Apricot Fruit Research Articles

In vitro study of the interaction between pectinase and chelate-soluble pectin in postharvest apricot fruits

Firmness is one of the most important quality attributes of apricot fruits and is associated with chelate- soluble pectin (CSP). To elucidate the changes in CSP dur- ing postharvest, in vitro investigation of pectinase effects on CSP of apricot fruits was applied to simulate the in vivo changes in CSP fraction during postharvest. It was found that effects of pectinase (40 U/mg) treatment were similar to those of storage time on CSP nanostructures from the results of atomic force microscopy. Relative fre- quency of widths less than 31.25 nm was 3.6 % for control group, while it was 16.2, 52.0 and 65.5 %, respectively, for 1:10,000 (pectinase/CSP), 1:1,000 and 1:100 pectinase- treated groups. Most of the CSP lengths were 0.5-1 μm, while it was 0-1 μm for pectinase-treated groups. Pecti- nase treatment had some similar effects on CSP fraction as storage time.

Fate of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and potential surrogate bacteria on apricot fruit, following exposure to UV-C light

Some soft fruit, such as tree-ripened apricots, cannot be washed with aqueous sanitizers, due to their innate softness and delicate surfaces. In this study, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light was investigated for its efficacy in inactivating 4–5 individual strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. on apricots, in addition to a four-strain composite of Shiga toxin-negative E. coli O157:H7 and a cocktail of three attenuated strains of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Typhimurium LT2. Also, the survival of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. after exposure to 74 and 442mJ/cm2 of UV-C was evaluated during post-UV storage at 2 and 20°C. The fruit was spot inoculated and the areas (ca. 1.5cm2) of fruit surface with the inoculated bacteria were exposed to UV-C at 7.4mW/cm2. E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. populations decreased rapidly (1–2 logs) (P<0.05) with increasing UV-C doses of 0 to 74mJ/cm2. Further increases in UV-C dosage achieved only limited additional reductions in bacterial populations. Shiga toxin-negative bacteria and attenuated S. Typhimurium strains, along with S. Typhimurium LT2, responded similarly to corresponding pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. During storage at 2 or 20°C, populations of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. on untreated fruit decreased slowly; however, populations on fruit treated with 442mJ/cm2 decreased rapidly at both temperatures. After 8days at 20°C or 21days at 2°C, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. populations on UV-C treated fruit were at least 2logCFU/g lower than on non-treated controls. Our results suggest that surface-inoculated bacteria survived poorly following UV-C treatment of apricots.

Preliminary results on salicylic acid treatment on brown rot caused by Monilinia laxa on Jumbo Cot fruit, Prunus armeniaca L.

The effect of salicylic acid on reducing brown rot caused by Monilinia laxa infection in postharvest apricot fruit Prunus armeniaca L. Freshly harvest Jumpo Cot fruit were treated with water as control treatment and other group treated with salicylic acid 2 Mm as induced resistance treatment, Fruits were infected by M. laxa (1 × 10-3spores ml-1) and incubated at 25 oC for 2, 4 and 6 days. Treatment fruits with salicylic acid resulted in direct effect on mycelial growth as in the salicylic acid treatment the growth reached to 45% after 6 days of incubation while in the control treatment it reached to 100%.

Correlations among Chemical Properties of Conventional and Organic Dried Apricot Fruits

Correlations among Chemical Properties of Conventional and Organic Dried Apricot Fruits

Influence of Putrescine Application on Storability, Postharvest Quality and Antioxidant Activity of Two Iranian Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Cultivars

The limited postharvest storage life of apricot is the focus of this study. Presenting a solution to improve the postharvest storage of studied apricot cultivars is the goal. Studding the effect of different concentration of postharvest putrescine on quality attributes and antioxidant activity of two apricot cultivars during storage is the approach taken. The two apricot cultivars (‘Lasgerdi’ and ‘Shahrodi’) were harvested at the commercial ripening stage, and fruits were immerged in 1, 2, 3 and 4 mM putrescine as well as distilled water (control) for 5 min, then fruits were packed in boxes with polyethylene cover and stored at 4°C and 95% relative humidity for 20 days. The changes in weight loss, fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, maturity index, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity were estimated after 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days during storage. The results showed that the weight loss, total soluble solids, pH and maturity index increased significantly while the fruit firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity decreased significantly during storage for both cultivars. During storage, a significant difference between control and putrescine treatments in all measured parameters is observed. The putrescine treatments reduced significantly the weight loss and maintained their firmness. In this condition, the highest and lowest of titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity were observed in treatments of 4 mM putrescine and control, respectively. The data revealed that the quality of apricot fruits was improved by the use of putrescine treatment due to its effect on delaying the ripening processes.

Solar apricot dryers and drying processes in the high-altitude cold-arid Ladakh region of India

Sun drying of apricot fruit (Prunus armeniaca L.) is the oldest form of preservation technique known to the people of Ladakh and is still practiced on a large scale. This is because of the abundance of available sunshine. Export of fresh fruits of apricot and apple outside the region is restricted through quarantine regulations to check the entry of a noxious pest, codling moth to other temperate fruit belts (J&K and HP) of the country. Henceforth, drying is the only possible venture in vogue to receive income from apricot cultivation. Traditional practices followed commonly render the final produce to be unhygienic thereby fetching low returns. The introduction of different types of solar dryers along with other novel drying processes has improved this age-old preservation technique. A perusal of various drying practices followed and the advantages cum utilisation pattern of various driers are discussed in the paper.

In vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities of bitter almond and sweet apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernels

The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities of water, methanol, and ethanol extracts of sweet apricot and bitter almond kernels. The fruit extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant activities using various antioxidant methodologies including phosphomolybdenum assay (total antioxidant capacity), free radical scavenging assay, ferric ion reducing power, and β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching test system. The antioxidant capacity of the sweet apricot kernels was better than those recorded for bitter almond ones. The highest total antioxidant activity (59.53 mg/g dry extract), ferric ion reducing power (1.626), antioxidant index (67%), total phenolic content (3.290 mg/g dry extract), and total lycopene content (4.70mg/mL) were detected in the aqueous extract of sweet apricot kernels. The antimicrobial activities of the above extracts were also tested against some pathogenic microorganisms using a disc-diffusion method. Additionally, the extracts of sweet apricot and bitter almond kernels could inhibit the growth of human breast (MCF-7), colon (HCT-116), and hepatocellular (Hep-G2) carcinoma cell lines in a dose-dependent manner with different sensitivity between cell lines. The overall results indicate promising baseline information for the potential uses of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) fruit extracts in the treatment of infectious diseases and tumors.

Effect of three different irrigation regimes on young apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. Batsch) trees

SummaryThe effects of three different irrigation regimes were compared in an apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. Batsch,‘Bergeron’) orchard over 5 years from the time of planting. The regimes were based on measuring crop evapotranspiration (ETc), or by tensiometric or dendrometric scheduling methods. Under the dendrometric method, the threshold for irrigation, based on trunk growth rate (TGR) and maximum daily shrinkage (MDS), was assessed over the first 3 years, then modified in the last 2 years according to the results obtained. Compared to ETc or tensiometric methods, the dendrometric method led to considerable reductions in the amount of water applied over the 5 years of the experiment (by 66% and 54%, respectively), without significantly affecting fruit yields or average fruit weights. Total soluble solids contents tended to be higher, and the extent of the red colour of the peel was higher under the dendrometric method than under the ETc or tensiometric methods. The trunk cross-sectional areas (TCSA) of apricot trees were reduced under the dendrometric method compared to the ETc or tensiometric methods, but only during year-3 of the experiment. During year-4, TCSA values tended to recover when applying the same amount of water under the dendrometric method as under the ETc method. The incidence of pitburn was lower under the dendrometric method than under the ETc or tensiometric methods, and appeared to be correlated with the percentage of the total water applied before fruit ripening. The restricted application of water was assumed to have had an impact on the incidence of pitburn by improving calcium concentrations in apricot fruit. Restricting irrigation from the time of planting is therefore not only a relevant strategy to conserve water, but also to improve fruit quality in an apricot orchard.

Biological properties of late-season apricot cultivars in the Belgrade region

Apricot cultivar assortment in Serbia is characterized by a small number of cultivars and a short period of maturing. Most apricot fruits are harvested in the season of cultivar ?Hungarian Best? or at a short time afterwards. There is particularly a lack of early- and late-maturing cultivars of high quality fruit. This study was aimed at evaluating of 14 introduced apricot cultivars of late maturing time in order to recommend the best of them for growing in the Belgrade region. The study was carried out at the Experimental station ?Radmilovac? of the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade over a period of five years (2009-2013). The experimental orchard was established in 2007, the rootstock was Myrobalan seedling, and tree spacing was 4.5 x 3 m. Control cultivar for comparison was ?Hungarian Best?, which is the most grown apricot cultivar in Serbia. Flowering of introduced cultivars ranged from three days before to three days after the control cultivar (?Hungarian Best?), while the maturation time was 7 to 15 days after the control. Compared with the control cultivar, significantly higher yield was achieved in seven cultivars (?Harogem?, ?Umberto?, ?Litoral?, ?Sophia?, ?Harlayne?, ?Bergarouge?, and ?Silistrenska Kompotna?), while significantly higher fruit weight was achieved in two cultivars (?Cegledy Arany? and ?Sophia?). Compared to the control higher content of soluble solids was found in four cultivars (?Kabaasi?, ?Late Dryanovska?, ?Harlayne?, and ?Silistrenska Kompotna?). Cultivar ?Sophia? got the best score for fruit appearance, while cultivars ?Late Dryanovska? and ?Silistrenska Kompotna? got the best scores for taste. Among studied apricot cultivars, for the cultivation in the Belgrade region, the following cultivars can be recommended as promising: ?Sophia? for fresh consumption, and ?Harlayne? and ?Silistrenska Kompotna? for processing. In addition, five cultivars of combined traits (both for fresh consumption and processing) can also be recommended: ?Harogem?, ?Cegledy Arany?, ?Bergarouge?, ?Pisana? and ?Late Dryanovska?.

Influence of stock on physical and chemical traits of fresh apricot fruit

Abstract The study was conducted to determine the effects of Myrobalan rootstock and Blackthorn interstock on fruit physical and chemical traits of five apricot cultivars. The results showed that cultivars grafted on Myrobalan rootstock appear to induce a higher fruit mass when compared with the Blackthorn interstock. Blackthorn interstock showed a tendency to induce a higher soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio than Myrobalan. Values of soluble solids content, total sugars, titratable acidity and fruit firmness between Myrobalan rootstock and Blackthorn interstock were not significant. Regarding cultivars, the greatest fruit mass observed in Roxana in both treatments, and the lowest in Biljana on Myrobalan and in Vera on Blackthorn. The lowest soluble solids, total sugars and soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio were found in Roxana in both variants of grafting, whereas the greatest titratable acidity also observed in Roxana in both cases, respectively. Based on the results from this study, the fruits of Roxana can be recommended for fresh consumption, whereas fruits of the other cultivars can be recommended for processing.

Effects of post-harvest calcium chloride or salicylic acid treatments on the shelf-life and quality of apricot fruit

SummaryThe purpose of this work was to estimate the effects of post-harvest calcium chloride or salicylic acid treatments on the physicochemical characteristics and shelf-life of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) ‘Asgar-Abad’ fruit stored at 1ºC in a normal atmosphere for 21 d after harvest. Fruit were dipped in deionised water (control), or in 40, 60, or 80 mM CaCl2, or in 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 mM salicylic acid (SA) for 10 min.Total soluble solids (TSS) contents, titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid contents, total phenolics contents, and total anti-oxidant activity were determined 7, 14, or 21 d after each treatment. Fresh weight (FW) loss, titratable acidity, and TSS contents were improved by all treatments. Fruit treated with 3 mM SA exhibited the highest phenolics content during the storage period. At the end of the storage period, the highest values of TSS were observed in the 2.0 mM and 3.0 mM SA treatments. This experiment revealed that post-harvest treatment with SA or CaCl2 prolonged the storage-life and preserved the valuable marketing characteristics of apricot fruit, presumably because of their inhibitory effects on fruit softening, ripening, and senescence. Over 21 d in cold storage, 2.0 mM SA was found to be the best treatment to maintain fruit quality in terms of FW loss, while 60 mM CaCl2 was optimal for achieving high ascorbic acid concentrations and enhancing the anti-oxidant capacity of fruit.

Proteomic analysis of apricot fruit during ripening

Ripening of climacteric fruits involves a complex network of biochemical and metabolic changes that make them palatable and rich in nutritional and health-beneficial compounds. Since fruit maturation has a profound impact on human nutrition, it has been recently the object of increasing research activity by holistic approaches, especially on model species. Here we report on the original proteomic characterization of ripening in apricot, a widely cultivated species of temperate zones appreciated for its taste and aromas, whose cultivation is yet hampered by specific limitations. Fruits of Prunus armeniaca cv. Vesuviana were harvested at three ripening stages and proteins extracted and resolved by 1D and 2D electrophoresis. Whole lanes from 1D gels were subjected to shot-gun analysis that identified 245 gene products, showing preliminary qualitative differences between maturation stages. In parallel, differential analysis of 2D proteomic maps highlighted 106 spots as differentially represented among variably ripen fruits. Most of these were further identified by means of MALDI-TOF-PMF and nanoLC-ESI-LIT-MS/MS as enzymes involved in main biochemical processes influencing metabolic/structural changes occurring during maturation, i.e. organic acids, carbohydrates and energy metabolism, ethylene biosynthesis, cell wall restructuring and stress response, or as protein species linkable to peculiar fruit organoleptic characteristics. In addition to originally present preliminary information on the main biochemical changes that characterize apricot ripening, this study also provides indications for future marker-assisted selection breeding programs aimed to ameliorate fruit quality.

AN INTEGRATED APRICOT BREEDING PROGRAM IN FRANCE JOINING CEP INNOVATION - CENTREX AND INRA

The French apricot production is located in the South-Eastern part of the country and focused both in the Rhone valley and close to the Mediterranean Sea. The north of the Rhone valley is characterized by a continental climate while the southern region (Rhone valley and Mediterranean area) is under warm typical Mediterranean climate. Obviously apricot fruit production depends on a specific panel of cultivars in each area of cultivation due to economic and adaptation constraints. In order to enlarge the panel of cultivars to be developed by the growers in each region an integrated breeding program is developed at a national level in France with the participation of INRA, CENTREX and CEP INNOVATION. The main goals of the breeding program are: the elaboration of cultivars suitable for a durable production (including resistance to pests and disease), production regularity (including self-fertility and quality of the flowers), and fruit quality (including taste, attractiveness, and suitability for the transport). The evaluation phase is organized in the 3 main areas of production (Perpignan, Nimes, Valence) and follows 3 complementary evaluation stages (i) observation of the hybrid on its own roots; (ii) evaluation of the best hybrids after grafting in the 3 main areas; (iii) assessment of the agronomic and commercial interest of the 'elite' accessions in small orchards. The main results issued from this program are presented: 8 registered cultivars, 4 new selections under registration, and the first PPV resistant cultivar 'Aramis' ® 'Shamade'.

Assessment of the Bioactive Compounds, Color, and Mechanical Properties of Apricots as Affected by Drying Treatment

Consumer acceptance of dried apricots depends on them having an intense orange color, a gummy texture, and a characteristic flavor. In addition, the growing demand for healthy and nutritive foods has increased the interest in this product, as apricot fruits can be considered a good source of phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamins. Microwave energy may be an interesting drying method, an alternative to conventional sun or hot air drying, with which to obtain dried apricots with good sensorial, nutritive, and functional properties in a shorter time. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of sulfur pretreatment and the drying process (hot air and/or microwaves) on the color, mechanical properties, and ascorbic acid, vitamins A and E, and total carotenoid content of apricot. The obtained results mean that the use of microwave energy, either in combination or not with mild–hot air, may be recommended to obtain dried apricots, without needing to apply sulfur pretreatment.

From Genotype to Apricot Fruit Quality: The Antioxidant Properties Contribution

Apricot fruit (Prunus armeniaca L.) quality strictly relates to the eating quality of fresh produce. Since consumers are more and more interested in healthy food, and apricot germplasm shows a wide choice of new selections and cultivars, apricot nutraceutical properties are under evaluation in order to select outstanding genotypes, which may link breeding and marketing. In the present study, 18 apricot genotypes of the Italian and international germplasm were evaluated over three years according to pomological, total antioxidant and total phenols attributes using principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses. The antioxidant capacity ranged from 1.24 to 11.47 μmolTE gFW⁻¹ and total phenols from 0.22 to 1.58 mgGAE gFW⁻¹. Four outstanding genotypes stood out as healthy food for fresh consumption which may also be introduced in breeding programs to produce new cultivars with improved nutraceutical values in addition to fruit qualitative attributes.

Evaluation of different kinds of organic acids and their antibacterial activity in Japanese Apricot fruits

The fruit of Japanese apricot is rich in organic acids, which have strong antibacterial activities. The types and contents of organic acids in six different cultivars of Japanese apricot fruit were evaluated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus suis was also determined. The results revealed that there are nine types of organic acids in the presence of the extracts of Japanese apricot fruit, including oxalic, tartaric, malic, ascorbic, acetic, citric, maleic, fumaric and succinic acids. The total organic acid content of ‘Zhonghong’ was the highest among the studied cultivars, and the main organic acids present were citric and malic acids. The antibacterial activity on the growth of E. coli and B. subtilis was higher than on the growth of S. suis. The antibacterial effect of acetic acid against bacteria was the best, and the minimum antibacterial concentration (MIC) against E. coliand B. subtilis was 0.417 mg/mL. The citric and maleic acids were also against these three strains of bacteria. The results suggest that the antibacterial activity is related to the organic acid composition and content of Japanese apricot fruit. Key words: Japanese apricot, organic acids, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), antibacterial activity.

Postharvest Polyamine Application Alleviates Chilling Injury and Affects Apricot Storage Ability

Fruit of two apricot cultivars 'Bagheri' and 'Asgarabadi' were treated with putrescine (Put) or spermidine (Spd) at 1 mM and then were stored at 1 °C for 21 days. Fruit were sampled weekly and stored 2 days at 20 °C for shelf-life study. The treatments reduced ethylene production and maintained the firmness and color of the fruit. Peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities and total phenol (TP) concentrations were measured during storage. Both cultivars showed chilling injury (CI) incidence, and the severity in control fruit was higher than either Put or Spd treatments. CI incidence in Spd-treated fruit was lower than that of Put-treated fruit. Polyamine (PA) treatment generally increased antioxidant enzyme activity of fruit during storage. PA treatments may help maintain the quality of apricot fruit during storage by inhibiting ripening and decreasing CI incidence.

Value addition of wild apricot fruits grown in North-West Himalayan regions-a review.

Wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) commonly known as chulli is a potential fruit widely distributed in North-West Himalayan regions of the world. The fruits are good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals besides having attractive colour and typical flavour. Unlike table purpose varieties of apricots like New Castle, the fruits of wild apricot are unsuitable for fresh consumption because of its high acid and low sugar content. However, the fruits are traditionally utilized for open sun drying, pulping to prepare different products such as jams, chutney and naturally fermented and distilled liquor. But, scientific literature on processing and value addition of wild apricot is scanty. Preparation of jam with 25% wild apricot +75% apple showed maximum score for organoleptic characteristics due to better taste and colour. Osmotic dehydration has been found as a suitable method for drying of wild type acidic apricots. A good quality sauce using wild apricot pulp and tomato pulp in the ratio of 1:1 has been prepared, while chutney of good acceptability prepared from wild apricot pulp (100%) has also been documented. Preparation of apricot-soy protein enriched products like apricot-soya leather, toffee and fruit bars has been reported, which are reported to meet the protein requirements of adult and children as per the recommendations of ICMR. Besides these processed products, preparation of alcoholic beverages like wine, vermouth and brandy from wild apricot fruits has also been reported by various researchers. Further, after utilization of pulp for preparation of value added products, the stones left over have been successfully utilized for oil extraction which has medicinal and cosmetic value. The traditional method of oil extraction has been reported to be unhygienic and result in low oil yield with poor quality, whereas improved mechanical method of oil extraction has been found to produce good quality oil. The apricot kernel oil and press cake have successfully been utilized for preparation of various value added products such as facial cream, lip balm, essential oil and protein isolate with good quality attributes and consumer acceptability. However, no scientific information on utilization of shells remained after kernel separation is available, but the shells are traditionally utilized for burning purpose during winters by the farmers. Therefore, it seems that every part of wild apricot can be utilized for conversion into value-added products and commercial utilization of this fruit will certainly add value to this underutilized fruit and also increase the economy of farmers.

DEVELOPMENT OF A GRADING MACHINE FOR APRICOT FRUITS

The main objective of the present study is to develop, construct and evaluate the performance of a small-scale grading machine to suit grade fresh fruit like apricot (Canino variety). The performance of the grading machine was carried out to investigate some engineering parameters such as: four different grading speeds 5, 8, 11 and 14 rpm (0.05, 0.08, 0.12 and 0.15 m/s), fruit batch of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg and two type of grading cylinder (PVC and rubber coated cylinder) using constant grading tilt angle of 7o on grading efficiency, fruit damage and grading productivity. Physical and mechanical properties of apricot fruits (Canino variety) under study, was studied to evaluate the performance of developed a small-scale grading machine. The optimum conditions of grading machine to be operated at the maximum efficiency are: Grading speed of. 8 rpm. (0.08 m/s), fruit batch of 10 kg and rubber coated cylinder. Achieved grading efficiency of 98.41 %, fruit damage of zero %, and productivity of 610.17 kg/h. Operation costs was 7.37 L.E./h and 12.1 L.E./Mg.

Identification and pathogenicity of phytopathogenic bacteria associated with soft rot disease of girasole tuber in Egypt

Six bacterial isolates were isolated from naturally infected tubers of girasole plants (Helianthus tuberosus L.) cv. Balady showing soft rot collected from experimental Farm of Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, in El-Minia University during 2010 and 2011 growing seasons. Pathogenicity tests showed various virulence for the isolated bacteria toward girasole tubers was found pathogenic and were characterized as rod-shaped, gram negative, α-methyl-d-glucoside medium, reducing substances from sucrose, phosphatase activity and deep cavities on pectate medium. Otherwise, diagnostic tests suggested that the pathogen wasErwinia carotovora sub sp. carotovora. The isolated bacterial caused soft rot of wounded tubers when inoculated into tissues. The bacterial isolates were compared for their degree of pathogenicity as well as for differences in the specific symptoms induced in the different hosts.The tested isolates could infect several host such as fruits of apricot, apple, olive, lemon, squash, eggplant and potato tubers and cloves of bulbs and garlic and onion, root of radish, carrot, sweet potato and rape were infected by the tested isolates. On the other hand, nosymptoms were exhibited on pods of bean and cowpea, faba bean, fruits of pepper and tomato. The extracts of experimentally diseased girasole tubers were active in pectinase at pH 6 and also caboxymethyl cellulose on pH 6 compared to enzyme activities in healthy tissues. Also, the bacterial isolated increased the total and reducing sugars in infected than healthy tissues. Key words: Girasole, Erwinia carotovora sub sp. carotovora, pectinase and caboxymethyl cellulose, total and reducing sugars.