Search

This study examined the effect of locule position and thawing duration on the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of intact cryo-frozen Musang King durian fruit. Cryo-frozen durian that had 5 locules was thawed for 2 and 18 hr, and the fruitlets of each locule were analysed for colour (L*, a*, b*, C*, and h), firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, ascorbic acid (AA), total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). Results show that L* and a* of pulp colour, firmness, SSC, pH, TA, AA, and FRAP of cryo-frozen durian fruit were affected by a significant interaction between locule position and thawing duration. It implies the postharvest quality of intact cryo-frozen durian fruitlet distinct from each other due to their locule position and thawing duration.

Pineapple flowering can be stimulated through artificially induced flowering (AIF) to ensure year-round production. The post effect gains from AIF is currently not universally acknowledged by previous studies, therefore, this study aims to evaluate the physical and chemical fruit properties in response to different AIF practices on cv. Pada, and cv. Sarawak. The AIF was applied to 9-month-old plants with nine treatments being tested, consisting of calcium carbide (CaC2), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and ethephon at various concentrations. The fruit samples were collected at a maturity index of 5 in order to determine its physical (total fruit weight, fruit weight without crown, total fruit length, fruit length without crown, fruit diameter, peduncle length and peduncle diameter) and chemical properties (pH, total soluble solid and titratable acidity). The results showed that the total fruit weight as well as fruit weight without crown on cv. Pada and total fruit weight on cv. Sarawak were not affected by AIF treatments. The study showed a significantly higher fruit weight in T7 (low ethephon concentration) in comparison to T10 (high ethephon concentration) and T4 (NAA treatment) was recorded on cv. Sarawak. The trend of fruit length without crown on both cultivars decreased as the hormone concentration increased. The peduncle length exhibited significantly shorter in T3 (high CaC2 concentration) for cv. Pada, and T10 (high ethephon concentration) for cv. Sarawak at 30%, and 15% shorter than other treatments, respectively. In fruit chemical properties, TSS and TA on cv. Pada showed a significant difference, this particular result may have been influenced by an external factor such as the environmental conditions during the fruit ripening stage due to differing harvesting periods between the treatments. Overall, the study suggests that the AIF treatments may affect some of the physical and chemical fruit properties either via the direct or indirect response toward AIF.

Passion fruit is a short-term crop with a life span of up to 2 years. Nowadays, passion fruit captures increasing demand in the global market. However, passion fruit is considered an underrated fruit in Malaysia as the production has not reached commercial cultivation. Highlighting the passion fruit as the next important commodity could rejuvenate the economy by disseminating equal benefits for both small and large-scale growers. This article provides a perspective on underlining the fruit to be explored as a commercial commodity. The fruit consists of three main components: juice, seed, and peel. Each of the fruit components has unique properties that can benefit multiple industries. In addition, strategies for successful passion fruit planting are also emphasised by farm management until the processing line produces high-quality fruit that can penetrate the global market. Therefore, a comprehensive review of passion as an essential crop could benefit Malaysia’s agriculture and processing industries.

Sweet corn ear is a highly perishable produce with short postharvest life due to its high respiration rate which depletes sugar concentration in kernel. As a result, ear loses its sweetness and quality within 1 to 2 days under room temperature. Hydro-cooling after harvest is a good practice as it can reduce the metabolism and respiration rate of the produce. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of hydro-cooling in retaining quality of sweet corn ears. Freshly harvested sweet corn ears were immersed in hydro-cooler to achieve its half and seven-eighth cooling time. Pre-cooled and non-pre-cooled ears were then stored at 12±2 and 25±2 °C for 8 days and quality index, weight loss, pH, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid of ears were evaluated at 2 days interval. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement (three cooling times × two storage temperatures × five storage days) and then repeated thrice. Differences between cooling time × storage temperature, cooling time × storage day, storage temperature × storage day and cooling time × storage temperature × storage day were significant on quality index of ears. Storage temperature × storage day was also significant on ears weight loss, soluble solids concentration and pH. Seven-eight cooling time and storage at 12±2 °C provide the best quality index of ears; retain higher soluble solids concentration and pH with significantly lower weight loss compared to other cooling time treatment and 25±2 °C storage temperature. In short, temperature management is crucial in manipulating sweet corn ears quality.

Terung Asam Sarawak (Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal.), also known as terung Dayak or sour eggplant is one of the largest indigenous crops in Sarawak. It has slowly gained a significant commercial importance in Malaysia especially East Malaysia. There have been several studies on Terung Asam Sarawak in the last few decades but mainly focus on plant vernacular and morphology with only some studies focusing on the fruits. The agronomic practices of the plant until fruit postharvest handling have not been comprehensively studied. The information on Terung Asam Sarawak scatters in diverse sources, either local or regional sources, and in several languages too. Therefore, this review attempts to compile these all literature and outline every important finding (from plant origin to planting, fruit postharvest handling, uses and many more) about Terung Asam Sarawak in order to pinpoint the gaps of knowledge. It is hope that this review could assist researchers to focus on the gaps that will help to establish this indigenous eggplant as an important commercial vegetable in tropical countries.

Rice is a strictly self-pollinating crop. However, in hybrid rice seed production, an effective male sterility system is used to produce hybrid seed in bulk. In hybrid rice system, the pollen grains of cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) are sterile and the female organ of the CMS depends on the fertile pollen released by the maintainer or restorer lines via out-crossing or cross-pollination in order to produce seed. Floral trait and flowering behavior of CMS and its corresponding maintainer or restorer lines are essential factors in hybrid rice seed production because they influenced the out-crossing or cross-pollination between parental lines. Two local CMSs and their corresponding maintainer lines were developed through breeding program in Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) namely 0025A/0025B and 0047A/0047B. This study was carried out on floral traits and flowering behavior of these two hybrid line. Present studies have shown that there were variations between the CMS and its maintainer lines whether on floral trait or flowering behavior for both hybrid rice combinations. The results showed that stigma characters for both 0025A and 0047 were superior than their respective maintainers. Therefore, it is expected that the out-crossing rate would be high. Seeding date intervals need to be done on 0025A/0025B during nursery stage because the on-set of flowering between parental lines was significantly different. Panicle of both CMS was also classified as just exserted and partially-exserted and application of exogenous hormones such as gibberellic acid was useful to improve panicle elongation and consequently increase the seed set and yield. Correlation study indicates that the stigma area of both 0025A and 0047A has significant positive correlation with out-crossing rate.

Fresh fig fruit has a very unique taste. However, it is well-known as very perishable climacteric fruit. The various factors that involve during the pre-harvest and post-harvest handling processes have caused great challenges to farmer in maintaining the keeping quality of fresh fruits. The key factors involve are disease, water supply, fertilizer management, fruit maturity at harvest as well as post-harvest handling. Thus, good pre- and post-harvest practices are very important in improving the storage quality of fresh fig fruit. In this article, the studies on improving the storage life of fig fruit including the practices used during pre- and post-harvest handling of fig fruit were reviewed. For pre-harvest practices, deficit irrigation, application of plant growth regulator (1 methylcyclopropene) and pollination were applied to improve the quality of fresh fig fruit. For post-harvest treatments, coating, modified atmosphere packaging and optimizing the storage temperature and relative humidity were used in keeping the post-harvest quality of fresh fig fruit.

Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes, which are beneficial to human health. They are one of the most commercially high-value vegetable crops that experience a huge postharvest loss after harvest. The present experiment is conducted to investigate the effect of different maturity stages (mature green, breaker, and half-ripe stage), pre- and post-harvest treatment with different concentrations (0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%, w/v) of calcium chloride (CaCl2) on the postharvest performance, antioxidant and enzymatic activity of lowland tomato fruits, stored at ambient temperature (28 ± 2 °C and 75 ± 5% RH). Tomato fruit of mature green stage treated with 2% CaCl2 significantly (p = 0.05) declined the ethylene production (15.53%), weight loss (16.43%), and delayed color development by slowly synthesizes the lycopene content as well as extended the shelf life. The maximum amount of total phenolic content (TPC) was demonstrated at the highest level of CaCl2 (2%) after 20 days of storage life at ambient conditions. The concentration of CaCl2 influenced the activity of different plant defense enzymes, and the higher doses of CaCl2 (2%) accelerated the activity of peroxidase (POD) (13%), polyphenol oxidase (POP) (7.3%), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) (8.5%) relative to that of the control samples. Therefore, the tomato producers and traders could extend the storage duration of tomato fruits by harvesting at the mature green stage and applying 2% CaCl2 in both pre-and postharvest at ambient storage conditions.

In agricultural production, nitrogen loss leads to economic loss and is a high environmental risk affecting plant growth, yield, and quality. Use of the N fertilizer with a urease inhibitor is thus necessary to minimize N losses and increase the efficiency of N. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of N-(n-butyl) Thiophosphoric Triamide (NBPT) on the growth, yield, and quality of pineapple. The experiment involved two foliar fertilizer treatments: 1% (w/v) urea solution with NBPT (2.25 mL kg−1 urea) was treated as NLU (NBPT Liquid Urea), and the same concentration of urea without NBPT served as the control. Both were applied 12 times, starting 1 month after planting (MAP) and continuing once a month for 12 months. The application of urea with NBPT notably increased the above-ground dry biomass per plant (20% and 10% at 8 and 12 MAP, respectively), leaf area per plant (23% and 15% at 8 and 12 MAP, respectively), N accumulation per plant (10%), PFPN (Partial Factor Productivity) (13%), and average fruit weight (15%) compared to the treatment with urea alone (control). The analysis of quality parameters indicated that urea with NBPT improves TSS (Total Soluble Solids) (19%), ascorbic acid (10%), and sucrose (14%) but reduces the total organic acid content (21%) in pineapple. When using urea with a urease inhibitor (NBPT), there was a significant improvement in growth, yield, quality, and nitrogen use efficiency, with the additional benefit of reduced nitrogen losses, in combination with easy handling. Hence, urea with a urease inhibitor can be used as a viable alternative for increasing pineapple yield by boosting growth with better fruit quality.

The effects of hydrocooling time on maintaining the quality and increasing postharvest storage life of rockmelon fruit has not been studied. Thus, we investigated hydrocooling at ½ and ¾ cooling time (CT) compared with no hydrocooling on the physico-chemical and microstructural properties of the fruit during storage at 13 °C and 85% relative humidity (RH). Hydrocooling with ½ CT slowed weight loss and increases in soluble solids concentration during storage, maintained higher chroma intensity of pulp colour and turgor pressure of rind and pulp firmness, and the citric acid content compared with the other treatments. Light microscopy images and scanning electron micrographs confirmed that weight loss in non-hydrocooled and ¾ CT hydrocooled fruit was associated with loss of cell turgor, thereby influencing cell wall rigidity in the pericarp tissue of fruit. The results suggest that hydrocooling at ½ CT can preserve cell wall structure of rockmelon fruit and maintain its quality during cold storage.

Soursop (Annona muricata L.), a climacteric fruit which is rich in bioactive compounds for use its in medicine. It produces an aromatic, sweet-sour and pleasant taste. However, there is a limitation in the fruit being able to reach distant markets. Its quick ripening and accentuated softening properties make it difficult to handle without damage and shorten its postharvest life. In order to reduce lost value during storage life, this study aims to investigate the effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment on the fruit’s postharvest life including its physiological and physiochemical characteristics. Selected soursop fruits were harvested at 16 weeks after pollination and treated with various concentrations of 1-MCP (0, 400, 800 and 1200 nL/L) at 15°C + 3°C for 24 h and subsequently being stored at ambient temperature (25°C + 3°C). Observations on various physical, physiological, biochemical and antioxidants parameters were recorded at a two-day intervals 6 days of storage. The results showed that respiration rate and ethylene production in 1-MCP treated fruit were lower than those in the control batches. Further, the pulp of 1-MCP treated fruits remained firm and colour was retained throughout the observation period. Soursop treated at different 1-MCP concentration (0, 400, 800 and 1200 nL/L) showed that fruit treated with 400 nL/L had better ripe fruit quality. In addition, 1-MCP treated fruits were able to normally soften at day six after storage. However, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content of fruits from all treatments were found inconsistent during storage.

From field harvest to cold room storage, rockmelon accumulates heat from the high ambient temperature which accelerates the metabolic changes and shortens the market life of the fruit. Hydro-cooling treatment has been used to reduce the temperature of fresh produce after harvest in order to maintain quality during postharvest storage. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the influence of hydro-cooling on phytochemical content and metabolite changes in the rockmelon. In this study, hydro-cooling application has effectively preserved the beta-carotene of rockmelon pulp. The results also suggested that high phenolic content in rind and pulp of rockmelon was highly maintained by using 1/2 cooling time (CT). A discriminatory analysis on the metabolites responsible for the variation between weeks of storage (WS) at each CT of rockmelon was successfully achieved by using 1H NMR-based metabolomics. The principal component analysis scores showed a noticeable and clear separation into four clusters representing the WS 0, 1, 2 and 3 for 0 and 3/4 CT rind extracts. Various assigned 1H NMR chemical shifts referring to the metabolites responsible for the variation were ascribed. Among the identified metabolites, the aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine were not changed significantly during WS 0, 1 and 2 as they were grouped into the same cluster in 1/2 CT hydro-cooled rind extracts.

A study on the changes in physical and physiological characteristics of Carissa congesta fruit was conducted on weekly intervals from 1 until 13 weeks after anthesis (WAA) to establish its growth pattern. Based on the results obtained from the fruit length, diameter, fresh weight, and volume, C. congesta fruit exhibited a single sigmoidal growth pattern with three physiological stages; stage 1 (S1), stage 2 (S2) and stage 3 (S3). Cells of C. congesta fruit at S1 underwent rapid division, followed by cell expansion at S2 before it reached physiological maturity at S3. Color of C. congesta fruit appeared whitish-pink at early weeks of development, and then changed to red and dark purple at later weeks while fruit firmness increased initially before decreased during ripening. The fruit moisture content increased until third week then decreased during fruit growth and development. The respiration rate was high at the initial stage of growth before it declined at later stages. There was no ethylene detected throughout 13 weeks of observation considering C. congesta as a non-climacteric fruit.

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. is one of the most cultivated and widely consumed vegetables in the world. However, it is very susceptible to the infection initiated by Fusariumoxysporum fruit rot, which shortens post-harvest life and thus reduces market value. This disease can be regulated appropriately by the application of synthetic fungicides. However, chemical fungicides constitute a serious health risk, and have harmful environment effects and increase disease resistance, even when microbes are dead. Hence, to overcome this problem, chitosan and vanillin, which have antimicrobial bioactive properties against the growth of microorganisms, could be an alternative to disease control, while maintaining fruit quality and prolonging shelf life. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of chitosan and vanillin towards the inoculate pathogen and to investigate the effect of chitosan and vanillin coating in vivo on Fusarium oxysporum fruit rot and defense-related enzymes (PAL, PPO and POD). Chitosan and vanillin in aqueous solutions, i.e., 0.5% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 1% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 1.5% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 0.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin, 1% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin and 1.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin, were used as edible coatings on tomatoes stored at 26 ± 2 °C and 60 ± 5 relative humidity. The result revealed 1.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin was able to control disease incidence by 70.84% and severity by 70%. These combinations of coatings were also able to retain phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase activity (POD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme activities as well as prolong shelf life of tomatoes up to 15 days.

Tomato, being a climacteric crop, has a relatively short postharvest life due to several factors such as postharvest diseases, accelerated ripening, and senescence that trigger losses in quantity and quality. Chemicals are widely used to control postharvest disease. Inaptly, it leads to detrimental effects on human health, environment and it is leads to increased disease resistance. Chitosan and vanillin could be an alternative to disease control, maintain fruit quality, and prolong shelf life. The aim of this research was to evaluate the potential of chitosan and vanillin coating on the tomato fruit&rsquo, s physicochemical quality during storage at 26 &plusmn, 2 &deg, C/60 &plusmn, 5% relative humidity. Chitosan and vanillin in aqueous solutions i.e., 0.5% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 1% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 1.5% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 0.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin, 1% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin, and 1.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin, respectively, were used as edible coating. The analysis was evaluated at 5-day intervals. The results revealed that 1.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin significantly reduced disease incidence and disease severity by 74.16% and 79%, respectively, as well delaying weight loss up to 90% and reducing changes in firmness, soluble solids concentration, and color score. These coatings also reduced the rate of respiration and the rate of ethylene production in comparison to the control and fruit treated with 0.5% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin. Furthermore, ascorbic acid content and the antioxidant properties of tomato were retained while shelf life was prolonged to 25 days without any negative effects on fruit postharvest quality.

A series of fluorescence indices (anthocyanin, flavonol, chlorophyll and nitrogen balance) were deployed to detect the pigments and colourless flavonoids in cacao pods of three commercial cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) genotypes (QH1003, KKM22 and MCBC1) using a fast and non-destructive multiparametric fluorescence sensor. The aim was to determine optimum harvest periods (either 4 or 5 months after pod emergence) of commercial cacao based on fluorescence indices of cacao development and bean quality.; Results: As pod developed, cacao exhibited a rise with the peak of flavonol occurring at months 4 and 5 after pod maturity was initiated while nitrogen balance showed a decreasing trend during maturity. Cacao pods contained high chlorophyll as they developed but chlorophyll content declined significantly on pods that ripened at month 5.; Conclusion: Cacao pods harvested at months 4 and 5 can be considered as commercially-ready as the beans have developed good quality and comply with the Malaysian standard on cacao bean specification. Thus, cacao pods can be harvested earlier when they reach maturity at month 4 after pod emergence to avoid germinated beans and over fermentation in ripe pods harvested at month 5. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Anthracnose is the most significant mango disease in humid production areas such as Malaysia. It is caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Postharvest fungicides such as benomyl have been widely used to suppress incidence of the disease. However, the incidence of resistance development and the side effects on environment and consumers has prompted the search for alternatives. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of UV-C irradiation in suppressing anthracnose of mango. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was identified based on the morphological characteristics that include colony morphology, conidial shape, size and septation. Effects of different UV-C irradiation doses on mycelial growth, sporulation and conidial germination were studied (0, 14.4, 28.8, 43.2, 57.6 and 72.0 kJ m-2) and indicated that 72.0 kJ m-2 showed the most significant inhibition. As for the fungal sporulation, all of the doses reduced the sporulation. Thus, UV-C irradiation could be used to reduce postharvest losses by inhibiting conidial germination and sporulation of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on mango.

Field heat can cause rapid deterioration in horticultural products so therefore it is desirable to remove this heat as quick as possible after harvesting. Hydro-cooling is one of the many methods to remove field heat in order to extend storage life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydro-cooling on physico-chemical attributes such as weight loss, color, firmness, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, pH and ascorbic acid of rockmelon fruit in order to explain their quality response during storage. In this study, the rockmelon fruits harvested at commercial maturity were subjected to hydro-cooling with 0, 1/2 and 15/16 cooling time before 3-week storage at 13°C. Results indicated that quality attributes, such as weight loss, peel firmness, soluble solids concentration, pH, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid were not affected by hydro-cooling in the extended 3-week storage. In particular, 0 and 15/16 cooling time rockmelon fruit showed considerably lower pulp firmness in comparison to 1/2 cooling time hydro-cooled fruit as storage progressed. The present study showed that rockmelon fruit hydro-cooled at 1/2 cooling time was more effective in preserving higher chroma intensity of pulp color and force value of pulp firmness during storage.

Fruit of Musa AAB ‘Rastali’ has a special and unique astringent taste as compared to other local cultivars of banana. The astringency is caused by tannin. To minimize the unpleasant taste, this banana is usually consumed when senescence spots appeared. A study was conducted to understand the tannin content of ‘Rastali’ banana fruit and its microstructure during growth and development. Fruit development stages were dated at every two week intervals beginning of the first week until the 12th week after emergence of the first hand. Hands were numbered from the top of the bunch to the bottom (hand one, basal fruit at the top; and hand six, distal hand at the bottom), and only six hands of bananas were used in this study. The experiment was repeated thrice. The tannin content of ‘Rastali’ banana decreased as fruit matured. Hands which emerged first contained lower tannin content than other hands. Under light microscopy, three different types of tanniferous cells were found in ‘Rastali’ banana. These tanniferous cells were found in peel, peel-pulp transition and pulp regions of fruit during growth and development. However, tanniferous cells became less obvious as fruit matured in all regions of fruit. The decrease of tannin content was supported by microstructural study.

Carissa congesta is a straggling semi-vine and underutilized indigenous shrub belonging to family Apocynaceae. The fruit is very tempting due to its clustered forms with attractive colors ranged from white-pinkish, pinkish-red, dark red, purplish-red and dark purple throughout the growth. A study was conducted to determine changes in physicochemical characteristics of C. congesta during maturation at week 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. The result displayed the lightness and chromaticity of C. congesta peel decreased significantly as fruit matured. There were apparent changes in hue values resulting in a color transition from red to purple as maturation progressed. With increasing maturity, there were abrupt declines in firmness, titratable acidity and vitamin C. These changes were associated with considerable increases in soluble solids concentration and pH. The knowledge of the changes in mentioned traits would be a useful guide for growers to determine optimal harvesting time for C. congesta fruit.

The application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) influences the fruit qualities and may affect fruit sales since customers have different preferences on fruit qualities. However, estimating 1-MCP application requires the lab procedure that consumes time and cost. In this preliminary study, data mining (DM) technology was utilized to achieve fast estimation of 1-MCP application based on different qualities of �Kampuchea� Guava. Five DM algorithms were involved, namely, (i) C4.5, (ii) Library for Support Vector Machine (LibSVM), (iii) Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), (iv) Naive Bayes Classifier (NBC), and (v) Random Forest (RF) to build classification models that understand the behaviour of the past laboratory data. The classification models can then be used for estimating the 1-MCP application fast whenever there are new data available. The result showed that fast estimation can be achieved effectively using LibSVMas which outperformed the others by attaining the lowest errors in four statistical measures.

Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior), a flourish in tropical and subtropical climates crop, with extravagant and showy inflorescence may be used as cut flower at each developmental stage. Limited studies have been undertaken to reveal the postharvest performance of this leafless inflorescence, especially at advanced developmental stages. Therefore, the objective of this study was to elucidate the postharvest performance of the torch ginger inflorescence treated with different vase solutions. Inflorescences at two flowering stages i.e., tight bud stage and torch shows stage at about 35 and 58 days, respectively, after emergence from rhizome, were used in this study. Sucrose (20 g L-1), 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate (8-HQS, 0.1 g L-1) and distilled water were used as vase solution treatment. Postharvest characteristics, including vase life, relative fresh weight (RFW), dry weight, solution uptake rate, respiration and ethylene production rate were evaluated. Results showed that vase life of tight bud stage inflorescence was significantly higher than torch shows stage irrespective of treatments used. In contrast, significantly higher solution uptake rate was shown in the torch shows stage inflorescence. There was no significant difference in dry weight and respiration rate measured. No ethylene was detected in all treated inflorescences throughout the study. Prolongation of vase life was associated with the increase in RFW. Increase of RFW was found in tight bud stage inflorescence but reduction of RFW was shown in torch stage inflorescence at the end of vase life. The decrease of RFW could be due to the breakdown of stored carbohydrates in peduncle for the development of true flowers for pollination purpose. Supplementation of sucrose promoted the opening of true flowers. The use of 8-HQS and distilled water enabled the development of true flowers, but they failed to open. Sucrose treated inflorescences both in tight bud and torch stage showed better postharvest quality compared to 8-HQS and distilled water.

Medicinal herb production has become more challenging nowadays as it is demanded, as far as possible, to avoid chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals for higher quality of the produce. The present study was a split plot experiment conducted to examine the effect of shading and application of compost derived from dumped brassica vegetable-dumped or expired bread-fish gill and internal organ (3:2:1) wastes towards growth and yield of Andrographis paniculata grown in open field as alternative to conventional organic fertilizers in current market. Main plots were plots of full sunlight and 50% relative light intensity (RLI) as achieved by commercial 50% shade netting. Within each main plot, sub plots of treatments at 0 g compost + 5 g nitrophoska (NPK) green/plant, 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g compost/plant, respectively, were laid out at random. Fertilization was carried out only once throughout the production period of eight weeks. Each sub plot treatment was replicated four times, each with three plants per replicate. Results indicated that plant grown under full sunlight combined with application of 100 g compost/plant, or 3 tonnes compost/hectare at 30,000 plants/hectare, was the best, especially in production of leaves as its main economic plant part for the herbal industries. Such inorganic fertilizer free plants were better than the recommended inorganic 5 g NPK green /plant or at a rate of 150 kg/hectare fertilization in production of this medicinal plant. Keywords: medicinal herb; fertilization; height; stem branching; leaf production ABSTRAK Penghasilan herba perubatan menjadi kian mencabar kini kerana ianya perlu mengelakkan penggunaan baja kimia atau bahan kimia agro sejauh yang mungkin untuk hasil berkualiti lebih tinggi. Kajian ini adalah eksperimen petak pecah yang dijalankan untuk menentukan kesan teduhan dan aplikasi kompos berasal daripada bahan buangan sayuran brassica-roti buangan atau tamat tempoh makan-sisa insang dan organ buangan ikan (3:2:1) terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil Andrographis paniculata di ladang sebagai gantian kepada baja organik yang sedia ada di pasaran. Petak utama adalah petak cahaya penuh dan 50% keamatan cahaya relatif (RLI) yang diperolehi dengan jaring teduhan komersial 50%. Dalam setiap petak utama, sub-petak sebagai rawatan 0 g kompos + 5 g nitrofoska (NPK) hijau/pokok, kompos sebanyak 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/pokok masing-masing adalah dibentang secara rawak. Pembajaan dilakukan hanya sekali sepanjang tempoh pengeluaran selama lapan minggu. Setiap rawatan sub-petak adalah diulangi sebanyak empat kali, setiapnya terdiri daripada tiga pokok. Keputusan menyatakan bahawa tumbuhan bawah cahaya penuh bergabung dengan aplikasi kompos sebanyak 100 g/pokok, atau kompos sebanyak 3 tan/hektar pada kepadatan tanaman 30,000 pokok/hektar, adalah yang terbaik, terutamanya dalam penghasilan daun sebagai bahagian tumbuhan ekonomi utama untuk industri herba. Tumbuhan bebas baja inorganik adalah lebih baik berbanding dengan pembajaan inorganik NPK hijau sebanyak 5 g/pokok atau pada kadar baja 150 kg/hektar dalam penghasilan tumbuhan ubatan ini. Kata kunci: herba perubatan; pembajaan; ketinggian; pencabangan batang; penghasilan daun

Pollination techniques could affect fruit size, whereas optimal maturity stage during harvest could affect postharvest life and the eating quality of fruit. Therefore, the right pollination technique and timing to harvest fruit is an important factor in reducing postharvest losses. The objective of this study was to determine the physico-chemical changes of jackfruit harvested at four different maturity stages and produced from natural and assisted pollination. This study was conducted at a jackfruit commercial farm in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor, Malaysisa. For assisted pollination, the selected female inflorescences were covered with bags before anthesis. Hand pollination was performed by gently rubbing mature male inflorescences over the surface of receptive female inflorescences. For natural pollination, female inflorescences were left to develop into syncarps by themselves. Syncarps at the age of 12, 13, 14 and 15 weeks after anthesis (WAA) were used in this study. For each maturity stage, four syncarps were harvested and allowed to ripen naturally at 27±2 °C and 70−80% relative humidity until a sweet aroma was detected. Physico-chemical characteristics such as colour, firmness, pH, titratable acidity, β-carotene, lycopene content, sugars, organic acid content and antioxidant activity were evaluated. In this study, the pollination technique did not affect the eating quality of jackfruit flesh. However, the physico-chemical quality of jackfruit flesh was affected by ripening level and WAA. The initial stages of syncarp maturity, the L*, C* and ho values, remained unaffected. However, the L*, C* and ho decreased significantly from 14 WAA onwards when the syncarp rind turned fully yellow. This indicated that the rind and bulb colour became lighter and less intense with a green colour changing to yellow during ripening. Rind and flesh firmness decreased as ripening progressed due to cell wall modification and starch hydrolysis when ripening occurred. The β-carotene content of fleshy syncarps harvested at 14 and 15 WAA was higher than those harvested at 12 and 13 WAA. Sugar content such as glucose, fructose and sucrose increased as syncarps ripened. Total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant content were higher after syncarps ripened compared to before ripening. The ripe edible parts of jackfruit contain high levels of antioxidant and thereby signify the nutritional value of jackfruit for human health. In conclusion, harvesting stages affect the nutritional quality of jackfruit cv. Tekam Yellow, and it is recommended that the optimal harvesting stage of jackfruit is 14 WAA for local markets and 12 WAA for long-distance markets.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) has received great attention with the rise in demand for low-sugar food and beverage additives, and natural alternative to cane sugar and artificial sweeteners. The leaves produce intensively sweet steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside A). Stevia has been reported as a short-day plant with a critical daylength of 13 h. Daylength less than 13 h causes stevia to flower early, resulting in a low leaf biomass yield and percentage of sweetener content. The effects of night interruption treatment using six light sources for 60 min daily with the aim to lengthen vegetative phase, increase plant biomass and steviol glycoside content of stevia were investigated. Night interruption was shown to extend vegetative phase from 20 days (control) to 120 days; thus, allowing accumulation of plant biomass and steviol glycosides content. Leaf biomass and steviol glycosides of all light sources treated plants increased significantly as compared to control plants especially in week 6 and 8 after treatment initiated. Fluorescent and light-emitting diode (LED) were energy-efficient and effective as light source for night interruption. Fluorescent warm white showed the highest increase in total steviol glycosides content per plant by 190-270% most probably because it contained the highest red light at 614 nm as compared to other light sources. Stevioside content was not significantly affected by drying methods but rebaudioside A content was significantly reduced by 3.38% under oven drying at 70oC. The reduction indicated that thermal degradation of rebaudioside A has occurred at higher temperature.

This study was conducted to assess the volatile compound generated in fermented chili using the static headspace gas chromatography (GC-MS). Three types of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant were used; Lactobacillus plantarum Alo1, Lactobaciluss pentosus Alo2 and Lactobacillus platarum Au2 for the lactic acid fermented chili mash. Raw chili and natural fermented chili mash were served as negative and positive control. The volatile compound was grouped into 7 main compounds consist of ester, alcohol, alkane, acid, hydrocarbon, ether and nitrogen-containing group. Study showed that LAB inoculated chili mash has lower amount of ethanol as compared to naturally fermented chili mash. Besides, volatile compound generated among each inoculant was different. A compound known as n-Hexadecanoic acid was the primary compound detected in all LAB-inoculated chili mash. Result proved that LAB can be used as the potential starter culture in modifying the aroma of fermented chili mash.

The reduction of crown rot disease observed in UVC-irradiated banana fruit, ‘Berangan’ was associated with activation of the defense response mechanisms, increased peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities as well as accumulation of lignin and phenolic compounds in its crown tissue, but not phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. Transmission electron microscope micrographs revealed that 0.01 kJ m −2 UVC retarded the losses of cell compartments and disintegrations of fibril fraction in cell wall structure of the crown tissue. UVC treatment 24 h after fungal inoculation induced the accumulation of phenol-storing cells that could create an antimicrobial environment in the host tissue for combating the fungal colonization. Moreover, formation of cell wall lignification and heterogenous matrix of cell wall appositions at site of fungal penetration was clearly observed in UVC-irradiated crown tissue, which otherwise absent in the control crowns. These structures might be important physical barriers that were induced by the irradiation to prevent diffusions of toxin and enzyme from the crown rot-infecting fungi.

Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Smith) is a perennial clumping plant that flourishes in tropical and subtropical climates. Over the years, this crop has been gaining recognition as an ornamental and landscaping plant. However, no study was done on the characteristics of inflorescence during the flowering stage. Therefore, the present study was aimed to elucidate cell wall metabolism in bracts in relation to inflorescence opening and peduncle strength throughout the inflorescence development. The inflorescences at four developmental stages i.e. tight bud, six reflexing tip, all involucral bracts unfolded and full bloom were used in this study. Results indicate that cellulose and pectin content in involucral bracts were hydrolyzed by cellulase and pectin methylesterase during the inflorescence development from tight bud to full bloom stage. The hydrolyzed bract cell walls reduce water potential in cells and enable water inflow for cell expansion. Subsequently, the inflorescence bracts unfolded. The analysis of cell wall composition and anatomical studies on peduncle parts reveals that at tight bud stage, the peduncle strength depends on the turgidity of the cells as evidenced by the presence of higher mucilage content. As the inflorescence developmental stage progressed, the mucilage content decreased gradually. The peduncle was strengthened by cell wall thickening via cellulose deposition and vascular bundles lignification for mechanical support. Besides, the lignified vascular bundle is the key factor in increasing the transportation efficiency of stored carbohydrates and water from the mother plant for inflorescence development.

Crown rot caused by fungal pathogen is the most prevalent postharvest disease in banana fruit that results significant economic losses during transportation, storage, and ripening period. Antifungal effects of ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation at doses varied from 0.01 to 0.30 kJ m−2 were investigated in controlling postharvest crown rot disease, maintenance of fruit quality, and the effects on antioxidant capacity of Berangan banana fruit during ripening days at 25 ± 2°C and 85% RH. Fruits irradiated with 0.30 kJ m−2 exhibited the highest (i.e., 62.51%) reduction in disease severity. However, the application of UVC at all doses caused significant browning damages on fruit peel except the dose of 0.01 kJ m−2. This dose synergistically reduced 46.25% development of postharvest crown and did not give adverse effects on respiration rate, ethylene production, weight loss, firmness, color changes, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and pH in banana as compared to the other treatments and control. Meanwhile, the dose also enhanced a significant higher level of total phenolic content, FRAP, and DPPH values than in control fruits indicating the beneficial impact of UVC in fruit nutritional quality. The results of scanning electron micrographs confirmed that UVC irradiation retarded the losses of wall compartments, thereby maintained the cell wall integrity in the crown tissue of banana fruit. The results suggest that using 0.01 kJ m−2 UVC irradiation dose as postharvest physical treatment, the crown rot disease has potential to be controlled effectively together with maintaining quality and antioxidant of banana fruit.

The present study was undertaken to reveal the developmentally regulated changes in physical and physiological characteristics of torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) inflorescence in relation to its usage as a cut flower. The inflorescences at four developmental stages, i.e., tight bud (TB), six reflexing tip (SRT), all involucral bracts unfolded (IBU), and full bloom (FB) were studied. The results revealed that the fresh and dry weights of inflorescences increased significantly from TB to FB stage. Water was the main component of inflorescence with 90.8% to 91.9% of the total mass. Thus, cell expansion resulting from water influx is crucial for inflorescence head development and bract opening. No ethylene was detected in the inflorescences at the four developmental stages. However, a significant higher respiration rate was recorded at FB stage with actively developing and opening true flowers in the inflorescence. The high respiration rate eventually leads to depletion of soluble sugars and starch grains in involucral bracts and inflorescence peduncle, respectively. Thereafter, involucral bracts showed browning and senescing. This result implies that the inflorescence head is a major sink for photoassimilates during flowering stage. Thus, soluble sugars exhaustion is expected to be a main factor of inflorescence senescence.

Nowadays, many of the tropical fruits have been commercialized worldwide due to increasing demand. In 2018, global tropical fruit has reached an unprecedented peak of 7.1 million tonnes. As such, a lot of large scale farming has been initiated to cultivate the fruit for commercialization. The nature of tropical fruit is perishable make the fruit easily undergo post-harvest losses especially when the fruit travels in a long distance for distribution. Losses of tropical fruit is estimated around 18-28% after harvesting. Then, the losses will continually develop during the trading process. Applying fruit coating on the fruit can minimize substantial privation. This article compendiously reviews the needs of coating and discuss different types of coating materials. The efficiency of different coating materials; polysaccharide, protein, lipid and composite based coating on tropical fruit is highlighted. There are various types of coating available for major fruit such as banana, mango, pineapple and avocado that can effectively extend the post-harvest life, minimize water loss, reduce chilling injuries and fight against post-harvest disease. Coating from minor fruit such as durian, rambutan, passion-fruit and mangosteen are still limited especially made from lipid and protein coating. In choosing the most appropriate coating for tropical, the nature of fruit needs to be understood. In addition, the chemistry of coating components and techniques of application is important in modulating the fruit quality.

Introduction. Carissa congesta (syn. C. carandas L.) belongs to the family Apocynaceae. It is a sprawling semi-vine shrub native to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and China. However, it is categorized as an underutilized tropical fruit. One of the important prerequisites for the establishment of a fruit is to understand its growth and nutritional value changes as the fruit develops. Thus, this study was undertaken to study C. congesta fruit growth patterns and its compositional changes during maturation and ripening. Materials and methods. A total of 300 flowers at the full bloom stage were tagged randomly. The longitudinal and equatorial diameters of 34 fruits were measured every two weeks using a digital calliper until fruit had ripened. Compositional changes such as peel color, firmness, soluble solid concentration, titratable acidity, pH and vitamin C content of fruit were assessed from week 8 after flower full bloom until fruit had ripened. Results and discussion. The growth of C. congesta fruit exhibited a single sigmoidal curve, as measured by longitudinal and equatorial diameters. The peel color changed from pink to light red, and finally to dark purple, corresponding with the chromaticity values. The firmness of fruit decreased, while the soluble solid concentration increased as fruit matured and ripened. The increase in pH was paralleled by a decrease in the titratable acidity and content of vitamin C. Conclusion. Maturation and ripening affected the fruit nutritional composition of C. congesta . This fruit contains high vitamin C and it is worth exploring its potential as a new fruit crop for fresh consumption and processing.

Effects of gum arabic (GA) 10% and calcium chloride (CA) 3% on the physiological, biochemical and quality responses of mango ( Mangifera indica L. cv. Choke Anan) fruit were investigated. Fruit were stored at 6 °C and 90% relative humidity for 28 d and then transferred to 25 °C for an additional 5 d shelf life. Significant ( P ≤ 0.05) differences were observed in fruit treated with CA 3% and GA 10% as compared to the control. The combined treatment of CA 3% and GA 10%, significantly alleviated chilling injury, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage than the control fruit. This treatment reduced the increase in hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) content, superoxide anion (O 2 − ) production rate and enhanced DPPH radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, GA 10% alone or in combination with CA 3% effectively inhibited the loss of total phenolic content and ascorbic acid. The result of transmission electron microscopy confirmed that treated fruit maintained cell membrane integrity. These results suggest that application of GA 10% coating combined with CA 3% might be enhanced low temperature tolerance by improving the antioxidant defense system and reducing oxidative damage of mango fruit.

Exposing fruits to freezing temperature has been shown to successfully extend the shelf life and control the microbiological activity in the fruits. However, freezing could also lead to undesirable losses in the fruit quality. The present work was conducted to investigate the effect of frozen storage on physicochemical qualities and microbial contaminations of “MK” (Musang King) and “D24” durian pulp and paste for one year. During frozen storage, both durian pulp and paste lost 1 %–2 % of their weight along with an increase in pulp softening. Changes in color intensity during freezing storage shifted the golden yellow “MK” pulp to higher ho (lighter yellow) and this directly reduced the total carotenoids and s-carotene contents in “MK”. Similarly, “D24” changed to pale yellow alongside reduction on L* and C* after one year frozen storage. Long term frozen storage in the present work also decreased the SSC and ascorbic acid contents for both durian pulp and paste. However, the pH and TA were not affected. “MK” and “D24” pulp showed lower microbial contamination than paste, with higher contaminations were observed in “D24”. These results showed that frozen storage could be used to preserve the quality of durians for less than one year of storage.

The aim of the present work was to characterize the quality of durians at consumptions stage. Seven clones of durian namely “Musang King”, “D24″, “D88″, “IOI”, “XO”, “Red Prawn” and “Black Thorn” were characterized based on their physiochemical properties. The organic acid contents, sugar compositions and β-carotene of durian clones were measured by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC), while the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC MS). There were significant differences on all the postharvest parameters in the selected durian clones. “Black Thorn” having orange pulp yieled the highest β-carotene content (4.55 × 10−5 kg/kg FW). The dominant sugars in the pulp of all durian clones were dominated by sucrose followed by glucose and fructose. Sulfur- and ester-containing compounds were the predominant VOCs found. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed for the grouping of different durian clones based on VOCs.