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The combination of nitric oxide (NO) donors with nanomaterials has emerged as a promising approach to reduce postharvest losses. The encapsulation of NO donors provides protection from rapid degradation and controlled release, enhancing the NO effectiveness in postharvest treatments. Moreover, the application method can also influence postharvest responses. In this study, two application methods were evaluated, spraying and immersion, using S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO, a NO donor) in free and encapsulated forms on papaya fruit. Our hypothesis was that GSNO encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles would outperform the free form in delaying fruit senescence. In addition, this study marks the pioneering characterization of chitosan nanoparticles containing GSNO within the framework of a postharvest investigation. Overall, our findings indicate that applying encapsulated GSNO (GSNO-NP-S) through spraying preserves the quality of papaya fruit during storage. This method not only minimizes weight loss, ethylene production, and softening, but also stimulates antioxidant responses, thereby mitigating oxidative damage. Consequently, it stands out as the promising technique for delaying papaya fruit senescence. This innovative approach holds the potential to enhance postharvest practices and advance sustainable agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The uvaia is a native Brazilian Atlantic Forest Myrtaceae fruit with a soft pulp, ranging from yellow to orange, with a sweet acidic flavor and sweet fruity aroma. Uvaias present consumption potential, but their physicochemical characteristics are still understudied. In this context, we describe herein the metabolites of uvaia that have been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We screened 41 accessions and selected 10 accessions based on their diversity of physicochemical attributes, i.e., their fresh mass, height, diameter, yield, seed mass, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity. Twenty-six metabolites were identified, including sugars, acids, and amino acids. The results of this study comprise the most complete report on sugars and acids in uvaias. The relevant metabolites in terms of abundance were the reducing sugars glucose and fructose, as well as malic and citric acids. Furthermore, this study represents the first description of the uvaia amino acid profile and an outline of its metabolic pathways. Uvaia quality attributes differ among accessions, demonstrating high variability, diversity, and several possibilities in different economic areas. Our findings may help in future breeding programs in the selection of plant material for industries such as food and pharmaceuticals.

Cambuci ( Campomanesia phaea O. Berg Landrum) and uvaia ( Eugenia pyriformis Cambess), both native Atlantic Rainforest fruits, are noteworthy for being rich in bioactive compounds and their significant antioxidant capacity. Despite the numerous known edible fruits in the world, consumption by humans is most often restricted to a few dozen of them. Such behavior occurs, among other reasons, due to the lack of knowledge about fruits not yet commercialized on a large scale. This study quantified the bioactive compound content (total phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid in cambucis and uvaias; proanthocyanidins in cambucis, and total carotenoid profile and individual carotenoids for grapes) and antioxidant capacity of the edible parts (peel and pulp) of cambuci and uvaia accessions, using three methods (ABTS•+, ROO• radical scavenging and HOCl elimination). Cambuci contained higher phenolic compound levels and displayed higher antioxidant capacity determined by the ABTS•+ and ROO• radical scavenging methods than uvaia (139 and 119 mg 100 g -1 of GAE, 10.5 and 7.73 μmol g -1 of TE; 9.17 and 5.92 μmol g -1 of TE, respectively). Vitamin C content and the antioxidant capacity determined by the HOCl elimination method were about 1.5- and 6-fold higher in uvaia compared to cambuci, with the latter being a first-time report for uvaia. Both fruits contained higher levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity than other commonly consumed fruits.

The cambuci is a native Brazilian fruit from the Atlantic Forest biome. A soft and astringent pulp, a green color, and a sweet aroma are its main characteristics. Classical food quality attributes (fresh fruit mass, fruit height, diameters, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, and ratio) and the metabolic profile from ten accessions from three different locations were analyzed herein by analytical methods (refractometry and neutralization titration) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Concerning sugar content, sucrose was the predominant compound, with glucose and fructose alternating in second, depending on the accession. Citric acid was the most relevant acid, followed by shikimic and quinic acids in quite variable amounts. These three main acids vary in amounts for each accession. Ascorbic acid content emerges as an important quality attribute and makes this fruit nutritionally attractive, due to values comparable to those contained in citric fruits. The main amino acids identified in cambuci were glutamic acid individually or in comprising the tripeptide glutathione (glutamic acid, cysteine, glycine). The quality diversity of the evaluated accessions suggests the potentiality of cambuci use in future breeding programs.

The objective of the present study was to assess the response of tomato cultivars with different fruit colors to exposure to increasing Cd levels in the substrate by measuring the impacts of Cd on the oxidative stress indicators and physicochemical features of fruits, as well as plant development and yield components. A completely randomized experiment in a 3 × 3 factorial design [tomato cultivar (which produces purple, red, or white fruits) vs Cd level in the substrate (0, 3.6, or 12 mg kg -1 )] was performed. The cultivation of plants in substrate containing 3.6 mg kg -1 Cd did not affect yield, but fruits exhibited nonpermissive Cd concentrations in both peel and mesocarp across all cultivars. By contrast, yield was decreased in plants with red and white fruits after their cultivation in substrate containing 12 mg kg -1 Cd, while the productivity of plants with purple fruits was maintained under such conditions. The hydrogen peroxide content in the fruit mesocarp depended only on cultivar. However, an increased lipid peroxidation level was detected in the mesocarp of purple fruits at the highest Cd concentration. No parameters of fruit quality [i.e., diameter, length, °Brix, pH, titratable acidity, color (L*, a*, and b*), and concentrations of lycopene and β-carotene in mesocarp] were affected by long-term exposure to Cd at 12 mg kg -1 . In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that the potential Cd side effects on diverse tomato quality features can be buffered at the fruit level because these features were maintained at the usual values despite high Cd concentrations in tomato peel and pulp. Moreover, these buffering mechanisms are independent of lycopene and β-carotene concentrations in fruit peel, since the three tomato cultivars that were evaluated in the present study (white fruits, possessing no or negligible concentrations of these carotenoids, and red and purple tomato, possessing high lycopene and β-carotene concentrations) were able to sustain several fruit quality parameters after long-term exposure to high Cd concentrations in the substrate.

Cauliflowers are generally associated with healthy diets due to their positive impact on health. This research aims to evaluate the effects of cooking processes (boiling, steaming and microwaving) and different preparation times, on the content of carotenoids and provitamin A and tocopherols, in cauliflowers and to verify the effect of the cooking process on maintaining the coloring. The results revealed that the thermal processinfluencedthe antioxidant compounds releaseindependent of genotype. The highest content of zeaxanthin and lutein was found in 'Verde di Macerata' after boiling for 20 min. 'Cheddar' presented the highest content of all carotenoids and when steamed for 20 min, the highest levels ofprovitamin Awere observed.Microwaved and bolied 'Grafitti' for longer times showed the highest retention of tocopherol. The cooking did not negatively affect the visual aspect. 'Verde di Macerata' and 'Cheddar' may be good sources of carotenoids and tocopherols., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The jabuticaba is a native Brazilian fruit that has aroused worldwide interest in terms of its nutritional composition and biological activity. However, research on the profile of volatile compounds (VOCs) emitted by these fruits is rare. This study presents the first identification of VOCs from four jabuticaba species. The aim of the study was to characterize the aromatic profile of the following species: 'Sabará' ( Plinia jaboticaba ), 'Escarlate' ( Plinia phitrantha × Plinia cauliflora ), 'Otto Andersen' ( Plinia cauliflora ), and 'Esalq' ( Plinia phitrantha ). The analysis was performed by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Multivariate analysis techniques applying the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and heatmap were used to compare the results. Fruit quality parameters were determined in terms of fresh mass (g), skin color, soluble solids, and titratable acidity. A total of 117 VOCs was identified including terpenoids, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, ketones, and carboxylic acids, with 36 VOCs common to all four species. Terpenes were the majority for all jabuticabas with smaller contributions from other volatile classes, especially β-cubebene, β-elemene, and D-limonene for the 'Otto Andersen' jabuticaba.

This study analyzed six uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess) accessions ('Comum', 'Rugosa', 'Doce de Patos de Minas', 'Pêra', 'Rugosa Doce' and 'Dura') with respect to chemical composition, nutritional value, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. The 'Rugosa Doce' and 'Doce de Patos de Minas' accessions were sweeter (20.18 g 100 g -1 and 18.88 g 100 g -1 , respectively), while the 'Rugosa' and 'Pêra' accessions were less acid (0.28 g 100 g -1 and 0.33 g 100 g -1 , respectively). Terpenes were the major volatile compounds (46.75%) identified by SPME-GC/MS. The 'Rugosa' accession contained high levels of fibers (43.81 g 100 g -1 ) and minerals (2235.10  mg 100 g -1 ). The 'Rugosa Doce' and 'Rugosa' accessions were distinguished by total flavonoids and phenolic compounds. 'Rugosa Doce' and 'Rugosa' may potentially serve as a raw material for food, while 'Doce de Patos de Minas' and 'Pêra' can be used for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries purposes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by SPME-GC and quantify the bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, total flavonoids and total phenolic content), antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ORAC) and physicochemical characteristics of ocorocillo, cambucá, murici da praia and murici do campo, four native South American fruits. A total of 41 volatile compounds were identified in ocorocillo, of which 17 were terpenes. Cambuca's volatile profile contained aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons and alcohols. Murici da praia and murici do campo contained high levels of fatty acid volatiles and esters, that contribute to their remarkable aroma. Ocorocillo contained high levels of ascorbic acid and total flavonoids, while cambucá presented lower ascorbic acid, flavonoid and phenolic levels. Murici da praia and murici do campo contained high amounts of phenolic compounds and high free-radical scavenging capacity (DPPH and ORAC). In addition, this fruit was sweeter and less acid compared to the other assessed fruits. The results suggest that these native fruits constitute a good source of volatile compounds and bioactive compounds, which may aid in their preservation interest and potential use in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

The uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess) is a native Atlantic Rainforest Myrtaceae that produces acidic yellow-orange fruit with a peculiar aroma. Its postharvest conservation poses a challenge, due to high perishability. This study investigated the postharvest quality of uvaia fruit during three ripening stages stored at 22ºC. The quality attributes were evaluated: skin color, soluble solids, titratable acidity, flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and volatile compounds at the beginning and end of the fruit's shelf life. Respiration (CO 2 ) and C 2 H 4 production were determined daily. No relationship between ripening stage and respiration was observed, but C 2 H 4 production increased with ripening stage. Green fruit reached the same skin color, titratable acidity, flavonoids, carotenoids phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of mature fruit, also displaying increased shelf life. Green fruit also presented lower soluble solids. The volatile compounds that give green fruit characteristic aroma were persistent. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Aroma and soluble solids content are important factors in determining the fruit quality. This work identified how these factors are affected by early uvaia fruit harvesting. Such information assists in determining the uvaia ideal harvesting point, providing better sensory quality, and increasing the fruit acceptance. Early harvesting at different ripening stages, in addition to prolonging the shelf life of the harvested fruit, is also a tool for understanding physiological processes. This study disseminates unpublished knowledge about uvaia, arousing interest in this native fruit and facilitating its commercialization., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The present study evaluated the variability of cambuci fruit (Campomanesia phaea) cultivated in São Paulo State in the towns of Mogi das Cruzes, Paraibuna, Paranapiacaba and Rio Grande da Serra, and characterized it at different maturity stages with respect to size, firmness, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, phenolic content, ethylene production, respiration rate and in vitro antioxidant capacity., Results: Ripe fruit from the same locality, Paraibuna, showed large variations in size and acidity. Ripe fruit from different towns showed significant variation of total phenolics and, consequently, variation in antioxidant capacity. During maturation, the phenolic content and firmness decreased from unripe to ripe stages. The total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio can be used as a parameter to differentiate cambuci at different maturity stages. However, the decrease in firmness combined with the absence of an ethylene climacteric peak does not allow us to conclude whether cambuci is climacteric or non-climacteric., Conclusion: Genetic and soil composition studies are needed to assess the reasons for the differences found among fruit from the same location, as well as the variability among fruit harvested in four localities. The best parameters for assessing the maturity stages of cambuci comprise the rounding of its corners and its firmness because the more mature the pulp, the softer is the fruit. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Consumer demand for ready-to-eat products has stimulated the development of peeling techniques to prepare fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. The total peeling of oranges, that is, the removal of flavedo and albedo is difficult due to the adherence of the albedo to the segment membrane. Therefore, treatments which make peeling easier have been studied. This review comprehends patents and publications about orange peeling.