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Growth regulators are used in the production of apples worldwide, especially to extend the harvest period and maintain postharvest quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) in isolation as well as in combination with other growth regulators and postharvest techniques on the harvest quality and storage potential of ‘Brookfield’ apples (Malus domestica), a ‘Gala’ strain. Fruit receiving AVG only had the highest starch content and the highest titratable acidity at harvest. After 8 months of storage, the AVG + 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) and AVG + ABS (ethylene absorption) conserved higher flesh firmness than to all the other treatments. Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) application induced ACC oxidase enzyme activity at harvest, but not after storage. AVG application, with or without the aid of another technique, did not decrease the red skin color of ‘Brookfield’ apples. Low mealiness and a high healthy fruit percentage was obtained when the fruits were submitted to pre-harvest AVG application combined with NAA, 1-MCP and ABS. Internal carbon dioxide had an inverse correlation with the quantity of healthy fruit and was directly correlated with mealiness.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of ethanol and two nitric oxide dose applications on the maintenance of the post-storage quality of ‘Galaxy’ apple during storage under controlled atmosphere (CA). Treatments evaluated were: [1] 1.2 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2; [2] CA + 20 µL L-1 of nitric oxide, [3] CA + 40 µL L-1 of nitric oxide; [4] CA + 1 ml of ethanol kg-1 fruit. Fruits received treatments before storage and were kept under CA during eight months and seven days of storage at 20 °C. Fruits had been kept on CA for eight months and seven days at 20° C. Fruits treated with ethanol showed higher ethylene production, low flesh firmness, high flesh breakdown, mealiness and acetaldehyde production. Fruits treated with 40 µL L-1 nitric oxide showed lower ethylene production, respiration rate and ACC oxidase ( (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) oxidase enzyme activity. Apples treated with 20 uL L-1 nitric oxide showed higher ethylene production, respiration rate, internal ethylene concentration CO2 and ethanol concentration. Ethanol and nitric oxide application before storage have no benefits in maintaining fruit quality after storage under CA due to lower flesh firmness, higher mealiness incidence, flesh breakdown and decay incidence.

The objectives of the present work were control the decay incidence and ripening of wounded fruits by the relative humidity management during the storage. Fruits were allocated in mini experimental chambers at the temperature of 1°C during 5 months. Was verified a significant interaction on ethylene production after 2 and 6 days of shelf life at 20°C. On the evaluation carried out after 6 days, wounded fruits stored under LRH showed lower ethylene production. There was higher mass loss in wounded fruits stored in HRH. Wounded fruits showed high decay incidence. The LRH is not an efficient method to control decay incidence in wounded fruits, but maintain higher flesh firmness, lower ethylene production and respiration rate.

ABSTRACT The peach brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructicola, is the main disease of the crop, causing significant losses during preharvest and postharvest. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of preharvest fungicide application on brown rot control and verify the role of latent infection and external contamination in postharvest disease. An experiment was carried out in the years 2014 and 2015 in order to evaluate the performance of six active ingredients (captan, iprodione, iminoctadine, tebuconazole, difenoconazole and azoxystrobin) during preharvest on brown rot control and the effect on latent infection. A second experiment was carried out to monitor the latent infection during growth and ripening of the fruit and in order to correlate it with the postharvest disease incidence. The data were submitted to analysis of variance (Anova) and the means were grouped by the Scott-Knott test (p < 0.05), using statistical software Sisvar. The active ingredients iprodione, tebuconazole and difenoconazole were the most efficient in controlling brown rot on the field, while iminoctadine has higher efficiency during postharvest control, acting on latent infections. The incidence of latent infections during fruit growth and ripening has a positive correlation with brown rot incidence at postharvest. The highest disease incidence after storage is due to the latent infections manifestation. Effective chemical control in the field, throughout the growing and ripening of fruit, is an important approach to postharvest brown rot control, even after cold storage and during shelf life at 20 °C.

Thelazia callipaeda or the oriental eye worm infects a wide variety of hosts including dogs, cats, foxes, rabbits, and humans through the Drosophila flies. We report here a case of a 42-year-old female who presented with pain, redness, and cystic swelling in the right lacrimal sac area for 8 months. Ocular examination was within normal limits. Excision biopsy of the cyst revealed a live worm. In humans, the worm is usually found in the conjunctival sac, lacrimal canaliculi, or the lacrimal sac leading to a disease which can be subclinical or symptomatic. Thus, we report a rare presentation of thelaziasis, that is, periocular involvement. This case presentation is first of its kind in the Indian literature., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

Blunt trauma is the most common cause of posterior dislocation of the crystalline lens. We describe a rare case of subretinal migration of crystalline lens through the giant retinal tear following blunt ocular trauma. This incidental finding of subretinal dislocation of lens following blunt ocular trauma was confirmed on histopathological examination of the enucleated eye. This complication has not been described by histopathological examination in literature so far.

The therapeutic activity of ofloxacin, a new oral fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent, was tested in experimental infections in rodents. Its activity was compared with that of nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, amoxicillin and cotrimoxazole in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyelonephritis in the rat, and with that of amikacin and cefotaxime in Proteus morganii thigh infections in mice. Ofloxacin proved to be more effective than reference drugs, even if parenterally administered, in reducing the bacterial count in muscle, kidney and urine.

Ofloxacin is a new oral antibacterial fluoro-quinolone, endowed with potent bactericidal activity over a very broad bacterial spectrum. Ofloxacin's minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) proved to be equal to the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) even at high inocula or in the presence of human serum with a high bactericidal rate. The effect of the presence of urine was that the bacteria were sensitive to higher drug concentrations, as in the case of other quinolones; these concentrations, however, are easily reached in the urinary tract after a single therapeutic dose in man. Ofloxacin proved to be extremely effective in curing experimental infections induced by both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens.