quality and production indices of some bitter cherry cultivars suitable for the technological norms specific to industrial processing. Five bitter cherry cultivars (C1-Amaris, C2-Amar Maxut, C3-Amar Galata, C4-Silva, C5-Amara) were studied and analyzed in terms of fruit quality—morpho-physiological and organoleptic traits, and physical and chemical parameters—and general productivity—tree vigor, fruiting, and yield indices. The results highlighted a wide variability in the physical characteristics of bitter cherries, with an average weight between 3.3 and 4.9 g and the color of the skin varying from yellow with redness to dark red and blackish. Regarding the chemical attributes, antioxidant activity was relatively higher in fruits with a more intense bitter taste (89.3 μg Trolox·g−1 f.w for C2 and 89.1 μg Trolox·g−1 f.w. for C4 and C5), a fact also found in the content total of polyphenols (with a maximum value of 743.2 mg GAE·100 g−1 f.w at C2). Total soluble solids content had an average value of 20.51°Brix and titratable acidity of 0.85 g malic acid·100 g−1 f.w. The influence of local environmental factors on the productivity of bitter cherry cultivars was highlighted by significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) between cultivars. Thus, the resistance to frost in the full flowering phenophase had an average value of 86.69%, and regarding the resistance to fruit cracking, the highest percentage was found in C1, with 99.79% unaffected fruits. The productivity index per tree had an average value of 0.24 kg per cm2 trunk cross-section area. The physico-chemical properties of the fruits and the productivity of bitter cherry cultivars support the possibility of their efficient use in processing and the food industry, yielding high-quality products with nutraceutical value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Food Products and Technologies within the Horticultural Chain and Circular Economy Framework)
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14 pages, 249 KiB  
Article
Yield, Quality, Antioxidants, and Mineral Composition of Traditional Italian Storage Onion Cultivars in Response to Protein Hydrolysate and Microalgae Biostimulation
by Alessio Vincenzo Tallarita, Otilia Cristina Murariu, Tomas Kopta, Florin Daniel Lipșa, Leonardo Gomez, Eugenio Cozzolino, Pasquale Lombardi, Silvio Russo and Gianluca Caruso
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010025 - 2 Jan 2025
Viewed by 496
Abstract
Increasing interest is being devoted to environmentally friendly strategies, such as the use of plant biostimulants, to enhance crop performance and concurrently ensure food security under the perspective of sustainable management. The effects of two biostimulant formulations (protein hydrolysate and spirulina) on four [...] Read more.
Increasing interest is being devoted to environmentally friendly strategies, such as the use of plant biostimulants, to enhance crop performance and concurrently ensure food security under the perspective of sustainable management. The effects of two biostimulant formulations (protein hydrolysate and spirulina) on four Italian traditional storage onion cultivars (Ramata di Montoro, Rossa di Tropea, Rocca Bruna, Dorata di Parma) were investigated in Naples province (southern Italy), in terms of yield, quality, shelf-life, bioactive compounds, and mineral composition. Ramata di Montoro showed the highest levels of yield (66.4 t ha−1) and vitamin C (31.5 mg g−1 d.w.) and the longest shelf-life (228 days). Significant increases in marketable yield were recorded under the applications of both protein hydrolysate (+15.5%) and spirulina (+12.4%) compared to the untreated control. The two biostimulant formulations significantly increased bulb shelf-life and the contents of polyphenols (201.4 mg gallic acid eq. 100 g−1 d.w. on average vs. 158.6 of the untreated control), vitamin C (26.8 mg g−1 d.w. on average vs. 22), and both lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant activities. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of both protein hydrolysate and spirulina as sustainable tools for enhancing both yield and quality parameters within the frame of environmentally friendly farming management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Food Products and Technologies within the Horticultural Chain and Circular Economy Framework)
17 pages, 2768 KiB  
Article
The Antioxidant Profile of Some Species of Microgreens Cultivated on Hemp and Coconut Substrate Under the Action of a Biostimulator Based on Humic Acids
by Alina Elena Marta, Florina Stoica, Ștefănica Ostaci and Carmenica Doina Jităreanu
Horticulturae 2024, 10(12), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10121238 - 21 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1232
Abstract
Microplants are vegetables, grains and aromatic herbs that are consumed in the stage of young plants, without roots, developed after the germination stage, in the stage of cotyledons and which have a high content of nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, lutein, β-carotene, [...] Read more.
Microplants are vegetables, grains and aromatic herbs that are consumed in the stage of young plants, without roots, developed after the germination stage, in the stage of cotyledons and which have a high content of nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, lutein, β-carotene, proteins and fibers, etc.), which makes them functional, concentrated foods capable of feeding the world’s ever-growing population. The significant amounts of antioxidants in microgreens have the role of neutralizing free radicals and reducing their harmful impact on human health. The microgreens studied were spinach (Spinacia oleracea) cultivar ‘Lorelay’, mustard (Sinapis alba) cultivar ‘White’ and radish (Raphanus sativus) cultivar ‘Red Rambo’, tested on hemp and coconut substrates and under the influence of the organic biostimulator Biohumussol, based on humic acids. The antioxidant content of the plants was determined by analyzing total carotenoids, lycopene, chlorophyll, β-carotene, polyphenols and flavonoids, as well as the antioxidant activity by ABTS and DPPH methods. The obtained results indicated that the reaction of the plant material depends on the composition of the substrate and the presence of the applied biostimulator. The highest contents of substances with an antioxidant role were obtained from the microgreens on the hemp substrate, especially mustard and radishes, and the biostimulator proved to be compatible with the spinach microgreens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Food Products and Technologies within the Horticultural Chain and Circular Economy Framework)
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