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The objective of the work was to determine the antioxidant potential in vitro of freeze-dried peel extracts of 20 fruits from the northern region of Peru through five tests (Folin-Ciocalteu, DPPH., ABTS+., FRAP and CUPRAC). According to multivariate statistical analyzes, five groups were found: (i.) peel extracts with the highest values of antioxidant capacity (AC) from custard apple, and star fruit; (ii.) rind extracts with high AC values from quince, sweet granadilla, guava, and black grape; (iii.) husk extracts with middle values of AC from passion fruit, and red mombin; (iv.) shell extracts with low AC values from tangerine, mandarine, and bitter orange; and, (v.) coating extracts with the lowest AC values from pawpaw, red pawpaw, muskmelon, dragon fruit, yellow and red indian figs, pear, apple, and green grape. To conclude, the fruit lyophilized-husk extracts of custard apple, star fruit, quince, sweet granadilla, guava, and black grape obtained the best AC.

Shelf life of custard apple is limited due to climacteric nature. In the present study, two application methods along with different concentration of hexanal formulations were used, first hexanal vapour at different concentrations (0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05% v/v) and second hexanal dip (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2% v/v) along with control were evaluated on custard apple dipping fruits for 2 min and 4 min and store at ambient temperature (27±2ºC). Hexanal filter paper dip in 0.05% concentration effectively maintained the firmness, total sugar, reducing sugar, preserved L*, a*, b* value, extend shelf life and maximum BC ratio during storage from day 1 to days 14 as compare to control. Therefore, we concluded that hexanl vapour(0.05%) was effective to use post harvest technology for custard apple.

Present study deals with the extraction of oil from the waste custard apple seed (CAS) using acoustic cavitation. The process parameters such as optimization of irradiation time, temperature, power of ultrasound, different solvents and seed to solvent ratio have been studied. For a comparative study, obtained oil from the acoustic cavitation method was compared with Soxhlet method. When power increases, fall in the extraction yield increases, and with decrease in temperature, the rise in extraction yield was observed. The obtained oil was characterised by the Fourier transformation spectroscopic analysis. The effect of acoustic irradiation on chemical and physical properties of the extracted oil was checked using differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis and compared with extracted oil by conventional Soxhlet method. The compounds such as oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid in the extracted oil were identified using gas chromatography mass spectroscopy analysis. Scanning electron microscopy had confirmed the cracking and microfractures of the seed surface which are responsible for cell wall disruption. The time required for the extraction oil from the CAS using ultrasound is only 10 min, while Soxhlet method requires 70 °C temperature and 4.5 h (270 min) of time to get the same yield. The amount of energy required for the extraction of the oil from the CAS using acoustic cavitation method is 84.51% less than the Soxhlet method. Acoustic cavitation is a novel, simple and energy efficient method for the extraction of oil from the CAS.

Field experiments were conducted for two successive seasons July 2018 to November 2018 and July 2019 to November 2019 at the Fruit Instructional Farm, Department of Fruit Science, College of Hortic...

Rugose spiralling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), an invasive pest to the Oriental region was found infesting several plantation crops like coconut, banana, guava, Indian almond, sapota, oil palm, mango, cashew, custard apple and several ornamental plants in southern states of India as well as Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat. Intensive surveys across different agroclimatic zones of Karnataka revealed that infestation of the pest was severe in coastal and southern region of Karnataka compared to northern region. Molecular characterization of partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase–I gene (658 bp) and morphological characters of the pest and its natural enemies confirms its identity. During the study, 35 host plants were recorded, and several natural enemies viz., parasitoids, Encarsia guadeloupae, Encarsia dispersa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), predators, Pseudomallada astur (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Jauravia pallidula, Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Cybocephalus indicus (Coleoptera: Cybocephalidae) were also observed feeding on RSW. The parasitoid E. guadeloupae was the major parasitoid associated with the pest. Natural parasitism by the parasitoids was ranging from 7–80% in the study area.

In recent years, the mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley) has severely damaged the production of custard apple in north-eastern part of Bangladesh. Field and laboratory experiments were conducted at Baniachong, Jagannathpur and Sylhet Sadar Upazilas of Hobiganj, Sunamganj and Sylhet districts, respectively. The research was carried out from 2016 to 2019 for documenting the present status of mealybug infestation in custard apple and its potential management by fruit bagging with cloth bags. In the first study, the number of adult mealybugs (Mean ± SE) per infested custard apple in Sylhet Sadar (289.7 ± 30.2) was significantly higher than Baniachong (162.8 ± 23.0) and Jagannathpur (100.1 ± 9.6). Percent (%) fruit weight loss was recorded as 20.4 ± 0.1, 19.8 ± 0.1 and 19.5 ± 0.2 in Sylhet Sadar, Baniachong and Jagannathpur, respectively. In the second study, the average number of adult mealybugs was 256 ± 6.2 in a non-bagged mature custard apple, whereas no mealybugs were observed on bagged fruits. During the final harvest, the average circumference of cloth bagged fruits was significantly higher (30.1 ± 0.5 cm) than non-bagged fruits (26.6 ± .64 cm). The average weight of bagged fruit was significantly higher than non-bagged fruit. The Total Soluble Solid (TSS) content of bagged fruits (11.9%) was slightly higher in comparison with non-bagged fruits (10.8%). The amount of Ca, Mg, P and Fe contents of custard apple was also significantly higher in bagged fruits compare to infested fruits. The results concluded that fruit bagging could be an eco-friendly management option to protect the custard apples from mealybug infestation and improving fruit quality.

HIGHLIGHTS Electrical conductivity of water of 3.0 dS m-1 reduces the chlorophyll synthesis and production of custard-apple. NPK recommendation of 100-125-125, 125-125-100 and 125-125-125% cause more damage to the cell membrane. Reduction in the quantum efficiency of custard-apple under salt stress is indicative of photoinhi-bitory damage. RESUMO No semiárido do Nordeste brasileiro, a alta concentração de sais encontrada nas águas destaca-se como um fator limitante para agricultura irrigada. Assim, a adubação com nitrogênio (N), fosforo (P) e potássio (K) é uma estratégia capaz de amenizar o estresse salino sobre as plantas. Neste contexto, objetivou-se com esta pesquisa avaliar os teores de pigmentos cloroplastídicos, a fluorescência da clorofila, o dano na membrana celular e a produção de pinha irrigadas com água de diferentes condutividades elétricas e adubadas com nitrogênio, fósforo e potássio. Os tratamentos foram distribuidos em blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2 x 8, com três repetições, sendo dois níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação - CEa (0,8 e 3,0 dS m-1) e oito combinações de adubação NPK (100-100-100; 100-100-125; 100-125-100; 100-125-125; 125-100-100; 125-100-125; 125-125-100 e 125-125-125% das doses recomemdadas de N-P2O5-K2O). A CEa de 3,0 dS m-1 diminuiu os teores de clorofila a e total, o número de frutos por planta, e eficiência fotoquímica, e aumentou os teores de carotenoides e o dano na membrana celular de pinha. A adubação com 100-125-125; 125-125-100 e 125-125-125% das dose recomendada de N-P2O5-K2O resultou em maior dano na membrana celular de pinha.

We converted agro-waste Custard Apple Peels (CAP) to ash via thermal treatment, on which Pd(OAc)2 was immobilized easily that produced a low-cost, highly efficient Pd/CAP-ash catalyst. The prepared catalyst was fully characterized by using FT-IR, SEM, EDX, XRF, DSC-TGA, BET, HR-TEM, and XPS techniques. The Pd/CAP-ash catalyst was conveniently applied for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction under external base free and ligand-free conditions in an aqueous-organic solvent to produce biphenyls in good to excellent yields. The main attraction of our protocol an application of palladium-supported agro-waste material which is easily recoverable and recyclable provides mono and bis-coupled derivatives in a short reaction time.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that have been extensively used as food supplements to enhance the dynamic of intestinal microbial balance. Nowadays, the fruit juices are considered as suitable media for cultivating the probiotics strains for the large scale production of functional beverages. Besides, the selection of novel medium for the cultivation of healthy beverages and screening of potent probiotics strains for better tolerance ability and survival in gastrointestinal transit conditions are still challenging. Keeping this in view, the main aim of this study is to prepare probioticated custard apple juice using Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 1407 under optimized conditions via microencapsulation. The selected probiotic strain showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis 736, Staphylococcus epidermidis MTCC 435, Klebsiella pneumoniae MTCC 7162, whereas very less bacterial growth inhibition was recorded against Escherichia coli MTCC 739 and no growth of inhibition was observed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 2297 when compared with the positive control (amoxicillin 80 µg/mL). Besides, Lactobacillus plantarum strain exhibited lower MIC breakpoint values for several antibiotics tested except vancomycin (4 µg/ml) and also capable of reducing cholesterol level in De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar medium through the assimilation of cholesterol up to 63%. Microencapsulated probiotic L. plantarum strain was inoculated into custard apple juice, and the viability of the strain was calculated during the storage conditions at 4 °C for 4 weeks. The selected probiotic strain reduced the pH from 6.4 to 5.7, within 30 days of fermentation during cold storage. During the fermentation period, the microencapsulated strain showed good tolerance ability towards acid and bile salt. The present study noticeably illustrates that the custard apple juice is proven to act as a novel medium for the production of a fermented probiotic drink. Further, it also serves as a healthy beverage for patients with lactose intolerance.

Present study was intended to study the feasibility of utilizing custard apple pulp for preparing blended nectar beverage by blending custard apple pulp with lime juice, Kinnow mandarin juice, Nagpur mandarin juice and strawberry pulp in ratios of 100: 0, 75: 25 and 50: 50, keeping 20 per cent pulp/juice, 17°B TSS and 0.3 per cent acidity. The homogenized blended nectars were flled into pre-sterilized glass bottles of 200 ml capacity, pasteurized at 85° C for 30 min, cooled and stored at ambient temperature for three months. The nectar was subjected to physico-chemical, microbial and sensory analysis at monthly interval. The results indicated that the TSS, acidity, total and reducing sugar contents increased, while ascorbic acid and phenol content of the nectar decreased during the storage. The prepared nectars had negligible microbial count initially, which slightly increased during the storage. Custard apple blended with strawberry pulp in 50: 50 ratio had the highest sensory scores of 7.87, 8.02 and 7.88 for colour, aroma and overall acceptability, respectively, and second highest score of 7.83 for taste.

Custard apple (Annona Squamosa) seed is mainly an agricultural waste generated in many fruit and pulp industries. The seeds are an important source of value added products such as oil, polyphenols, and acetogenins, possessing medicinal properties and having excellent market potential. The current work aims at developing an intensified method to extract volatile and non-volatile components from custard apple seeds using supercritical CO2 extraction (SC−CO2) with detailed process optimization so as to establish conditions for maximum yield. The maximum extraction of non-volatile components was obtained at optimized conditions of 25 MPa pressure, 318 K temperature, and 2.5 mL/min flow rate. The extraction of volatile oils was maximum under conditions of 15 MPa pressure, 308 K temperature, and 1.5 mL/min. The extraction was observed to be complete within 1 h due to an increase in permeability based on the action of high pressure SC−CO2, as also evident from the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the obtained extract were also demonstrated in the work. The total number of energy units required for 1 kg extract production was calculated to be 40.69 kW h.

The concept of waste to wealth is gaining lot of importance in the recent days. In this context, the present study was undertaken to identify the potential prebiotics present in the custard apple seeds. Among the different components identified, the Low Molecular Weight Carbohydrates (LMWC) were chosen for the study and the extraction was performed using Ethanol at three different concentrations (50%, 75% and 95%) and different combination of temperature, time and speed of rotation. The maximum yield of 9.16% was obtained with 50% Ethanol, 37 0C, 72h and 60 rpm. The probiotic organism Lactobacillus bulgaricus displayed a positive growth of 7.54±0.04 log cfu/ml on LMWC over a period of 24 hours which confirmed the prebiotic functionality of LMWC. Scanning Electron Microscopy and FTIR analysis were done to confirm the morphological characteristics. Therefore, all the results obtained showed that LMWC can be used as potential prebiotics in the food industry and the commercial utilization of custard apple seeds.

The importance of fruits in human diet has been well recognized. Custard apple is one of major important fruit crop grown in Maharashtra. The indigenous fruits which are locally available in a particular season play a vital role in the nutrition of rural mass. Though, it was considered hardy and resistant to various pests and diseases, the losses caused by fruit rot of custard apple have been increased during recent years. Losses even up to 60-70% have been reported by previous workers. Fungicide use to control disease is a common practice. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate bio efficacy of fungicides, botanicals and bio agents against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in vitro. Four systemic and two non-systemic fungicides were tested at three different concentrations in vitro against pathogen. Among these fungicides Copper oxychloride at all concentrations, Captan at half and recommended concentration and Fenamidon at recommended concentration inhibited cent per cent mycelial growth of the pathogen.

In present investigation, five soil series were identified and mapped into eleven mapping units using GIS technique in Yaadahalli-1 microwatershed of Yadgir Taluk and District of Karnataka, India. The soils were varied from deep to very deep in depth, sandy clay loam to sandy clay in texture, very gently sloping, moderate erosion and non gravelly in nature. These soils were grouped into land capability class II (87%) and IV (2%) with limitations of soil characteristics and erosion. Land suitability evaluation showed a maximum area under highly suitable (S1) land for growing agricultural (sorghum, sunflower, Bengal gram and cotton) and horticultural (brinjal, onion, Bhendi, musambi, lime and custard apple) crops followed by moderately suitable (Class S2) land with minor limitations of texture, rooting depth, drainage and calcareousness. The marginally suitable (Class S3) land covers a minimum area with major limitations of rooting depth, gravelliness, texture and calcareousness. Currently not suitable (Class N1) land covers a negligible area with severe limitations of rooting depth and gravelliness. The results of this study could be used to provide the baseline information needed for mapping specific soil resource constraints for sustainable production of these crops in the study area. Therefore, the integration of remote sensing & GIS techniques could be envisaged as a laudable resource sustainable approach to model the growth of these crops in order to enhance profitable land use planning decision support for sustainable crop production in the study area.

The field experiment was conducted at Research cum Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture & Research Station, Singarbhat, Kanker, Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) during Kharif 2013-14. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Complete Design with four replication, in-situ sixty genotypes of about 10 year age were selected for investigation, which were found as wild seedling plants on forest land and rice bunds in Kanker District- (Chhattisgarh). The treatments comprised of sixty genotypes for with different qualitative character viz total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, titration acetic acid, keeping days, pulp ratio, pulp seed ratio, peel percentage and fruit yield per plant. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that direct selection for quantitative traits i.e., length of pedicel, number of seeds per fruits, number of fruits per tree, areole weight, pulp weight, fruit yield per plant and qualitative traits viz., reducing sugar, pulp-seed ratio, peel percentage and pulp ratio may lead to the development of high-yielding custard apple genotypes. Peel percentage showed negligible positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant due to low positive indirect effect via total sugar, reducing sugar and negligible positive indirect effect via keeping days, pulp ratio. The result acidity and non-reducing sugar have negligible negative indirect effect.

The experiment entitled “Effect of pruning severity and irrigation methods on flowering, fruit growth and yield of custard apple” was carried out during 2018-19 at Shivar block, Central Research Station, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola with the objectives to study the effect of severity of pruning on flowering, fruit growth and yield of custard apple, to study the effect of different methods of irrigation on flowering, fruit growth and yield of custard apple and to find out the suitable severity of pruning and irrigation method for better fruit growth and yield in custard apple. The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design with three methods of irrigation viz., I1- no irrigation, I2- double furrow irrigation and I3- drip irrigation and severity of pruning are P1- no pruning (control), P2- light pruning, P3- medium pruning and P4- heavy pruning. The tree unit per treatment was two and it was replicated thrice with twelve treatment combinations. Light pruning (P2) showed the highest number of flowers per branch and minimum days to flowering was found in control trees (P1). Maximum number of fruits per plant, fruit yield (kg/tree), were recorded highest in treatment of light pruning (P2) and double furrow irrigation (I2) and maximum ‘A’ graded fruits/tree was produced in medium pruned (P3) trees with drip irrigation (I3). Irrigation does not show any significant effect except for days to harvesting in which unpruned and drip irrigated trees showed better result. The effect of interaction between severity of pruning and methods of irrigation on flowering, fruit growth and yield was found non-significant.

The research studies were conducted to determine the effects of Custard Apple (Annona squamosa L). (Seed extract) and transgenic cotton CEMB-33, BT-906 varieties against larval mortality, pupation, adult emergence, fecundity and fertility of Spodoptera litura Fab. The study was conducted under laboratory conditions 27.5 ± 5 °C and relative humidity 65 ± 5%, at (MAHQ) Biological Research Centre, University of Karachi. Toxicity of A. squamosa (SE) as seed extract was determined against sixty S. litura fifth instar larvae, treated with 0.90, 1.10, 1.30, 1.50 and 1.70% concentrations each of A. squamosa (SE) seed extract. After 72 h of treatment, mortality was recorded and LC50 value found to be 1.32%, by probit analysis. When sixty, fifth instar larvae of S. litura were treated with LC50 of A. squamosa (SE) and the same number of larvae fed with fresh leaves of transgenic cotton CEMB-33 and BT-906. Larval pupation was recorded 43.33, 79.17, and 81.25% from which only 26.25, 50.00 and 57.08% pupa emerged as adults. Male and female moths’ were paired (T♀ × U♂) and showed relative fecundity 57.40, 34.70, and 29.45% while relative fertility was recorded 55.78, 21.02, and 19.81%. Moths’ paired as U♀ × T♂ showed relative fecundity 61.64, 43.02, and 36.71% while relative fertility 65.03, 29.29, and 28.18%, similarly S. litura moths paired (T♀ × T♂) showed relative fecundity 84.02, 59.09 and 53.62% while relative fertility 70.88, 35.47 and 32.91%. A. squamosa (SE) and crystal protein Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) present in transgenic cotton affect the biotic potential of S. litura with significant margins as compared to the control. Both may be employed against S. litura larvae.

Custard apple is the most delicious fruit of tropical and subtropical areas. The storage life of custard apple is very limited due to fast ripening and attack of several diseases after harvesting. Anthracnose caused by the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the most damaging postharvest disease of custard apple. The effects of postharvest nitric oxide (NO) treatment on anthracnose disease and quality of custard apple were investigated in this study. The fruit were dipped in 50, 100 and 200 µM sodium nitroprusside (SNP), the NO-donor compound, and stored for 8 days at 25 °C. The results showed that custard apple treated with 100 µM SNP treatment significantly reduced anthracnose disease incidence (97.25%) and disease severity (92.88%) after 8 days of storage. However, SNP did not exhibit substantial effect on mycelial growth and spore germination of C. gloeosporioides. Custard apple treated with SNP effectively reduced weight loss and total soluble solids. SNP treatment retained a higher level of firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid and total phenolics compared to the control fruit. Additionally, the same treatment enhanced DPPH and FRAP antioxidant activities of custard apple. These results indicated that exogenous NO treatment could be a promising approach to increase resistance against fungal pathogens and maintain postharvest quality of custard apple.

WHO declared Covid 19 /SARS -COV-2 as a global pandemic.Till date, there is no medicine for COVID-19. If the Infection arises in the body then the defence mechanism activated against infection. A recent study suggests that temporarily augmenting the body's immune system in the early stages of COVID-19 can help patient to avoid severe symptoms as it is rightly said prevention is better than cure. Ayurveda approaches to develop physiological reactions to facilitate immunity. Planning of diet is most important to boost immunity.As per many researches to provide supplementary food which contains Zinc, Vitamin C,Vitamin D and immunity boosting foodsuch as citrus natural products, custard apple, apple, papaya is among the Fruits. Vegetables include broccoli, onion, garlic and green leafy vegetables. Nuts, ginger, turmeric, pepper, egg yolk, shellfish, mushroom. The need of the hour is a quick boost to immune system to keep it fit, fighting. One should get the right amount of nutrients from the diet, supplementation regimen to boost immune system.In this review, there are few common supplements and super food studies have been included. It might be a torch bearer as sample menu and their alternatives are given for a normal adult. Needy may change contemplated according to age, sex, body mass index and daily physical activities.

An experiment entitled “Studies on leaf to fruit ratio on growth, yield and quality of Custard apple” was carried out at Central Research Station, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola during the year 2018-19. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block design with eight treatments viz., T1-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-20:1,T2-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-25:1, T3-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-30:1, T4-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-35:1, T5-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-40:1, T6-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-45:1, T7-Leaf to Fruit Ratio-50:1 and T8-Control replicated thrice. The results revealed that, the yield contributing parameters viz., number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant and fruit yield per hectare were recorded highest in control treatment but the graded fruit yield was found to be significant in the plant in which leaf fruit ratio was maintained 50:1 (LFR 50:1). The physical character in respect of Average fruit weight, pulp weight, pulp to rind ratio were found maximum in treatment leaf to fruit ratio-50:1 (LFR 50:1).

An investigation was conducted to see the effect of GA3 and cow urine on growth and physiology of custard apple. The result evinced that the gibberellic acid at 200 ppm (T3) recorded minimum days taken to germination (15.75), days taken to 50% germination (10.50) germination percentage (86.67%), Significantly maximum length of seedling (25.17cm)where recorded in treatment T3, maximum fresh and dry weight ( 4.43and 0.81 g) of shoots respectively were obtained at 150 days after sowing under treatment T3, The highest number of roots per seedling where found in treatment T3 i.e (55.75), The maximum LAI (1.29) and LAD (3701.38 cm2 days) was noted under treatment T3 (GA3 200 ppm), The maximum mean survival percentage of seedlings (83.82%), seedling vigour index I ( 0.81cm) and seedling vigour index II (77.03g) was recorded under treatment T3.

Leaves of custard apple are widely used in many places as a popular dietary supplement for the treatment of diabetes. Flavonoids are known to have anti-diabetic activity. In this study, the main flavonoid epimers were separated. The crude extract was first screened by HPLC-DAD before and after incubation with DPPH method to evaluate the antioxidants. An efficient extraction method was employed to remove non-flavonoid components. Subsequently, five main flavonoids with two pairs of epimers including quercetin-3-O-robinobioside, rutin, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-robinobioside, and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside were successfully separated by high-speed counter-current chromatography with ethyl acetate/n-butanol/water (4:1:5, v/v) coupled with online-storage inner-recycling mode. The structures of the separated compounds were identified by spectral techniques. The purity of the separated flavonoid glycosides was over 98%, as determined by HPLC. The separated pure constituents were found to possess the antioxidant capacities following DPPH radical scavenging protocol. The compounds (1-3) exhibited better antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the glucose uptake of crude flavonoid extract had better results than the crude ethanol extract. The present study demonstrates that the efficacy of custard apple leaves in lowering glucose level, and antioxidant capacities of separated pure compounds probably appear to be predominantly responsible for hypoglycaemic properties on HepG2 cells.

Probiotic whey-based custard apple beverages (P.C.A.B.) were prepared with different combinations of whey and custard apple pulp juice , PJ (75:25, 50:50 and 25:75 , weight :weight ) and inoculated with1% probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus casei. Beverages were evaluated for physic-chemical, microbiological and sensory properties, during storage ,( 5±1°C) . Total solids and the apparent viscosity were increased in (P.C.A.B.) treatments as the level of P.J. increased, whereas values of titratable acidity (T.A%) were decreased, compared to control treatment. pH values of all treatments behaved reverse trend to T.A, through the storage period.Total antioxidant compounds, vitamins A & C and minerals were found higher in fresh beverage contained 25% P.J. than control one. The rate of increase (%) in the antioxidants, vitamins A & B were 9.09, 135.30, and 173.30, respectively. Minerals were increased also in (P.C.A.B.) but in a variable ratios. Counts of probiotic lactobacilli were gradually decreased as the storage period increased and as the level of P.J. increased. The probiotic strain was still viable, in all treatments, with counts more than 106cfu/ml , while coliform group & spore-forming bacteria were absent in all treatments,during storage. Control treatment was less acceptable, at the 21 days of storage as a result of growing yeast & molds with counts reached to 30×102 cfu/ml. . The beverage prepared from 75% whey : 25% P.J. was found superior organolepticaly than the other ones, along the storage period. It has clean acid flavor and long keeping quality up to 40 days of storage .

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, fractionation of nitrogen compounds and carbohydrates, digestibility parameters, gas production kinetics and ruminal fermentation of fruit seed cakes. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three fruit seed cakes (treatments) and four replications. The cakes were made of seeds of custard apple (Annona squamosa), soursop (Annona muricata) and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), which were collected in a biodiesel plant. The passion fruit seed cake presented the highest content of dry matter, neutral detergent fibre crude protein (NDFcp), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin and total carbohydrates (P

Use of plant leaf extracts could be a useful alternative in post-harvest handling and storage of Nagpur mandarin fruits. The experiment was conducted at Post Harvest Technology Laboratory, Department of Fruit Science, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, and Akola with the objective to access the efficacy of extracts obtained from leaves of four plants (Neem, Tulsi, Custard apple and Guava) on the extension of shelf life of Nagpur mandarin fruits obtained mainly from Mrig bahar. Fruits of Nagpur mandarin are available up to March - April and after that there is unavailability of fruits up to September. So by increasing shelf life of fruits one can get fulfill the demand and also farmers get benefited by getting extra rates to their produce. The fruits were treated with 20 % leaf extracts and guargum used as sticking material. The fruits coated with Neem leaf extract in combination of cold storage gave encouraging results up to the end of the storage period. There was minimum physiological loss in weight (5.55%), maximum total soluble solids (14.08 o Brix), maximum retention of acidity (0.26%), maximum ascorbic acid content (36.70 mg/100 ml), maximum total sugars (9.25%), reducing sugar (5.23%) and best organoleptic score (8.39) up to 45 days and it decrease after 45 days of storage followed by Tulsi leaf extract coating. This inhibitory effect of Neem leaf extract was recorded due to presence of active principle compound azadiractin.

Aroma is an important quality parameter, which can help in delaying degradative processes and hence understanding the volatile compounds that are part of an aroma is extremely important. Thus, the aim of this study was to isolate the volatile compounds present in custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) pulp by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique using 3 different fibers (DVB/CAR/PDMS, PDMS and PDMS/DVB). An experimental design was set up to evaluate the best extraction conditions wherein the variables were extraction temperature (minimum 28°C, maximum 62°C), ionic strength (minimum 0, maximum 30.0%) and sample concentration (min 1, max 99.0%). The separation of volatiles was achieved in chromatographic columns of different polarity (polar and non-polar) while identification of volatile compounds was performed by high resolution gas chromatography system coupled with mass spectrometry. The results obtained using 3 different fibers revealed the isolation of 71 compounds with fiber DVB/CAR/PDMS, while only 30 and 21 compounds were isolated using fibers PDMS/DVB and PDMS, respectively. The major classes of compounds identified were terpenes, esters, alcohols and aldehydes. Optimum conditions for obtaining higher number of volatiles for non-polar column were 45&degC for extraction temperature, 15% of sodium chloride and 50% of pulp amount which resulted in isolation of a maximum of 78 peaks.

Orchard establishment is a long term investment, so careful planning and proper techniques of planting are prerequisites. There are two ways of orchards arranged i.e., traditional and modern or high density planting. In arid and semi arid conditions its more matter in context of location/site, crops & its varieties selection as well as techniques of planting and after care over other climatic regions. This region mostly having fragile ecosystem (unpredictable weather, limited and erratic rainfall) and poor in soil organic matter and available nutrients as well as other conditions for normal growth and development of the plant. Most suitable arid fruit crops are ber, ker, lasoda, pomegranate, fig, date palm, karonda, phalsa etc or having xerophytic adaptation, similarly semi-arid region potential crops are sweet orange, lime, jamun, khirni, bael, guava, aonla, custard apple, tamarind, mahua, chironji etc or possessing phonological adjustment (critical growth stage completion in optimum moisture available season). Apart from adaptations proper care and management techniques are require for sustainable/ potential production of these fruit crops in this region.

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are polyphagous pests causing economic losses in many crops. Many species of whiteflies exhibit intraspecific variations/ species complexes and it is important to analyse their genetic variations using molecular markers. This study analyses the partial mitochondrial COI (mtCO1) gene (658bp), sequenced from some whiteflies collected through surveys across 12 locations in India. The comparison of these sequences in the NCBI database, and their BLAST and ORF analyses were accomplished. These revealed the presence of a new sequence from a sample collected on custard apple (Annona reticulata) identified as Pealius nagerkoilensis. The other six groups were observed to belong to Aleurodicus rugioperculatus, Aleurocanthus sp., Aleuroclava sp., Bemisia tabaci, an Aleyrodidae sp., and Aleurodicus dispersus. Thus, the present study determines the genetic diversity in some whiteflies facilitating the identification of species and their complexes.

Annona squamosa is most widely distributed in tropical and subtropical region native to tropical America comes under the Annonaceae family. It is a widely used tree having edible fruits called as custard apple which is eatable. Annona squamosa plant also contains 35-42 mg/100 g of vitamin C and significant value of nutrient like thiamine, amino acid, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, potassium and dietary fibers. It also contains the phytoconstituents like diterpenes, alkaloids, cyclopeptides and annonaceous acetogenins proved by phytochemistry investigations. The plant Annona squamosa show a number of pharmacological activities like insecticidal, anticancer, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antimalarial, analgesic and wound healing activity. The vermicidal effect of leaves is responsible for the treatment of tumors, wounds and other skin infections. A number of alkaloids were isolated from the leaves of plant. Most of them belong to aporphine group of alkaloids. Among all the phytoconstituents an alkaloid Annonaine, plays a vital role for its biological activity. The present review represents the phytochemical constituents, biological action, traditional as well as medicinal uses of Annona squamosa. Sugar apple might be the better explored plant part used in treatment of many disorders and the present critical study will hopefully provide a disease free and healthy life to the human society.

Background Annona squamosa L. is a branched shrub, which is believed to be originated from the America and West Indies. Fruits of this plant are commonly known as custard apple, sugar apple, or sweetsops. A number of studies have proven a range of biological activities associated with various parts of A. squamosa. Aims The main aim of the present investigation was to evaluate potential inhibitory effects of A. squamosa leaf extract (ALE) on melanogenesis and its underlying mechanisms in B16F10 murine melanoma cells. Methods Inhibitory effects of A. squamosa leaf extract (ALE) on melanogenesis were primarily assessed by determining melanin contents. Effects of ALE on tyrosinase activity and the expression of proteins associated with melanogenesis were then determined. GC-MS analysis was carried out to identify the phytochemical profile of A. squamosa leaf extract. Results Antimelanogenic effects of ALE were found to exert through the inhibition of melanocyte inducing transcription factor (MITF) and activation of p38. GC-MS analysis identified ent-kaur-16-en-19-ol, 18-oxokauran-17-yl acetate, and β-sitosterol as major phytochemicals. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study on the antimelanogenic effects of A. squamosa leaves, rationalizing the use A. squamosa leaf extract as a natural depigmentation agent for the treatment of skin diseases and the development of cosmetic products with enhanced skin-lightening capabilities.

Background: Annona reticulata (AR) or custard apple belongs to family Annonaceae. The plant is traditionally used to treat various ailments and is also known for its medicinal properties. Objectives: The aim of this research work was to evaluate the safety of usage of AR leaf extract in nutraceutical formulations through acute toxicity study. Materials and Methods: The leaves of AR were cleaned, dried and powdered; and aqueous extract (ARAQ) was prepared. The acute toxicity test was conducted using female swiss albino mice. As per Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 423 guideline, a single dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight of ARAQ was administered via oral gavage for 14 days. Mortality, signs of toxicity, body weight and behavioral changes were observed during the study period. Following the 14-day treatment, the mice were sacrificed for hematological, biochemical and histopathology studies. Results: No mortality, signs of toxicity and changes in behavior were observed at 2000 mg/kg body weight. In addition, no significant differences (p>0.05) were noticed in body and organ weight between the control and ARAQ treated groups. Also, there were no significant elevations observed in hematological and biochemical blood parameters. Further, histopathological examination revealed normal architecture of liver, kidney and pancreas. No significant adverse effects were observed in these organs. Conclusion: Overall, ARAQ did not produce any significant toxic effect in mice and the results also indicate the safety of the oral administration of ARAQ at 2000 mg/kg body weight. Hence, ARAQ can be utilized in nutraceutical formulations.

Background: Meat and meat products are perishable due to high content of moisture and easy availability of other nutrients. Oxidative rancidity and microbial growth are the major causes of their spoilage. Synthetic antioxidants viz. BHA, BHT, TBHQ etc. are used in the chicken processing industry for maintaining quality of chicken products. However, due to evidence of their toxic effects on human health there is interest in the scientists and manufacturers to use natural preservatives with antioxidants and antimicrobials properties. Hence, the study was undertaken to assess the effect of custard apple (Annona squamosa) leaves extract (CLE), on the quality of chicken breast fillets. Methods: Chicken breast fillets were treated separately by dipping in 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5% aqueous solutions of CLE, distilled water and 100 ppm solution of BHT. Samples were stored under refrigeration (4±1oC) conditions and analyzed on 0th, 3rd, 6th and 9th day of storage. Result: Total phenolic content, ascorbic acid content, DPPH radical scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power of CLE were 57.13±0.22 µgGAE/mg, 163.23±0.40 µgAA/mg, 32.20±0.42% and 132.43±0.50 µMFe (II) equi/g respectively. The fillets treated with 0.5% solution of CLE were acceptable till sixth day with significantly (p less than 0.01) higher sensory scores than the controls. The pH, WHC, ERV, tyrosine value, TBARS value, total plate count and psychrophilic count of the sixth day samples treated with 0.5% CLE were 5.72±0.01, 65.32±0.31%, 19.40±0.59ml, 9.50±0.37 mg/100g, 0.316±0.002 mgMDA/Kg, 4.90±0.01 log10CFU/g and 3.68±0.02 log10CFU/g respectively. It can be concluded that 0.5% aqueous solution of CLE can be used for extension of shelf life of chicken breast fillets up to 6 days at refrigeration (4±1oC).

This short communication investigated biodiesel production from Euglena Sanguineamicroalgaeand custard appleusing nano CaO as a heterogeneous catalyst. Different solvents were used to extract the oil at a fixed speed, time, and temperature for the samples to estimate the optimized oil yield%. The catalyst was synthesized by sol gel method in nano-scale. It was further characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and XRD. The algal oil was pre-treated and trans-esterified with a catalyst to produce alkyl esters. The optimized process variables were determined using response surface methodology by varying parameters such as methanol to oil ratio and catalyst weight% for algal bio-oil and MeOH to oil ratio, time, and catalyst weight% for seed oil. The GC-MS was done to characterize the presence of biodiesel. Kinetic studies were done for the optimized condition for the algal oil and seed oil and it follows the pseudo-first order reaction.