Cold Storage Treatment Research Articles

Effect of individual quick freezing treatment and cold storage on the host egg (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) quality for the production of the parasitoid Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae)

BackgroundThe augmentative release of the parasitoid species Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is essential for managing the recent invasion of litchi stink bugs (Tessaratoma papillosa (Drury)) (Hemiptera: Tessaratomidae) in Taiwan. The mass release program in the spring targets this univoltine pest’s reproduction cycle. Low-temperature storage for the host eggs and parasitoids is required to maximize the production for the annual release program. This study aimed to enhance the shelf life of Samia cynthia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) eggs using the combination of refrigeration and individual quick freezing (IQF) as a storage treatment. Storage of A. japonicus in the IQF-treated S. cynthia eggs was evaluated to determine the optimal production process during the short preparation window before the release.ResultsThe influences of cold storage and IQF treatment on the host eggs were evaluated for different storage durations. The host quality was determined according to the emergence rate and female ratio of A. japonicus. The study’s results demonstrated that the host quality of S. cynthia eggs did not change significantly compared to the control group after 28 d of refrigeration at 7 °C. IQF treatment extended S. cyathia’s shelf life to 5 months without significantly affecting the host quality. Applying IQF at different developmental stages of the host eggs affected the parasitism rates of A. japonicus. Significantly higher emergence rates of A. japonicus were recorded in the eggs treated during the initial development (D0 to D2). However, storing parasitoids in the IQF-treated eggs under the current storage condition for one month at 12 °C significantly impacted the parasitoid’s emergence rate.ConclusionsThe results of this study highlight the potential benefits of the individual quick freezing technique. This technique didn’t alter the egg quality of S. cynthia, a crucial factor for the mass production of A. japonicus. The IQF treatment extends the shelf life of the host eggs to 5 months when stored at − 20 °C, a significant improvement compared to the 4-week shelf life without IQF treatment. This technology offers a promising and efficient approach for the mass production of A. japonicus and supports field releases. The treatment allowed for the stockpiling of host eggs during the off-season, which can help expedite the mass production of A. japonicus to fit an eight-week production window.

Validity of cold storage and heat treatment on the deactivation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from fish meat markets.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans when handling or consuming improperly cooked fish meat. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thermal treatment on V. parahaemolyticus isolates. Different heat treatment methods are used to determine the best methods for controlling V. parahaemolyticus, isolated from fish meat, which include microwave, low-temperature long-time, and high-temperature short-time methods. The V. parahaemolyticus isolates significantly declined in bacteria count when they were kept at 4°C, and 25°C for a long time, and the V. parahaemolyticus isolates significantly declined in bacteria count manner when they were kept at -20°C for a long time. The high temperature and long-time exposure at 75°C/25 minutes by moist heat, 87°C/5 minutes by dry heat, and 70°C/20 minutes by frying heat were enough to kill V. parahaemolyticus isolates. This work can be useful to decrease the hazards of infections related to V. parahaemolyticus and reduce the causes of fishborne pathogens.

Hypothermic machine perfusion reduces donation after circulatory death liver ischemia-reperfusion injury through the SERPINA3-mediated PI3Kδ/Akt pathway.

Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) has been demonstrated to be more effective in mitigating ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of donation after circulatory death (DCD) organs than cold storage (CS), yet the underlying mechanism remains obscure. We aimed to propose a novel therapeutic approach to ameliorate IRI in DCD liver transplantation. Twelve clinical liver samples were randomly assigned to HMP or CS treatment and subsequent transcriptomics analysis was performed. By combining in vivo HMP models, we discovered that HMP attenuated inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in DCD liver through a SEPRINA3-mediated PI3Kδ/AKT signaling cascade. Moreover, in the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model of BRL-3A, overexpression of SERPINA3 mitigated H/R-induced apoptosis, while SERPINA3 knockdown exacerbated cell injury. Idelalisib (IDE) treatment also reversed the protective effect of SERPINA3 overexpression. Overall, our research provided new insights into therapeutic strategies and identified potential novel molecular targets for therapeutic intervention against DCD liver.

Oxidative stability of white striping chicken breasts: effect of cold storage and heat treatments

This study aimed to investigate the level of lipid and protein oxidation in poultry breasts with severe white striping (WS; striation thickness > 1 mm) and nonaffected meats (N; normal breast) during storage under refrigeration (1°C for 14 d) and freezing (-18°C for 90 d). WS presented higher lipid content, although no difference in protein content was detected, compared to normal broiler breast (N). Regarding oxidative damages, a reduction in malondialdehyde and carbonyl protein, hexanal, octanal and nonanal levels, alongside the interaction of these compounds with other compounds in raw, roasted, and reheated breasts was observed under refrigerated storage (14 d). Freezing storage promotes an increase in carbonyls proteins, hexanal, octanal and nonanal levels at 45 d of storage in poultry meats and subsequent decrease, indicating the evolution of oxidative reactions. Regardless of the type of storage, in general, breasts with WS myopathy have higher levels of lipid and protein oxidation.

Specific wavelength LED light pulses modify vitamin C and organic acids content in raspberry and blackberry fruit during postharvest

ABSTRACT Light-emitting diodes (LED) have emerged as a non-polluting and energy-saving technology in fruit postharvest. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different LED light pulses during raspberries´ and blackberries´ postharvest under cold storage. Fruit was exposed to short LED light pulses (Green, Blue, Red, and Red+Blue) of 15 min every 2 h for 7 and 14 d of storage at 4°C. Raspberries were more susceptible to water loss. Short LED light pulses decreased internal breakdown in raspberries, and minor effects of LED treatments were observed in blackberries. After 7 d of cold storage, in raspberries, Green, Blue, and Red light treatments increased the content of quinic and malic acids, and only Green and Blue LED sources also increased ascorbic acid content. In addition, Blue, Green, and Blue+Red LED light treatments exhibited a higher level of citric acid at 14 d. In blackberries, fruit changes were mainly because of the cold storage. Overall, these results showed that short LED light pulses can extend the postharvest life of raspberries, decreasing internal breakdown and increasing the content of ascorbic acid, suggesting that different Rubus species have distinct physiological processes underlying ripening and light interactions.

New insights into in mycotoxins production in Alternaria infected apple during postharvest storage

As an apple fruit rot disease related fungus, Alternaria spp. could bring severe hazardous risk to apple fruits during postharvest storage. In this research, cold treatment is investigated for inhibition of Alternaria infection and related mycotoxins production during postharvest storage of apple. Morphology results show that cold treatment could inhibit Alternaria rot in inoculated apple samples. Alternariol Monomethyl Ether (AME), Alternariol (AOH), and Tenuazonic Acid (TEA) are the major mycotoxins during room storage temperature at 25 °C, while only AOH is detected after 30 d at 4 °C storage. The results revealed that room temperature could bring hazardous risk while toxic risks might still exist during cold storage. Metabolites of Alternaria mycotoxins are also identified in this work with metabolic pathways of glucose conjugation, hydrogenation reduction, oxidation, and dehydrogenation reaction. Cold storage treatment could lead to down-regulation of nature products in inoculated apples, including all five target Alternaria mycotoxins. This research proposed new insights into mycotoxins production in Alternaria infected apple during postharvest storage process, which will be benefit for better understanding of postharvest storage and safety control of fruits.

Combined Effect of 1-MCP with Honeybee Wax on Plum Quality during Cold Storage

Post-harvest treatment plays a significant role in extending the shelf life of fresh produce. This study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the efficacy of post-harvest 1-MCP and bee wax treatment on plum quality under cold storage condition (3±1oC, RH; 80-85%). Fruit were divided into 9 groups and subjected to different treatments i-e T0 (untreated) T1 (1-MCP 0.5µl/L), T2 (1-MCP 1µl/L), T3 (5% bee wax), T4 (10% bee wax), T5 (1-MCP 0.5µl/L+5% bee wax), T6 (1-MCP 0.5µl/L+10% bee wax), T7 (1-MCP 1µl/L+5% bee wax), and T8 (1-MCP 1µl/L+10% bee wax). Various physicochemical and sensory quality attributes were evaluated at 12 days intervals for 60 days. The results for the sample T8 revealed lowest decrease in ascorbic acid (10.15%), titratable acidity (15.05%), overall acceptability (34.52%) and lowest percent increase weight loss (2.71%), total soluble solid (18.40%), total sugar (19.49%), pH (11.63%).While T0 showed highest percent decrease in ascorbic acid (41.67%), titratable acidity (55.91%), overall acceptability (74.80%) and highest increase in percent weight loss (14.34%), total soluble solid (30.82%), total sugar (30.50%), pH (22.45%). Therefore, it could be concluded that T8 demonstrated good results for physicochemical and sensory characteristics during cold storage treatment. Furthermore, combination of 1-MCP and bee wax could be used to preserve the internal and external quality.

Impact of cold storage followed by drying of mashua tuber (Tropaeolum tuberosum) on the glucosinolate content and their transformation products

SummaryMashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum), an Andean crop used in traditional medicine, has become of interest due to its phytochemicals specifically glucosinolates (GLS). Little is known about the impacts of cold storage and drying processing operations on the GLS composition of mashua‐derived products. This work evaluated the changes in GLS content and profile, derived from GLS biotransformation and myrosinase activity content, during controlled postharvest cold storage (12 °C and 80% RH) and after drying (60 °C and 1.8 m s−1). The GLS content reached its maximum value after 10 days of postharvest cold storage. The derivatives detected were 4‐Methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, 4‐methoxy Benzeneacetonitrile, 4‐Methoxybenzyl alcohol methyl ether, Benzyl isothiocyanate and Benzeneacetaldehyde. The processing of tubers into flour resulted in significant GLS losses of 38%–87% compared with the respective cold storage treatment. Myrosinase activity showed no correlation with the content and type of GLS and low correlation with isothiocyanates and nitriles present. Our results revealed that drying conditions must be controlled to maintain GLS concentration in the final product.

Norway spruce somatic embryogenesis benefits from proliferation of embryogenic tissues on filter discs and cold storage of cotyledonary embryos.

Vegetative propagation opens opportunities for the multiplication of elite tree progeny for forest regeneration material. For conifers such as Norway spruce (Picea abies) the most efficient vegetative propagation method is seed multiplication through somatic embryogenesis. Efficient culture methods are needed for somatic embryogenesis to be commercially viable. Compared to culturing as clumps, filter disc cultures can improve the proliferation of embryogenic tissue (ET) due to more even spread and better developmental synchronization. In this study, ET proliferation on filter discs was compared to proliferation as clumps. The study comprised 28 genotypes in four trials. The benefits of adding a pre-maturation step and the selection of fresh ET for the subculture were evaluated. Pre-maturation on hormone-free media before maturation did not significantly improve embryo yield but improved greenhouse survival from 69% to 80%, although there was high variation between lines. Filter disc cultivation of ET did result in better growth than in clumps but was more dependent on ET selection and the amount of ET than the clump cultivation method. Filter proliferation also favors certain lines. Post-maturation storage can be used to change the storage compound composition of the produced mature embryos. The embryo storage compound profile was analyzed after post-maturation cold storage treatments of 0, 4, 8, 31, and 61 weeks and compared to that of the zygotic embryos. Cold storage made the storage compound profile of somatic embryos closer to that of zygotic embryos, especially regarding the raffinose family oligosaccharides and storage proteins. Sucrose, hexose, and starch content remained higher in somatic embryos even through cold storage. Prolonged storage appeared less beneficial for embryos, some of which then seemed to spontaneously enter the germination process.

Adeno-associated virus mediates gene transduction after static cold storage treatment in rodent lung transplantation

ObjectiveAdeno-associated virus is a clinically used gene therapy vector but has not been studied in lung transplantation. We sought to determine the efficacy of adeno-associated virus delivery during static cold storage via the airway versus the pulmonary artery before lung transplantation in a rodent model. MethodsLewis rat lung grafts were treated with a dose of 8e8 or 4e9 viral genome/μL recombinant adeno-associated virus subtype-9 vectors containing firefly luciferase genomes administered via the pulmonary artery or airway during cold storage. A control group did not receive adeno-associated virus. Recipient syngeneic rats then underwent single left lung transplantation. Animals underwent bioluminescence imaging on postoperative days 7, 14, 28, and 56. Explanted tissues were prepared as lysates to quantify luciferase activity. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate cellular transgene expression patterns. ResultsControl animals with no luminescent signal produced a background radiance of 6.1e4 p/s/cm2/sr. In the airway delivery group, mean radiance was greater than the control at 4e9 viral genome/μL postoperative day 7 radiance 6.9e4 p/s/cm2/sr (P = .04). In the pulmonary artery delivery group, we observed greater in vivo luminescence in animals receiving 4e9 viral genome/μL compared with all other groups. However, analysis of tissue lysate revealed greater luminescence in the airway delivery group and suggested off-target expression in heart and liver tissue in the pulmonary artery delivery group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated transgene staining in distal airway epithelium and alveoli but sparing of the vasculature in the airway delivery group. ConclusionsAdeno-associated virus mediates gene transduction during static cold storage in rat lung isografts when administered via the airway and pulmonary artery. Airway administration leads to robust transgene expression in respiratory epithelial cells, whereas pulmonary artery administration targets alternative cell types and increases extrapulmonary transgene expression.

Physical modification of maize starch by gelatinizations and cold storage

The effects of gelatinization at three selected temperatures (DSC characteristic peaks temperature: TO, TP, and TC) and subsequent cold storage (CS) treatment on structural characteristics, pasting, and rheological properties of maize starch (MS) were investigated. The pasting, rheological properties of MS was changed with the increase of gelatinization temperature from TO to TC, but were not further significantly changed if the gelatinization temperature was higher than TC. Pasting and thermal properties analysis suggested that gelatinization at TC (TC treatment) significantly increased the gelatinization and pasting temperature of MS. Moreover, TC treatment decreased breakdown viscosity by 8.49 times and setback viscosity by 2.53 times. Dynamic rheological measurements revealed that the TC treatment caused the lower G' and G" of MS, and decreased the thickening coefficient by 55.17 %. These results indicated that TC treatment could enhance the thermal stability properties of MS, inhibiting the shear and short-term retrogradation, the shear-thinning behavior of MS. Interestingly, the CS treatment further inhibited the shear and short-term retrogradation and the shear-thinning behavior of MS. The leaked starch molecules aggregate to form a harder structure after gelatinization and starch molecules were further aggregated after CS treatment, these all were hypothesized to be responsible for these results.

Effects of Freezing Lycorma delicatula Egg Masses on Nymph Emergence and Parasitization by Anastatus orientalis.

Lycorma delicatula (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), native to China, was first detected in Pennsylvania, U.S. in 2014. This polyphagous pest can feed on over 70 plant species including agricultural crops, like grapes, that have high economic value. Anastatus orientalis Yang and Choi (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is an egg parasitoid associated with L. delicatula egg masses in China that is being evaluated for possible introduction into the U.S. for classical biological control of L. delicatula. In support of this program, the suitability of frozen L. delicatula eggs for parasitization by A. orientalis was evaluated in a quarantine laboratory. Host egg masses held for four different cold storage periods (5°C for <1, 4, 8 and 11 months) were frozen at -40°C for 1 hour or 24 hours and exposed to female A. orientalis for parasitization for seven days. Following this experimental exposure period, rates of L. delicatula nymph emergence and A. orientalis parasitism were assessed for each of the eight different cold storage treatments. Host acceptance and suitability of frozen L. delicatula eggs by A. orientalis was assessed in terms of percentage parasitism, offspring sex ratio, and hind tibia length of emerged parasitoids. Results indicated that L. delicatula nymphs failed to emerge from eggs that were exposed to -40°C for 1 hour and 24 hours and A. orientalis could successfully parasitize L. delicatula eggs regardless of cold storage and freezing treatment. These results add a new tool for long term maintenance of L. delicatula egg masses and rearing methods for egg parasitoids of this pest. Additionally, it may be possible to field deploy sentinel eggs of L. delicatula frozen at -40°C to survey for resident natural enemy species capable of parasitizing eggs of this pest in advance of anticipated L. delicatula invasions into new areas.

An Investigation of Factors Affecting the Rooting Ability of Hardwood Muscadine Cuttings

Rooting hardwood cuttings from muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia Michx. syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia) vines has traditionally been considered an exceptionally difficult task. Many previous studies observed almost no root formation, leading to a general consensus that muscadines should either be propagated by softwood cuttings or vegetative layering. However, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Fruit Breeding Program has been using a hardwood rooting protocol for muscadines with moderate success for the past 10 years. The application of this protocol to meet the modest propagation needs of the breeding program has significantly shortened the time required to advance selections. The goal of this research was to more adequately describe the factors affecting the rooting ability of hardwood muscadine cuttings. This research investigated the effects of cultivar, bottom heat, cold storage, vineyard location, and cutting collection date on the outcome of muscadine hardwood cuttings. The study was conducted during the dormant seasons of 2019–20 and 2020–21, and an overall rooting percentage of 16% was observed. There were multiple higher-order interactions affecting rooting efficacy. Cuttings taken in November generally rooted at higher rates, although interactions with vineyard location and cultivar played a significant role in those results. The Ocilla, GA, location performed exceptionally well in November with rooting percentages greater than 40%. The effects of supplying bottom heat and/or a cold storage treatment on rooting success declined as the dormant season progressed. Other variables such as increased cutting length and diameter were associated with increased rooting success. A second statistical analysis using only data from November showed that when cuttings were not given a cold storage treatment that rooting percentages were greater than 27%. Ultimately, this research shows that institutions with modest muscadine propagation needs can successfully propagate plants from hardwood cuttings.

The Characteristics of Fresh-cut Rambutan Fruit during Cold Storage

Rambutan is a delicious tropical fruit that contains various components that are beneficial for health. Damage to the fruit’s skin often causes a decrease in consumer interest. Therefore, fresh-cut rambutan is preferred over whole fruit. A decrease in the quality of fresh-cut rambutan due to cold storage was observed. This study aims to determine changes in the characteristics of fresh-cut rambutan during cold storage. Whole fruit controls were prepared to observe deterioration during storage. The study used a completely randomized design with three replications. Storage time of 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days to determine the water content, acidity, total dissolved solids, vitamin C contents, and micrograph of fresh-cut rambutan fruit with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The conclusion is cold storage treatment has an effect on the characteristics of moisture content, degree of acidity, and vitamin C of fresh-cut rambutan fruit. While the total dissolved solid has no effect on the characteristics of fresh-cut rambutan. The decrease in the characteristics of fresh-cut rambutan was sharper than that of intact fruit starting on day 6.

On the Potential of Packaging for Reducing Fruit and Vegetable Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Access to food remains a critical issue in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, 24.1% of its population suffers from undernourishment, and malnutrition affects more than a third of children under five years old. This problem will be exacerbated as the Sub-Saharan African population is predicted to double by 2050. To address this problem, it is imperative to meaningfully improve accessibility of fruits and vegetables for the population.They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that can fight malnutrition. Fruit and vegetable accessibility can be improved by reducing losses, which are estimated on average to be 50%. A literature review shows that there are many areas where solutions can be implemented to reduce these losses. These areas, in order of decreasing occurrence in the literature are: Cold storage, harvesting methods and pre-storage treatments, packaging, transport to markets and the sale stage. The reduction of food waste in SSA involves the establishment of better practices in all these areas. After analysis, it emerges that packaging should generate more interest due to its comparative ease of implementation to support other technologies like cold storage. Packaging made from agricultural waste or non-consumable materials should be highlighted to prevent pollution issues. This solution, in addition to offering a strong potential to fight against pollution, could also increase farmers’ income.

Very Early Corona Treatment-Mediated Artificial Incubation of Silkworm Eggs and Germline Transformation of Diapause Silkworm Strains

Diapause is an important biological characteristic for many insect species to adapt to adverse environmental conditions and maintain the continuity of the race. Compared with the traditional hydrochloric acid or/and cold storage treatment methods, the artificial corona incubation technology of silkworm (Bombyx mori) eggs has many advantages including, the absence of pollution, easy operation and safety. However, this technology has not yet been applied in sericulture. In this study, we developed a novel artificial corona instrument to successfully disrupt the diapause of newly laid and refrigerated eggs from various Chinese and Japanese lineage silkworm strains. Subsequently, we invented a very early corona treatment (VECT) strategy to prevent the diapause of newly laid silkworm eggs within 4 h of oviposition. The hatching rates of the larvae were more than 95% in all diapause silkworm strains, which was comparable to the effect of the traditional HCl treatment strategy. In addition, we developed a combination strategy of VECT and pre-blastoderm microinjection and successfully created transgenic silkworms in various diapause strains. The results of the current study can aid in improving the corona artificial incubation technology and promote its application in sericulture.

Propagation of &lt;I&gt;Prunus speciosa&lt;/I&gt;, &lt;I&gt;P. incisa&lt;/I&gt;, and &lt;I&gt;P. lannesiana&lt;/I&gt; ‘Kawazu-zakura’ Cherry Blossom Trees by Wet and Cold Storage Treatment of Seeds and Propagation of &lt;I&gt;P. speciosa&lt;/I&gt; by Dormant Branch Cutting Using Pruned Branches

Propagation of &lt;I&gt;Prunus speciosa&lt;/I&gt;, &lt;I&gt;P. incisa&lt;/I&gt;, and &lt;I&gt;P. lannesiana&lt;/I&gt; ‘Kawazu-zakura’ Cherry Blossom Trees by Wet and Cold Storage Treatment of Seeds and Propagation of &lt;I&gt;P. speciosa&lt;/I&gt; by Dormant Branch Cutting Using Pruned Branches

Pear Fruits Ripening Response to Ethylene and Temperature Treatments

A factorial experiment with complete randomized design carried out in Erbil governorate, Iraq on two varieties of pears (Pyrus communis L.) spadona and compote cv. to investigate the effects of ethylene and temperature treatments on fruits ripening. The experiment includes four treatments; the control (cold storage at 0±1 C° and 85-90 relative humidity), the second was putting the fruits in ambient temperature with exposure to ethylene gas (300 mg/l) for 24 hours, third and fourth treatments were putting the fruits in the ripening cabinet at 20 C° either for 8 days, or 12 days. Results indicate that compote variety was differing significantly in decreasing weight loss and fruits firmness and increasing fruits peel pigments content and peroxidase enzyme activity compared to spadona variety. Slower ripening process was gained from cold storage treatment where the fruits remain non-ripened compared to other treatments, whereas ripening fruits at 20C° for 12 days fastened the ripening process by giving highest TSS, and lowest fruits firmness, in addition to percent of weight loss. For the condition of northern Iraq, the best treatment for ripening pear fruits is treating with ethylene gas or ripening the fruits at 20C° for 8 days.

Metabolomics Study at the Postharvest Conditions of Cold Storage and Fungicide (Imazalil Sulfate) Treatment in Navel Oranges and Clementine Mandarins.

Millions of citrus products are wasted every year due to postharvest fungal infections. To minimize fungal infections, packhouses utilize aqueous applications of fungicides to prevent infections that occur during harvest. The most prominent fungal pathogens of citrus fruit are commonly treated with imazalil sulfate (IMZ) due to its efficacy for controlling these pathogens at low cost and ease of handling. However, little is known on how it alters the tissues in the citrus fruit physiology. In this study, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics study is utilized to investigate the role of IMZ treatment in the juice, albedo, and flavedo tissues of two citrus commodities (navels and clementines). The experimental design consists of (a) fresh fruits at harvest, (b) raw fruits stored at 4 °C for 10 days, and (c) raw fruits treated with IMZ and stored at 4 °C for 10 days. Twenty-seven metabolites were identified, and several changes of metabolite composition due to either cold storage or IMZ treatment for both the spatial (albedo, flavedo, or juice) and temporal levels (days and storage) were found. The results show a notable difference between metabolomics profiles across the types and tissues, particularly significant changes on the albedo tissues of clementine. Furthermore, the pathways derived from the metabolomics profiles of the cold storage and the IMZ treatment are complementary to each other. Thus, the utility of metabolomics as a quality control tool in the citrus industry has the potential for broader applications to understand fruit growth and development.

Effects of Cold Storage on Host Antheraea pernyi Egg Quality for the Egg Parasitoid Anastatus fulloi Sheng and Wang.

Simple SummaryProducing and field releasing a large number of natural enemies within a short time for pest control helps biological control programs succeed. However, host eggs are often unsynchronized with pest occurrence. Storing host eggs can help synchronize the production of parasitoids with demands of the program. Anastatus fulloi is an egg parasitoid wasp that has been successfully used to control the Tessaratoma papillosa Drury populations in south China. Antheraea pernyi eggs are used as factitious hosts of Anastatus fulloi, and cold storage of these eggs is important for large-scale rearing and successful release of Anastatus in the field. We studied the effects of cold storage of A. pernyi eggs on host egg quality and the fitness of A. fulloi. Cold storage reduced host egg quality and the suitability of host eggs for A. fulloi. To minimize losses in the large-scale rearing of A. fulloi, A. pernyi eggs should be refrigerated in a 0–3 °C or −5 °C water bath. The storage period should not exceed 6 months. The results of this study provide technical support for mass rearing of A. fulloi in biological control programs.Chinese silkworm (Antheraea pernyi) eggs are used as factitious hosts of Anastatus fulloi, and refrigeration of these eggs is essential for large-scale rearing of A. fulloi. We studied the effects of cold storage of A. pernyi eggs on egg quality and the fitness of A. fulloi reared on the eggs. Four cold storage treatments and two cold storage periods were assessed. The 0–3 °C refrigerator treatment was unsuitable for long-term (>70 days) storage. Cold storage at −5 °C and −18 °C increased the loss rate of A. pernyi eggs, but there was no significant difference between the control and 0–3 °C water bath treatment. The parasitism rate of A. fulloi was reduced when A. pernyi eggs were refrigerated for 6 or 12 months. There were no obvious differences in eclosion rate and percentage of females between control and eggs subjected to 6-month storage in 0–3 °C, −5 °C, and −18 °C water bath treatments. However, the eclosion rate and percentage of females decreased sharply when the storage period was 12 months. The overall eclosion rate of A. fulloi was reduced at the prolonged refrigeration time. Cold storage reduced host egg quality and their fitness suitability for A. fulloi. To minimize losses in the large-scale rearing of A. fulloi, A. pernyi eggs should be refrigerated in a 0–3 °C or −5 °C water bath treatment, and the storage period should not exceed 6 months.