Search

BACKGROUND: Potato is the most important non‐grain crop worldwide, whose quality characteristics are always affected by temporal and spatial variability. Knowledge of the performance consistency of quality characteristics over long periods could prove very important to identify which quality traits are less variable over time, and therefore provide greater guarantees of stability. In this research, variations in physicochemical and nutritional traits of tubers over five consecutive growing seasons of two potato genotypes (Arizona and Vogue) were monitored in two locations. RESULTS: Although qualitative performances of genotypes fluctuated across the seasons in both locations, two physicochemical traits (pH and dry matter content) and starch content showed less variability throughout the five seasons compared to total soluble solids and most of the nutritional traits (namely reducing sugars, citric acid, vitamin C, total phenolics and antioxidant capacity), which were considerably influenced by weather conditions. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that pH, dry matter content and starch content traits could be used advantageously in studies of temporal stability in potatoes. This approach could prove useful in providing scientific support for the setup of potato protected geographical identifications. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Banana fruit undergo rapid metabolic changes following the induction of ripening. They result in excessive softening, chlorophyll degradation, browning, and senescence during postharvest life. As part of a continuous effort to extend fruit shelf life and maintain the best possible quality, this study examined the effect of a 24‐epibrassinolide (EBR) and chitosan (CT) composite coating on 'Williams' bananas ripening in ambient conditions. Fruit were soaked in 20 μM EBR, 10 g L−1 CT (w/v), and 20 μM EBR + 10 g L−1 CT solutions for 15 min and were kept at 23 ± 1 °C and 85–90% (RH) for 9 days. Results: The combined treatment (20 μM EBR + 10 g L−1 CT) clearly delayed fruit ripening; bananas treated with this showed less peel yellowing, weight loss, and total soluble solids, and greater firmness, titratable acidity, membrane stability index, and ascorbic acid content than the untreated control. After the treatment, the fruit also presented higher radical scavenging capacity, and higher total phenol and flavonoid content. The activity of polyphenoloxidase and hydrolytic enzymes was lower, and that of peroxidase was higher in both the peel and pulp of all the treated fruit than in the control. Conclusion: The combined treatment (20 μM EBR + 10 g L−1 CT) is suggested as an effective composite edible coat to retain the quality of 'Williams' bananas during ripening. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Vegetables are often blanched before drying. The hot‐water blanching (HWB) of broccoli reduces quality and is environmentally harmful. In this work, hot‐air‐assisted radio frequency heating blanching (HA‐RFB) of broccoli was developed for use before further drying processes. Blanching sufficiency, heating uniformity, and heating rate during HA‐RFB were investigated to improve the product's physicochemical properties and texture. Suitable heating conditions were achieved when HA‐RFB was applied with hot air at 70 °C, with an electrode gap of 10.7 cm, using a cylindrical container for the broccoli. RESULTS: Under these conditions, the relative peroxidase activity in broccoli decreased to 3.26% within 117 s, with 13.45% of weight loss. In comparison with HWB broccoli, the products blanched by HA‐RFB preserved their texture, bioactive compounds, and microstructure better. The ascorbic acid, sulforaphane, and total glucosinolate content in HA‐RFB products were 251.1%, 131.9% and 36.7% higher than those in HWB broccoli, and HA‐RFB treatment led to a greater weight loss (13.45 ± 0.50%) than HWB (8.70 ± 1.70%), which is very helpful for the subsequent drying process. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that HA‐RFB could be a promising substitute for HWB to blanch broccoli and other flower vegetables, especially as a pretreatment in the drying process. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of Arabic gum (AG) coating, UV‐C illumination and its combinations on postharvest quality parameters of cocktail tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Ipekce F1). After harvest, mature green tomatoes were treated with 10% Arabic gum (AG10), 20% AG (AG20), 3.6 kJ m−2 ultraviolet‐C (UV‐C) illumination, 3.6 kJ m−2 UV‐C+AG10 and 3.6 kJ m−2 UV‐C+AG20, and stored at 20 °C for 20 days. RESULTS: The highest titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS) and the lowest weight loss were obtained in AG20 treatments. Maximum fruit firmness and L* value were in AG20 and UV‐C+AG20 treatment. The greatest h° values were recorded in AG20, UV‐C+AG20 and control group. The highest vitamin C content were obtained from AG20, UV‐C+AG10 and UV‐C+AG20 treated tomatoes. Minimum lycopene content was determined from AG10, AG20, UV‐C+AG10 and UV‐C+AG20 treatments. Maximum chlorophyll content was determined from UV‐C+AG20‐treated tomatoes. AG10, AG20, UV‐C+AG10 and UV‐C+AG20 treatments resulted in lower ethylene emissions as compared to control and UV‐C‐treated tomatoes. AG20, UV‐C+AG10 and UV‐C+AG20 treatments generally had lower values than control and UV‐C in term of respiration rates. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that AG20 treatment effectively maintained the postharvest quality and biochemical properties of cocktail tomatoes as compared to other tested treatments. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Improving potato productivity and quality plays an important role in enhancing global food security and human health. However, inappropriate fertilizer management negatively affects potato growth and tuber development, especially in developing countries where there are large numbers of smallholders without modern soil testing equipment. Nutrient Expert (NE), a new and convenient fertilization decision system, was evaluated in the present study by conducting four site‐years field experiments in Northeast China, aiming to determine its effectiveness and applicability for potato production relative to local farmers' practice (FP) and fertilizer recommendation based on soil testing (ST). RESULTS: The excessive fertilization at planting promoted seedling growth for potato plants in FP. Nevertheless, superior plant growth and tuber development were observed in NE at the middle and later growing stages, by optimizing fertilizer input and implementing split fertilization. Overall, compared to FP, the NE system increased total and marketable tuber yields by 12–15% and 16–26%, respectively, at the same time as obtaining 19–31% higher net returns and enhanced fertilizer use efficiencies. Moreover, NE improved tuber quality by increasing the contents of starch, soluble protein and vitamin C and decreasing reducing sugar content relative to FP, as well as increasing starch yields by 23–52%. The ST method also showed comprehensive improvements in potato performances compared to FP, although it did not show any advantages compared to NE system. CONCLUSION: The NE system improved potato productivity and tuber quality by optimizing fertilization management, which is an effective and promising alternative to the ST method for potato production in China and other developing countries. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Adding value to conventional fruit juices by including prebiotic compounds into their formulation and preserving them using non‐thermal, eco‐friendly and safe technologies represent interesting and strategic approaches to diversify healthy and innovative food products. In this context, the effect of ultrasound‐assisted processing (for 15 and 30 min, 40 kHz, 180 W) on microbiological, physicochemical, nutritional and sensory quality of prebiotic‐rich strawberry juices was investigated during storage (14 days, 5 °C). RESULTS: Compared to untreated samples, the applied preservation treatments enhanced the microbiological and nutritional quality of samples by significantly reducing native microflora counts (reductions up to 1 log CFU mL−1 at day 14) and increasing the total phenolic content (by more than 25% in comparison to controls at day 14) leading to higher antioxidant capacity of prebiotic‐rich strawberry juices. Ultrasound processing and prebiotic enrichment had no negative effect on sensory attributes of enriched samples, suggesting that this non‐thermal technique successfully retained the fresh‐like attributes of strawberry juices during their shelf‐life, contributing to the good sensory stability of juices. In addition, ultrasound treatments had no detrimental impact on physicochemical quality and ascorbic acid content of enriched samples, showing similar stability to control samples during storage. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, ultrasound processing appears to be a promising non‐thermal technique for ensuring a stable product from both microbiological and sensory points of view with improved antioxidant capacity and unaltered physicochemical quality while offering a healthier, nutritive and valuable food alternative. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) may attack biological macromolecules and induce oxidative stress. The inhibition by ascorbic acid (AsA) on oxidative damage has been reported in fruits, while the barrier effect of ceramide has also been proven. However, there are few reports about the effects of ceramide–AsA interactions to enhance storability and boost antioxidant systems in fruits during storage. This study was conducted to study the synergistic effects of AsA in combination with ceramide on the quality of postharvest strawberry (Fragaria anannasa cv. Tianbao). RESULTS: Treatment with 100 mg L−1 AsA plus 1.2 mmol L−1 ceramide significantly delayed the rot of strawberries, reduced the water loss and the contents of ROS, malonaldehyde (MDA), and proline, however, increased the contents of total flavonoids, total phenols, and anthocyanins compared with other treatments. Also, treatment with 100 mg L−1 AsA plus 1.2 mmol L−1 ceramide significantly increased the activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) but inhibited the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that treatment with 100 mg L−1 AsA plus 1.2 mmol L−1 ceramide could significantly reduce the oxidative damage and maintain the storage quality of strawberries during storage by enhancing the antioxidant systems. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Trisodium phosphate (TSP), generally recognized as safe (GRAS), could control postharvest diseases and maintain fruit quality. However, changes of fruit quality and sucrose metabolism in harvested jujube after TSP treatment remain largely unknown. In the current study, jujube fruit (cv. sanxing) was used to study the effects of TSP on storage quality and sucrose metabolism during storage at 20 ± 2 °C with 40–50% relative humidity (RH). RESULTS: The results showed that 0.5 g L−1 TSP treatment reduced weight loss and reduced sugar content, suppressed the reduction of fruit firmness, maintained ascorbic acid (AsA) content and inhibited respiratory rate of jujube fruit. In addition, TSP treatment also reduced acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI) activities in sucrose metabolism in jujube fruit. Sucrose synthase‐cleavage (SS‐c), sucrose synthase‐synthesis (SS‐s) and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activities were also suppressed by TSP treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment with TSP could effectively reduce enzymes activities in sucrose metabolism and maintain storage quality of jujube fruit during storage. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: A randomized block design experiment was performed to investigate the influence of drying on the physical, chemical and nutritional quality attributes of five prominent cultivars of India under sun drying (SD) (mean temperature 35.5 °C, average daily radiation 5.26 kW h m−2 and mean relative humidity 73.66% RH), hot air drying (HD) at 65 °C, microwave vacuum drying (MVD) (800 W, 5 kPa) and freeze drying (FD) (−50 °C, 5 kPa). Water activity, pH, total phenolic content (TPC), ascorbic acid (AA), capsaicin, β‐carotene, color and Scoville heat unit were studied. RESULTS: TPC, AA, capsaicin content, β‐carotene, color and water activity were significantly affected by the drying method. FD was observed to be most efficient in minimizing the loss of color, capsaicin and β‐carotene. The hotness of analyzed samples decreased in the order ‘Bird's Eye’ > ‘Sannam S4’ > ‘CO‐4’ > ‘PLR‐1’ > ‘PKM‐1’ among the studied cultivars, and FD > MVD > HD > SD among the drying methods. CONCLUSION: The FD method was observed to be the most efficient drying method for retaining capsaicin content over other drying methods (SD, HD, MVD), whereas MVD was found to be most efficient in minimizing the loss to nutritional attributes for all five pepper cultivars. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND A trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of postharvest gaseous ozone (O3) treatment on quality parameters and cell wall enzymes of cantaloupe melon cv. Caldeo during storage at 6 °C for 13 days. Fruits were kept in cold storage and treated with 0.15 ppm gaseous O3 during the day and 0.3 ppm overnight; control fruits (CK) were stored in normal atmosphere. RESULTS Firmness was higher and ethylene concentration significantly lower in O3 fruits compared with CK fruits. During storage, microbial counts were lower in both O3 and CK fruits; from day 9, O3 fruits showed a significant decrease in mesophilic aerobes. Additionally, total carotenoids had a tendency to be higher, with no significant differences between CK and O3 fruits. The same trend was observed for ascorbic acid, colour, total soluble solids content and acidity. Finally, O3 treatment reduced the activities of cell wall enzymes α-arabinopyranosidase, β-galactopyranosidase and polygalacturonase starting from day 3 of storage. Pectin methyl esterase activity did not seem to be affected by O3 treatment. CONCLUSION Gaseous O3 treatment during cold storage was effective in decreasing ethylene production and delaying fruit softening in cantaloupe melon by extending quality maintenance. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The marketability of fresh-cut banana slices is limited by the rapid rate of fruit softening and browning. However, there is no scientific literature available about the role of postharvest calcium propionate and chitosan treatment on the quality attributes of fresh-cut banana. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate these effects. RESULTS The application of calcium propionate plus chitosan ( CaP+Chit) retained higher firmness, higher ascorbic acid content, higher total antioxidant activity and higher total phenolic compounds, along with lower browning, lower polyphenol oxidase, lower peroxidase, lower polygalacturonase and lower pectin methyl esterase activities and microbial growth, compared to control banana slices after 5 days of cold storage. CONCLUSION The results of the present study show that CaP+Chit could be used to slow the loss of quality at the same time as maintaining quality and inhibiting microbial loads. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]