Browsing by Author "Liava, Vasiliki"
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- The Effect of Cropping System and Irrigation Regime on the Plant Growth and Biochemical Profile of Cichorium spinosumPublication . Paschoalinotto, Beatriz H.; Polyzos, Nikolaos; Liava, Vasiliki; Mandim, Filipa; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Añibarro-Ortega, Mikel; Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Petropoulos, Spyridon A.This study evaluated the effects of three irrigation treatments (control (rain-fed plants), deficit irrigation (DI: 50% of maximum field capacity), full irrigation (FI: 100% of maximum field capacity)), and two crop-management treatments (with or without crop rotation with bean, CR, and NCR, respectively) on the plant growth and chemical composition of C. spinosum. The results indicated that deficit irrigation combined with crop rotation increased the weight of leaves per plant, followed by rain-fed plants for the same crop-management treatment. Additionally, these two factors significantly influenced the nutritional profile, free sugars, and organic acid content in a variable manner. Moreover, the control treatment and deficit irrigation increased the content of K, Na, and Mg, which are highly mobile nutrients, whereas the levels of moderately mobile nutrients such as Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn decreased. Deficit irrigation without crop rotation significantly increased the content of total tocopherols, followed by deficit irrigation with crop rotation and full irrigation without crop rotation. The main fatty acids were α-linolenic acid (C18:3n3), followed by palmitic acid (C16:0) and linoleic acid (C18:2n6), while the control and deficit irrigation treatments combined with crop rotation increased PUFA and decreased SFA content. Furthermore, deficit irrigation and crop rotation induced the accumulation of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, especially the content of the major compounds (e.g., chicoric acid, quercetin-O-hexurunoside, and luteolin-O-hexurunoside). The leaf extracts exhibited varied antioxidant activity (assessed by TBARS and OxHLIA assays), and antimicrobial activity. On the other hand, no antifungal, antiproliferative (except for AGS cell line), hepatotoxic, or anti-inflammatory effects were recorded. In conclusion, the combination of deficit irrigation and crop rotation with bean positively affected the quality traits and the fresh weight of leaves, thus suggesting that such eco-friendly practices could have beneficial effects in the cultivation of C. spinosum plants within the context of climate-change mitigation strategies.
- Enhancing Tomato Growth and Quality Under Deficit Irrigation with Silicon ApplicationPublication . Añibarro-Ortega, Mikel; Pereira, Alexis; Pinela, José; Liava, Vasiliki; Chaski, Christina; Alexopoulos, Alexios A.; Barros, Lillian; Petropoulos, Spyridon A.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two irrigation systems (deficit irrigation (DI)—70% of field capacity—and full irrigation (FI)—100% of field capacity) and a biostimulant formulation (silicon (Si) and calcium (Ca) at four different rates) on the chemical composition and fruit quality of greenhouse-grown tomatoes. Deficit irrigation and biostimulant application influenced the proximate composition of tomato fruits. Fructose and glucose were the main soluble sugars, while malic and citric acids were the predominant organic acids. Free sugar and organic acid content increased under DI and biostimulant applications. In contrast, deficit irrigation combined with biostimulant application decreased α-tocopherol levels. In terms of carotenoids, lycopene and β-carotene concentrations were higher under full irrigation. The main fatty acids were palmitic (C16:0) and linoleic (C18:2n6) acids, with saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids being the main classes. Moreover, biostimulant applications reduced the total phenolic content regardless of the irrigation regime, whereas the flavonoid content increased when biostimulants were applied under FI conditions. Regarding antioxidant activity (assessed by TBARS and OxHLIA assays), a variable response to irrigation and biostimulant application was observed. In conclusion, the application of Si and Ca under DI showed promising results in terms of yield and quality of tomato fruit and it could be considered a sustainable strategy to mitigate adverse effects of climate change on horticultural crops.
- How Does Domestic Cooking Affect the Biochemical Properties of Wild Edible Greens of the Asteraceae Family?Publication . Liava, Vasiliki; Fernandes, Ângela; Reis, Filipa S.; Finimundy, Tiane C.; Mandim, Filipa; Pinela, José; Stojković, Dejan; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Petropoulos, Spyridon Α.Wild edible greens are a key ingredient of the so-called Mediterranean diet and they are commonly used in various local dishes in their raw or processed form. Domestic processing of edible greens may affect their nutritional value and chemical profile. In this work, six wild species (e.g., Cichorium spinosum L. (S1); Centaurea raphanina subsp. mixta (DC.) Runemark (S2); Picris echioides (L.) Holub (S3); Urospermum picroides (L.) Scop. ex. F.W. Schmidt (S4); Sonchus oleraceus L. (S5); and S. asper L. (S6)) were assessed for the effect of domestic processing (boiling) on chemical composition and bioactivities. Concerning the chemical composition, glucose, oxalic acid, α-tocopherol, and α-linolenic acid were the most abundant compounds, especially in P. echiodes leaves. After decoction, mainly sugars, tocopherols, and oxalic acid were decreased. The species and processing affected the phenolic compounds content and antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory activities. Specific compounds were not previously detected in the studied species, while hydroethanolic extracts contained a higher total phenolic compound content. Hydroethanolic and aqueous extracts were effective towards a range of bacterial and fungi strains. Therefore, the consumption of leaves has health-promoting properties owing to the bioactive compounds and can be integrated into healthy diets. However, domestic cooking may affect the chemical profile and bioactivities of the edible leaves, especially in the case of free sugars and phenolic compound content where a significant reduction was recorded in leaves after decoction. On the other hand, domestic processing could be beneficial since it reduces the oxalic acid content in edible leaves, which is considered an antinutritional factor.
- The effect of biostimulants on fruit quality of processing tomato grown under deficit irrigationPublication . Liava, Vasiliki; Chaski, Christina; Añibarro-Ortega, Mikel; Pereira, Alexis; Pinela, José; Barros, Lillian; Petropoulos, Spyridon Α.Water shortage can be a restrictive factor for the growth and quality of vegetable crops. Considering the alleviating effects of biostimulant application against water stress, this study aimed to investigate the effect of four biostimulant products (protein and amino acids with carboxylic acids (Tr1); protein and amino acids with seaweed extracts (Tr2); humic and fulvic acids with seaweed extracts (Tr3); SiO2 (Tr4); and control (no biostimulants added)) and two irrigation systems (regulated deficit irrigation (RDI)—65% of field capacity and regular irrigation (RI)—100% of field capacity) on quality parameters of processing tomato fruit. Regulated deficit irrigation and biostimulant application increased the energetic value, carbohydrates, and free sugars content, while organic acids showed a variable response to biostimulant use. In terms of tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, δ-) and carotenoids (lycopene and β-carotene), regular irrigation and biostimulant application negatively affected their content, while Tr3 treatment had a beneficial impact on these lipophilic compounds under RDI conditions. The main fatty acids were palmitic (C16:0) and linoleic (C18:2n6) acids, which increased when plants were treated with Tr3 and Tr1 biostimulants under a deficit regime. Antioxidant activity (assessed by TBARS and OxHLIA assays) and total phenolic and flavonoids content also showed a variable response to the studied factors. In particular, the application of Tr3 and the control treatment under RDI increased the total phenolic content, while the control and Tr3 treatments under the same irrigation regime recorded the highest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, our results indicate that the adoption of eco-friendly strategies such as regulated deficit irrigation and biostimulant application can beneficially affect the quality traits of processing tomatoes.