Effect of Blanching Methods on Chlorophyll Content and Quality Changes During Frozen Storage of Cowpea

The effect of ethylene absorbent treatment on the softening of blueberry fruit

The effect of seven packaging materials (transparent perforated and non-perforated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags, black perforated and non-perforated low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags, nylon gunny sacks, khaki bags and net bags) on post-harvest quality of tubers from three potato cultivars was evaluated. Data were collected on time and percentage of sprouting, weight loss rates and percentage tubers with greening and rotting. Packaging significantly reduced weight loss and rate of tuber greening but increased the rate of sprouting and decay incidences. Non-perforated PE bags were the most effective in reducing weight losses, recording losses of 0.7 to 0.9% after 32 days in storage while unpackaged tubers had weight losses of 11 to 12%. Tuber rotting was highest (60 to 66% of the tubers) in non-perforated PE bags. Greening was faster in non-packaged tubers recording 55 to 100% after 2 weeks in storage and showed high cultivar differences, but did not occur in black bags, whether perforated or non-perforated. Sprouting was complete by week 3 in all tubers packaged in non-perforated HDPE bags irrespective of cultivar. Although the non-perforated HDPE bag packaging prevented weight loss, its positive effect was counteracted by the high incidence of rotting and sprouting. Amongst the different materials evaluated, perforated low-density black PE bags were the best method for ware potato packaging due to low sprouting, reduced weight loss, low rate of tuber greening and reduced rate of tuber decay compared to other packaging materials. The study also indicated that the interaction between cultivars, packaging and storage period also affected shelf life of ware potatoes under ambient tropical conditions.

Gradient curdlan@Zn/chitosan@curcumin composite films by interfacial co-precipitation for enhanced fruit preservation.

VP3 biofertilizer is a biological agent that has been formulated in previous research. It was applied once with compost and has been tested on red spinach and green spinach in the greenhouse to see its effect on yield and quality (chlorophyll content, anthocyanins, and shelf life at room temperature). Red spinach and green spinach had shown a significantly different growth response to applying biological fertilizers. VP3 biofertilizer with compost had the highest yield effect but was not significantly different from the recommended Nitrogen Phosphate Potassium (NPK) and Effective Microorganism4(EM4) treatment with compost. The application of VP3 Biofertilizer with NPK fertilizer showed a darker color (higher chlorophyll and anthocyanin content) than the application of biological fertilizers, but the values ​​were not significantly different. The application of VP3 biofertilizer with compost affected the shelf life of both red spinach and green spinach. Spinach plants remained fresh at room temperature for three days of storage, while the other treatments lost freshness on the 3rd day after harvesting and even loosened the leaf on the 4th day after harvesting. Therefore, VP3 biofertilizer has potential to increase the yield and quality of spinach and other vegetable crops. The addition of the application period of VP3 biofertilizer needs to be carried out and observed to increase the yield and quality of plants further. Canonical Variate Analyses (CVA) can distinguish the grouping of treatments based on the selected parameter. Biplot assessment provides information on the strong relationship between the yield of green spinach and red spinach and a number of leaves, leaf area, and plant height. The application of VP3 biofertilizer with compost had a significant effect on the yield and quality and produced different effects between treatments, both in the case of green spinach and red spinach.

BackgroundPost-harvest losses cause significant product losses in the world, which leads to food waste. Therefore, it is of great importance for people to have access to sufficient amounts of products by increasing the storage period of fruits with applications such as post-harvest calcium chloride (CaCl2). In this study, the effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) on physical quality parameters and bioactive contents of stored strawberry fruit (Albion cv.) was investigated. Accordingly, strawberries were treated with 2%, 4% and 6% CaCl2 before storage and stored for 15 days (0 ± 0.5 °C and 90 ± 5% RH). Analyses and measurements were conducted every 5 days during the storage period.Weight loss, decay rate, soluble solids content (SSC), acidity, pH, respiration rate, organic acids (malic, citric, ascorbic, fumaric, oxalic, succinic and tartaric) and phenolic compounds (catechin, chlorogenic, ferulic, gallic, o-coumaric, p-coumaric, protocatechuic, quercetin, rutin and syringic) were analyzed as quality parameters during storage.ResultsIn the study, in general, the best values were observed in 6% CaCl2-treated fruits in terms of weight loss, SSC, TA, decay and respiration rates, although they varied according to different storage periods. Similarly, in terms of phenolic compounds, organic acids and vitamin C, 6% CaCl2-treated fruits had significantly better prevention of quality losses. In addition, the most common phenolic compound of strawberry fruits was gallic acid, followed by chlorogenic acid and catechin, respectively. On the other hand, the predominant organic acid observed in the fruits was malic acid, followed by citric acid, succinic acid and oxalic acid, respectively.ConclusionsIn this study, it was observed that CaCl2 applications more effectively prevented weight loss and decay rate by reducing the respiration rate compared to the control group at the end of the storage period (15th day). It was concluded that, particularly, the 6% CaCl2 dose can be used as an important treatment to extend storage life by preserving fruit quality and biochemical changes.

Changes of peel color and fruit quality in navel orange fruits under different storage methods

The present study was conducted on fruits harvested from 12 years old Canino apricot trees grown in a private orchard situated at Dinoushr village, El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Al-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt during 2017and 2018 seasons to study the effect of essential oils and some salts on reducing decay, maintain quality and prolonging shelf-life of Canino apricot fruits. Canino apricot fruits were dipped inessential oil: Thyme oil at 100 ppm, Spearmint oil at 1000 ppm, Clove oil at 1000 ppm, Eucalyptus oil at 1000 ppm and Mustard oil at 1000 ppm, and salts: K2CO3 at 2%, KHCO3 at 2%, CaCl2 at 3% and Salicylic acid at 2%as well as distilled water (control) for 5 min. The treated fruits were stored at 0±1°C with 90 – 95 % RH. for 28 days. The data showed that the weight loss, decay and respiration rate of the Canino apricot fruits were decreased significantly by the use of Eucalyptus, Spearmint and Clove oils. Also, applications of Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Clove and K2CO3were effective in maintaining firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, soluble solids content and SSC/acid ratio of Canino apricot fruits during cold storage period. Accordingly, Eucalyptus oil, Spearmint oil and Cloves oil are more effective in reducing weight loss, decay and respiration rate as well as maintaining overall quality of Canino apricot fruits under cold storage conditions for 28 days, as compared to other treatments.

A research work was carried out to discuss the effect of different packaging materials on the quality of broccoli stored in room condition. In Horticultural Research Station, Mondouri, the crop was grown which was harvested at tight and compact stage of broccoli for storage studies in room conditions. Broccoli were kept without any packaging material (T1), packaging with 0.5% perforation polypropylene bag (T2), 1% perforation polypropylene (PP) bag (T3) and polypropylene bag without any perforation (T4) and stored in room condition. During the storage period, the change in physico-chemical characteristics based on physiological loss in weight (PLW), marketability, yellowing %, ascorbic acid, total soluble solids and chlorophyll content were studied at regular intervals in order to identify the changes in quality during the room storage. The maximum weight loss (17.97%) occurred in broccoli without any packaging material while the minimum weight loss (2.49%) was recorded in broccoli without any perforation. Maximum TSS was recorded in broccoli heads packed with 1% perforation PP bag (T3) while the minimum was recorded in unpacked broccoli heads (T1). The maximum ascorbic acid content in non perforated packaging (T4) was 93.67 while minimum content in unpacked broccoli was 54% on the 3rd day. The highest value of chlorophyll content of 293 μg/g on the day of storage declined to 271.33 μg/g on the 3rd day of storage in non-perforated package (T4). Unpacked broccoli showed maximum yellowing which increased to 97.67% on while broccoli packed with no perforation (T4) resulted with least yellowing of 2% on the 3rd day of storage. So, the best packaging method in broccoli for room storage is T4 during the 3 days storage in room condition.

Strawberry fruits are perishable fruits and deteriorate vastly after harvest. This study aimed to maintain the quality attributes of strawberry fruit during seven days of cold storage using diode laser irradiation. Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa, cv. Festival) were irradiated with diode laser at wavelength of 450 nm and light intensity of 1.3 mWcm−2 for 3, 6, and 12 min, while the non-irradiated fruits served as the control sample, then the fruit was packed and stored for 7 days at 10 °C and 85–90% relative humidity. The findings showed a significant reduction in weight loss and decay percentages of treated strawberries with 3 and 6 min of laser light, while control and 12 min laser irradiated samples exhibited the highest significant increase in weight loss and fungal decay. All laser treatments retained firmness of the flesh until the fifth day of storage, meanwhile the control sample became softer and fully mature, and at the end of the storage period, the control sample lost 77.9% of the firmness compared to 9.94% of 3 min treated fruit. Laser light had a marginal effect on pH, titratable acidity, and the content of anthocyanin. The results revealed that low exposure duration of laser treatment decreased darkness, and Chroma and total soluble solids (TSS) were maintained. Vitamin C showed a slight increase for all treatments and by the end of the storage period, the 3 min treated sample had the highest significant value of 73.04 mg/100 g compared to the lowest significant value of 65.86 mg/100 g of control. It was noticed that laser irradiation significantly reduced the reduction percentage of antioxidant activity compared to the control sample even with the highest exposure time of laser irradiation.

Table grapes are one of the most consumed non-climacteric fruits globally, and practices for their quality are socioeconomically important. In this study, the effects of the combined and separate applications of two plant activators Ortho Silicon (Si, Optysil, 0.5 mL L-1) and Ascophyllum nodosum-based seaweed extract (ANE, KelpGreen 2.5 ml L-1) were tested by two applications after fruit set 15 days intervals to table grapes cvs. Gök Üzüm and Müşküle in a producer vineyard at Hadim town of Konya province in middle Anatolia37°2'15"N 32°34'53" E, 1060 m above sea level. The effects of the applications on ripening, cluster and berry characteristics and post harvest shelf life during 10 days of storage at room conditions were analyzed. Both plant activators provided an increase in cluster size and an improvement in ripening. Si+ANE was more effective on the maturation and quality retention during the post-harvest shelf-life period. All applications provided reduction in weight loss (WL), decay rate and berry dullness, and it reduced berry separation force due to the drying of the peduncle and decreased the maturity index (MI) increase in the post harvest period. Thus, it contributed to the formation and retention of fruit quality. According to the data obtained from this study, improvements in the sustainable preservation of table grape quality can be achieved by applying Ortho Silicon and A. nodosum based seaweed extract separately and together between after fruit set and before veraison.

Postharvest preservation of chestnuts: Combined application of hydrogen-rich water and a carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate composite coating.

BackgroundIn the present research, plum fruits were subjected to pre-storage treatments with salicylic acid at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mM, followed by storage durations of 15, 30, 45 days. A control group, without any treatment, was stored under the same conditions. Throughout storage, various parameters including weight loss, fruit firmness, decay and respiration rate, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, phenolic compounds, organic acids, vitamin C levels were evaluated.ResultsFindings revealed that untreated fruits exhibited greater increases in weight loss, SSC, pH, decay, and respiration rates, along with a marked decrease in firmness over time compared to the salicylic acid-treated groups. The TA values in salicylic acid-treated fruits demonstrated variation dependent on the storage interval. In this study, 1.0 mM and 1.5 mM salicylic acid applications were more prominent in terms of physical properties. In the 1.0 mM salicylic acid application, lower weight loss (45th day: 3.60%), decay (45th day: 6.44%), and respiration (45th day: 43.12 mg CO2 kg−1 h−1) rates, and higher fruit firmness (45th day: 31.76) were observed compared to control fruits. Among the treated groups, fruits treated with 1.5 mM salicylic acid retained higher levels of phenolic compounds and organic acids. Moreover, all salicylic acid treatments were effective in preserving vitamin C better than the control. The most prevalent organic acid identified in plums was malic acid (45th day: 258.73 mg 100 g−1), with citric (45th day: 31.01 mg 100 g−1) and succinic (45th day: 26.88 mg 100 g−1) acids following in concentration. Chlorogenic acid (45th day: 8.65 mg 100 g−1) was the predominant phenolic compound, with gallic acid (45th day: 3.62 mg 100 g−1) and p-coumaric acid (45th day: 2.85 mg 100 g−1) ranking next.ConclusionsOverall, the 1.5 mM salicylic acid treatment showed the greatest efficacy in maintaining quality attributes during storage. In 1.5 mM salicylic acid application, fruit firmness increased by 20.15% and weight loss and respiration rate decreased by 54.44% and 39.93%, respectively, compared to control group fruits after 45 days of storage.

In order to solve the problems of tuber infection and nutrient loss caused by potato germination during storage, this paper conducted a systematic study using low-temperature plasma jet technology to inhibit potato germination and determine its optimal treatment conditions. This study focused on optimizing the plasma treatment parameters, including voltage, gas flow rate, and treatment time, to effectively control potato germination, reduce weight loss during storage, and determine the quality indexes such as hardness, crispness, and antioxidant enzyme activity of potatoes in storage. The study showed that the optimal conditions for plasma treatment of potatoes were voltage 18.05 kV, treatment time 20.21 s, and gas flow rate 12.79 L/min. Under these conditions, the germination rate of potatoes was significantly reduced to 31.42%, and the weight loss rate was reduced to 2.15%. For the convenience of operation, the parameters of the validation experiment were determined as a treatment voltage of 18 kV, treatment time of 20 s, and gas flow rate of 13 L/min. The resultant potato germination rate was 31.26%, and the weight loss rate was 2.29%. Compared with the blank control group, the plasma-treated group significantly increased the activities of potato antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, etc.). After 16 days of storage, SOD (superoxide dismutase) activity and CAT (catalase) activity of the plasma-treated group increased by 52.63% and 29.27%, respectively, compared with the control; POD (peroxidase) and PPO (polyphenol oxidase) activities of the treated group increased by 8.69% and 18.58%, respectively, compared with the control. Compared with the blank control, the plasma treatment group increased the hardness and brittleness of potatoes. Specifically, the hardness of the treated group increased by 6.06% compared with the control, and the brittleness of the treated group decreased by only 24% within 16 days, compared with a 37.19% decrease in the control. In addition, plasma treatment also reduced the accumulation of reduced sugar and dry matter consumption, thus maintaining the storage quality of potatoes, in which reducing sugar in the treated group was reduced by 32.56% compared with the control group, and dry matter in the treated group was increased by 7.66% compared with the control group. Therefore, the reasonable use of plasma treatment can effectively inhibit and slow down the sprouting process of potatoes, which lays a foundation for revealing the mechanism of plasma technology in inhibiting potato sprouting and improving its quality.

The aim of the study was to analyse egg quality changes of Japanese quail during the reproductive season and after several days of storage. A significantly higher egg weight was recorded in week 9 than in week 25 and week 31 of age ofbirds. The egg specific gravity value of eggs also decreased with the age of quails. The smallest yolk weight and its percentage proportion in egg mass were observed in week 25. Eggs laid in weeks 9 and 25 were characterised by similar and lower (P < or = 0.05) white weight in comparison to those examined on the last date. The highest white proportion in egg weight was recorded during the 25th week. The value of this trait was similar or smaller on the remaining dates. Similar and lower values of the white index and Haugh units, in comparison with the first date, were determined in eggs laid on weeks 25 and 31, whereas similar and greater eggshell thickness than in the 9th week of age was recorded on the last two dates of examination. Lower (P < or = 0.05) egg weight was observed after 5 and 8 than after 0 (measured on the day of laying) days of storage. Likewise, smaller egg specific gravity was recorded after three consecutive periods of storage in comparison with the eggs examined on the day of laying. Eggs examined after 3, 5 and 8 days of storage, in comparison with those stored for 0 days, were characterised by lower yolk index. Significantly smaller weight and white index than after 0 days were determined in eggs stored, respectively, for 5 and 8 as well as for 3, 5 and 8 days. Similarly, smaller numbers of Haugh units were determined after 3 consecutive storage periods in comparison with the eggs examined on the day of laying. Eggs stored for 0 and 3 days were characterised by a greater eggshell weight than those examined after 5 and 8 days. The weight of Japanese quail eggs decreased significantly from day 5 onwards, whereas the egg specific gravity-- from the 3rd day of storage. Yolk and white quality began to deteriorate already after 3 days of egg storage. It appears, therefore, that egg storage of Japanese quails before hatching lasting more than 3 days in the analysed conditions deteriorated the eggshell quality and internal egg traits.

HighlightsTime to bind a round bale was longest for twine (56 s) compared to B-Wrap® (28 s) and net wrap (18 s).Alfalfa cultivar had minimal effects on changes in dry matter and forage quality of round bales stored outdoors.Dry matter losses were 7% for twine bales, 5% for net wrap bales, while B-Wrap® bales maintained DM in outdoor storage.Deleterious changes in forage quality were generally observed after =180 days of outdoor storage. Abstract. Large round bales are commonly fed to livestock; however, it has been well documented that outdoor storage can negatively impact dry matter (DM) and forage quality. To reduce storage losses and improve feeding value, new wrap types and alfalfa cultivars have been developed; however, these options have not been extensively investigated. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to evaluate the time required to bind large round bales, determine changes in DM and forage quality, and examine the economics of reduced-lignin and conventional alfalfa hay bound in twine, net wrap, and B-Wrap® while in outdoor storage. Hay was baled into 24 large round bales; 12 bales each of reduced-lignin and conventional alfalfa. Within each cultivar, four replicates were bound with each wrap type. Using stopwatches, the time to bind each bale was recorded. At the time of harvest, and every 90±3 days for 365 days, individual bales were weighed and cored to determine changes in DM and forage quality. Significance was set at P = 0.05. Time to bind a bale was longest for twine, intermediate for B-Wrap®, and shortest for net wrap (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Alfalfa cultivar had minimal effects on the parameters measured; therefore, the interaction between wrap type and storage length was reported. After 365 days in outdoor storage, DM losses were 7% for twine bales, 5% for net wrap bales, while B-Wrap® bales maintained DM. Changes in forage quality were observed at =180 days of storage where nonstructural carbohydrates were decreased and insoluble fiber components were concentrated. B-Wrap® bales had a higher value compared to net wrap and twines bales at 180 and 270 days in storage. These results suggest that B-Wrap® was better able to shed precipitation which preserved forage quality and bale value compared to large round bales bound in net wrap and twine in long term, outdoor storage. Keywords: B-Wrap®, Bale value, Net wrap, Reduced-lignin alfalfa, Twine.