Almond production is not typical for Serbia however the existence of natural populations and unexpectedly suitable agro-climatic conditions initiated this kind of study. Total oil content and concentrations of the fatty acids, total phenolic content and radical-scavenging activity were determined in the kernel oil of 20 local almond selections originating from North Serbia and cultivars 'Marcona', 'Texas' and 'Troito'. Sixteen fatty acids were identified and quantified, with the most abundant being oleic acid and linoleic acid. Nine phenolic acids and nineteen flavonoids were quantified using UHPLC-DAD MS/MS. The predominant polyphenol was catechin, followed by chlorogenic acid and naringenin. Based on oleic acid/linoleic acid ratio, levels of unsaturated fatty acids and specific polyphenols, some selections were chosen for growing and could also be recommended for breeding programs. Our investigation demonstrated that this region could be a suitable for growing almonds with chemical compositions competitive with standard cultivars.

The European pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyri L. (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is one of the most serious arthropod pests of pear. Since proper control of this pest is essential, better understanding of the complex plant-pest relationship is mandatory. This research deals with constitutive polyphenolic profiles in leaves of 22 pear cultivars of diverse origin (P. communis, P. pyrifolia, and P. pyrifolia × P. communis) and different resistance to psylla. The study was designed to show which differences in the polyphenolic profile of leaves from resistant and susceptible pear cultivars could be utilized as information in subsequent breeding programs. The results demonstrated that the leaves of Oriental pear cultivars contained much higher amounts of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, aesculin, and naringin, that, together with detected 3-O-(6″-O-p-coumaroyl)-hexoside, apigenin, apigenin 7-O-rutinoside, and hispidulin, indicated a clear difference between the species and might represent phenolics responsible for psylla resistance.

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of shoot age on biological and chemical properties of 11 red currant cultivars (‘Jonkheer van Tets’, ‘Junifer’, ‘London Market’, ‘Makosta’, ‘Mirana’, ‘Redpoll’, ‘Rolan’, ‘Rondom’, ‘Rovada’, ‘Slovakia’ and ‘Stanza’) with different origins and ripening times. Phenological observations and pomological characteristics were studied and chemical analysis was conducted from 2013 to 2018 at experimental fields near Belgrade, Serbia. The total contents of phenols and anthocyanin were estimated spectrophotometrically, while quantitative analysis of anthocyanin aglycones was done using high-performance liquid chromatography. Three-year-old shoots had an earlier start of all examined phenological stages, better generative potential, higher yields, as well as higher total phenol and vitamin C contents in the fruits, compared with 2-year-old shoots, for all cultivars. The contents of total anthocyanins were higher in berries on younger shoots of early-ripening cultivars, while late-ripening cultivars had higher contents of total soluble solids and cyanidin in the berries on 3-year-old shoots. Principal component analysis demonstrated that the most important variables that distinguished 2-year-old shoots from 3-year-old shoots were those related to phenological data, cluster traits, total acids and yields. According to the obtained results, ‘Junifer’ (with the highest number of clusters), ‘Mirana’ (with the highest sugar content and sugar/acid ratio), ‘Redpoll’ (with the highest physical traits of cluster and berry), ‘Slovakia’ (with the highest yield and yield efficiency) and ‘Rovada’ (with the highest level of secondary metabolites) are recommended as the most promising cultivars for growing in the temperate region of Serbia.

No abstract

The oil contents of almond kernels were determined between 37.60% (Selection 25) and 49.10% (Tuono). Total carotenoid and total flavonoid contents of almond kernels varied between 0.21 µg/g (Nessebar) and 1.85 µg/g (Teteny Botermo) to 44.75 mg/100 g (Selection 25) and 479.13 mg/100 g (Teteny Rekord), respectively. In addition, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity values of almond kernels changed between 6.04 mg GAE/100 g (Ne Plus Ultra) and 83.19 mg GAE/100 g (Teteny Rekord) to 4.55% (Selection 25) and 90.15% (Teteny Rekord), respectively. Oleic acid contents of almond kernel oils were determined between 61.39% (Ne Plus Ultra) and 73.51% (Texas), linoleic acid contents of oil samples varied between 16.02% (Masbovera) and 30.60% (Ne Plus Ultra). Gallic acid, 3,4‐dihydroxybenzoic acid, (+)‐catechin, 1,2‐dihydroxybenzene, syringic acid, caffeic acid, and quercetin were the key phenolic constituents of kernels showed partly differences depending on almond varieties. Almond kernels are rich in K, P, Ca, Mg, Na, and S elements. Practical applications Almonds are used as ingredients in a variety of processed foods such as bakery and confectionery products, almond milk, and almond fermented milk. The roasted almond kernels used in desserts, salads, and ice‐creams is a popular snack in Turkey. Almonds are considered to be a valuable source of plant proteins in the human diet. Almonds have recognized health benefits, due to high fatty acids, phenolics, and proteins. The most important unsaturated fatty acids of almond oils are oleic and linoleic acids. Phenolic compounds comprise a large and heterogeneous group of secondary plant metabolites distributed widely throughout the plant kingdom.