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Beans are important dietary components with versatile health benefits. We analysed the extracts of twelve ecotypes of Phaseolus vulgaris in order to determine their phenolic profiles, antioxidant activity, and the in vitro antiproliferative activity. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) admitted us to detect and quantify some known polyphenols, such as gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, myricetin, formononetin, caffeic acid, and kaempferol. The antioxidant activity (AA) ranged from 1.568 ± 0.041 to 66.572 ± 3.197 mg necessary to inhibit the activity of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical by 50% (EC50). The extracts, except those obtained from the nonpigmented samples, were capable of inhibiting the proliferation of the human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells, human breast cancer cells MCF-7, and A549 NSCLC cell line. Cultivars differed in composition and concentration of polyphenols including anthocyanins; cooking affected the antioxidant activity only marginally. Qualitative and quantitative differences in phenolic composition between the groups of beans influenced the biological activities; on the other hand, we did not find significant differences on the biological activities within the same variety, before and after cooking.

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The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is an insect whose larvae thrive on agro-industrial by-products. This study reports the first use of black soldier fly larvae processing residue (BSPR) as an innovative ingredient for growing media. BSPR was characterized and evaluated to partially replace commercial peat (CP) in the production of potted plants. Chemical and microbiological analysis showed the suitability of BSPR for soilless production. Hence, six growing media mixtures (CP 100% + slow acting synthetic solid fertilizer, CP 90% + BSPR 10%, CP 80% + BSPR 20%, CP 70% + BSPR 30%, CP 60% + BSPR 40% and CP 100% without fertilizer) were assessed for the production of baby leaf lettuce, basil and tomato potted plants. Using BSPR in a proportion up to 20%, all investigated crops showed values significantly greater than or comparable to those obtained using CP 100% + slow acting synthetic solid fertilizer. In general, BSPR used in a proportion up to 20% increased the crop growth of baby leaf lettuce, basil and tomato, recording a high total dry weight (+31%, compared to the total average) and the measured leaf parameters (+39% of leaf area, +14% of leaf number), without showing abiotic stresses. This study indicates that BSPR used in a proportion up to 20% might be a valid approach for soilless production of potted baby leaf lettuce, basil and tomato plants.

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