BACKGROUND During the production of fresh‐cut products, crops are exposed to wounding stress, and as a stress response, phenolic antioxidants are synthesized. This stress response is elicited by extracellular adenosine triphosphate, released from wounded cells and recognized by receptors of unwounded cells. The phenolic antioxidants produced as a stress response are beneficial for human health. However, a common practice in the fresh‐cut industry is the application of washing/sanitizing procedures after cutting. These procedures could be highly detrimental, since they partially remove the wound signal that elicits the biosynthesis of phenolics in plants. In this study, the impact of different washing/sanitizing treatments post‐shredding on the wound‐induced accumulation of chlorogenic acid (CHA) in carrot was evaluated. Peeled carrots were shredded and dipped in aqueous solutions containing chlorine (100 ppm, 2 min), hydrogen peroxide (1.5%, 2 min) or water (2 min). The content of CHA in treated carrots was evaluated before and after 48 h of storage (19 ± 2 °C). RESULTS The control carrots sanitized only before peeling and shredding showed 4000% higher content of CHA as compared with time 0 h samples. However, carrots treated with washing/sanitizing procedures post‐shredding including water, chlorine and hydrogen peroxide showed a decrease in the accumulation of CHA by 46.9%, 53.6% and 89.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated that washing/sanitizing procedures applied after fresh‐cutting are potentially detrimental to the wound‐induced accumulation of health‐promoting compounds during storage of fresh produce. Thus, the fresh‐cut industry could consider avoiding washing procedures after cutting and implement alternative sanitizing procedures that avoid the partial removal of the wound signal, such as sanitizing only before cutting. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Nutrients such as vitamins C and D and selenium have potential for the reduction of risk and amelioration of COVID-19 disease. Although different foods contain these nutrients, their natural concentration is not sufficient to provide the required daily intake to exert immunomodulating activity. Herein, innovative approaches, including pre-and postharvest practices for the biofortification of foods (i.e., eggs, tomato, acerola, mushrooms, wheat, and chickpea) with immunomodulating nutrients are described. Enhancement of the immune system through consumption of biofortified foods along with vaccination would be a realistic approach to aid in the reduction of risk and amelioration of COVID-19 disease.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is an efficient and sustainable method for extracting bioactive compounds from agro-industrial by-products. Moreover, it has been reported that ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation can induce the biosynthesis and accumulation of bioactive phenolic compounds. This study optimized the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for recovering ultraviolet A (UVA)-induced phenolic compounds in strawberry by-products (RF-N). The impact of three factors (solid-liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, and ultrasound power) on total phenolic compound (TPC) kinetics using Peleg’s model was investigated. The developed model showed a suitable fit for both RF-N and strawberry by-products treated with UVA (RF-E). The optimal UAE conditions obtained were of a 1:30 ratio, 46% ethanol, and 100% ultrasound power, resulting in an average yield of 13 g total phenolics kg−1. The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds during in-vitro digestion was 36.5%, with agrimoniin being the predominant compound. UAE combined with UVA treatment increased the bioactivity of RF extracts, displaying significant anti-proliferative effects on HT29 and Caco-2 cancer cell lines, as well as anti-inflammatory potential and cellular antioxidant activity. The ultrasound proved to be a sustainable and effective technique for extracting phenolic compounds from RF, contributing to the valorization of strawberry agro-industrial by-products, and maximizing their nutraceutical potential.

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