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Fresh fig fruits are abundant sources of antioxidants and health-beneficial compounds. However, they are highly prone to spoilage and have short postharvest life. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the potential synergistic effect of applying Aloe vera (AV) gel combined with chitosan (CH) as a natural edible coating on fresh fig fruits' quality and shelf life. Different coating treatments; T1—Water; T2—CH (0.5%, w/v); T3—AV (100%); T4—AV (100%) + 1% CH (25:75, v/v); T5—AV (50%) + 1% CH (25:75, v/v); T6—AV (50%) + 1% CH (40:60, v/v), were applied to fresh fig fruits utilizing dip method. Fruits were analyzed weekly to examine fruit weight loss, decay, color, texture, enzyme activity [β Galactosidase and polyphenol oxidase enzyme (PPO)], phenolic content, antioxidants, and microbial load. The combined AV and CH coatings extended the shelf life of the fig fruits up to 21 days compared to the control during storage at 2°C and 90–95% R.H. The T5 treatment has significantly retarded the fruit decay, reduced total fungal and bacterial counts, preserved total phenolics and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), as compared to the other treatments. Meanwhile, T6 fruits showed minimum fruit weight loss and microbial load. These treatments can be applied at a large scale to improve the shelf life of fresh fig fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food bioactive packaging has received increasing attention from consumers and the food industry for its potential to reduce food waste and environmental issues. Several materials can be used to produce edible films/coats; however, bio-based, cost-effective, and sustainable coatings have gained a high reputation these days. For instance, Aloe vera gel (AV) is a promising bio-based material for edible coatings and films; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the film-forming abilities of AV and Chitosan (CH) combination as a potential active food packaging material. The physicochemical and mechanical characteristics of formed films of various combinations were prepared at different concentrations, i.e., CH (0.5% w/v), AV (100%), CH:AV (75:25), and CH:AV (60:40). The results showed significant differences among all the prepared edible films wherein these differences were mainly on account of incorporating AV gel. The rheological and antioxidant properties of the formulations improved with the inclusion of AV gel. The films composed of CH:AV (60:40) positively affected the water solubility, thermal properties, and water vapour permeability of the edible films. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the films composed of CH:AV, (60:40) were amorphous and had smooth morphology. Further, the edible film solutions were applied to fresh figs (Ficus carica) to investigate their role in preserving fruits during storage. A significant reduction in microbial growth was found in coated fruits after 28 days of cold storage. The films composed of CH and AV showed overall improved results compared to the CH (0.5%, w/v). Therefore, the used formulations (CH:AV, 60:40) can form a sustainable film that has the potential to be utilized for fresh product preservation to maintain its quality and shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent growth of biotechnology requires a wide range of expertise within the industry. Education is the primary platform for students to gain information and knowledge on biotechnology. In Malaysia where biotechnology is relatively new, education programs and courses must be tailored to meet the demands of the industry. A combination of theoretical knowledge as well as practical and industrial training is essential to ensure graduates are prepared for their career in the fields of biotechnology. Results from this study show that university students lack literacy on biotechnology information and access to facilities provided by the universities. This may be a significant contributing factor to the lack of knowledge and information amongst graduates. Furthermore comparative analysis on the biotechnology program in Malaysian universities with that of other countries show the need to restructure the program by offering more specialized courses as well as soft skills and business subjects. This is to meet the demands of the related professionals as well as the various branches that exist in the biotechnology industry.

Fusarium infection of bananas is a global problem that threatens the production of bananas. This study looks at the effects of the infection upon the reactive oxygen species ( ROS) system, as well as the induced antioxidant properties in the roots, stems, leaves and fruits. Results show that there is a greater amount of damage in infected tissue samples as opposed to non-infected. The damage was observed to be higher in the root samples. ROS assays were divided into two classes: ROS assays and ROS-scavenging assays. Of the ROS assays, lipoxygenase was observed to be higher in the infected samples, while peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were significantly higher in infected stem, leaf and fruit samples. Among root samples, there was no significant difference in POD activity and PPO was lower in infected samples. Induction of ROS is important for the hypersensitive response (HR) to function properly. The ROS-scavenging enzymes, namely ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, exhibited higher levels in the infected tissue. This is most likely to counter the build-up of the ROS enzymes and to prevent further cell death. The increase in ROS-scavenging assays also correlates with higher antioxidant properties as antioxidants play a critical role in regulating the HR free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Postharvest treatments of fruits using techniques such as ultraviolet-C have been linked with maintenance of the fruit quality as well as shelf-life extension. However, the effects of this treatment on the quality of fruits on a proteomic level remain unclear. This study was conducted in order to understand the response of mango fruit to postharvest UV-C irradiation. RESULTS Approximately 380 reproducible spots were detected following two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Through gel analysis, 24 spots were observed to be differentially expressed in UV-C treated fruits and 20 were successfully identified via LCMS/ MS. Postharvest UV-C treatment resulted in degradative effects on these identified proteins of which 40% were related to stress response, 45% to energy and metabolism and 15% to ripening and senescence. In addition, quality and shelf-life analysis of control and irradiated mangoes was evaluated. UV-C was found to be successful in retention of quality and extension of shelf-life up to 15 days. Furthermore, UV-C was also successful in increasing antioxidants (total flavonoid, reducing power and ABTS scavenging activity) in mangoes. CONCLUSION This study provides an overview of the effects of UV-C treatment on the quality of mango on a proteomic level as well as the potential of this treatment in shelf-life extension of fresh-cut fruits. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for fresh-like food products has encouraged the development of hurdle technology of non-thermal processing. In this study, freshly squeezed Chokanan mango juice was treated by paired combinations of sonication (for 15 and 30 min at 25 ℃, 40 kHz frequency) and UV-C treatment (for 15 and 30 min at 25 ℃). Selected physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities, microbial inactivation and other quality parameters of combined treated juice were compared to conventional thermal treatment (at 90 ℃ for 60 s). After thermal and combined treatment, no significant changes occurred in physicochemical properties. A significant increase in extractability of carotenoids (15%), polyphenols (37%), flavonoids (35%) and enhancement in antioxidant capacity was observed after combined treatment. Thermal and combined treatment exhibited significant reduction in microbial load. Results obtained support the use of sonication and UV-C in a hurdle technology to improve the quality of Chokanan mango juice along with safety standards. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]