Eggplant Fruit Research Articles

Effect of plant growth regulators and deficit irrigation on canopy traits, yield, water productivity and fruit quality of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) grown in the water scarce environment

Deficit irrigation (DI) and plant growth regulators (PGRs) have strategic role for sustaining crop productivity and mitigating water stress in drought prone areas. However, their impacts are yet to be quantified for eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), a popular drought tolerant vegetable crop grown in water scarce Deccan Plateau of India. We conducted field experiments during 2016–17 and 2017–18 in a drought prone region of Deccan Plateau, India to evaluate the interactive effect of PGRs viz., 1.38 mg L−1 salicylic acid (SA), 1.5% potassium nitrate (PN), 500 ppm thio-urea (TU) and 100 ml L−1 bio-stimulant (BS) and varied levels of DI generated using line source sprinkler system. The marketable fruit yields were reduced to 86, 74, 50, 30, 12 and 8% with increased level of DI i.e. when the applied irrigation water (IW) equalled 0.00, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60 and 0.75 times the cumulative open pan evaporation (CPE) against the recommended irrigation practice (IW:CPE 0.90). Application of PGRs improved fruit yields by 7.3–22.7% and their role to alleviate water stress was indicated by lower canopy temperatures, maintaining higher leaf relative water content, modulation of stomatal opening and higher consumptive use of water. Particularly SA and TU were superior under low to medium water stress (IW:CPE 0.45–0.75) whereas PN was effective in severe water stress (IW:CPE 0.0–0.44) while the effect of BS was almost similar with PGRs like TU under medium stress conditions. The maximum water productivity (WP) varied between 5.50 and 6.77 kg m−3 for different PGRs and it was 5.16 kg m−3 without PGRs indicating water savings to the order of 28.8–57.4% with the former. The fruit quality attributes such as mean diameter, sphericity, fruit weight and firmness traits declined with water stress while these were considerably rectified with PGRs. Higher accumulation of dry matter, sugar, protein, total phenolics, flavonoids and improved rehydration quality as well as potentially affecting enzymatic activity were monitored with PGRs. It is concluded that exogenous application of PGRs like SA and PN along with medium levels of DI can help in rational utilization of water resources and could effectively improve yield and post-harvest quality of eggplant fruits especially under water scarce environment of Deccan Plateau.

Pesticide Residues in Eggplant Fruit from Khartoum State, Sudan

Background.Eggplant is a popular food item in Sudan, however pesticides are heavily used.Objective.To investigate the presence of pesticide residues in fresh eggplants in Khartoum State, Sudan.Methods.Eggplant fruit samples from three different regions in Khartoum State (central vegetable market, east Nile farms, and west Nile farms) were analyzed for residues of commonly used pesticides. Pesticide residues were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and results were expressed in μg/kg fruit.Results.Out of the 11 active ingredients analyzed, residues were identified for four pesticides (imidacloprid, dimethoate, endosulfan (α and β isomers) and 2, 4-D). Levels of omethoate, diazinon, malathion, chlorpyrifos, atrazine, and pendimethalin were below the detection limits.Conclusions.Residues of four insecticides out of the 11 analyzed (imidacloprid, dimethoate, endosulfan (α, β isomers), and 2, 4-D) were detected in the current study. The health implications of these violative levels should be regularly observed along with strict enforcement of laws and regulations coupled with agricultural extension interventions.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Enhancement of chlorogenic content of the eggplant fruit with eggplant hydroxycinnamoyl CoA-quinate transferase gene via novel agroinfiltration protocol

Background: Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is rich in health-promoting phenolic acids, primarily in the chlorogenic acid. For the production of chlorogenic acid in the eggplant hydroxycinnamoyl CoA-quinate transferase (SmHQT), is a central enzyme that catalyzes the reaction to the chlorogenic acid production. Objective: The function of SmHQT is not well determined in the eggplant fruit, and the fruit agroinfiltration procedure is not standardized for eggplant. Materials and Methods: Here, the overexpression of SmHQT in the eggplant fruit´s flesh was studied using the agroinfiltration technique. In our gene construct, we also co-expressed the P19 protein for overexpression, and the results were validated with real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Due to the overexpression of the SmHQT gene, higher chlorogenic content was exhibited by the eggplant fruits, which was further validated by HPLC. The chlorogenic acid content after following the agroinfiltration procedure was more two times in the agroinfiltrated fruit. To identify the optimal target for increasing chlorogenic pathway flux post-SmHQT activity, expression patterns were analyzed with qRT-PCR, and the results showed the changes in the expression level of the other chlorogenic acid pathway genes. Furthermore, the cis regulating elements and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses supported the HPLC results. Conclusion: Overall, here, insights into the eggplant chlorogenic content increment at the molecular level and the opportunities for the improvement of chlorogenic content as nutrition in crops are provided.

Effects of biochar on cadmium (Cd) uptake in vegetables and its natural downward movement in saline-alkali soil

ABSTRACT The focus was to assess the effects of biochar on Cd uptake by various vegetables and its downward movement in saline-alkali soil and carried out in polluted pots experiment. The results showed that the biomass of vegetables increased significantly by 16.9% to 519.9% while the Cd concentration in green pepper and eggplant fruits was decreased by 6.8% to 11.5% and 15.1% to 15.4% with the biochar application. The Cd in contaminated soil profile was transferred from topsoil (0-6 cm) to subsoil (6-12 cm) that was observed as 14.30 ± 4.17 mg kg-1. The concentrations of Cd in soil with different fractions like exchangeable, reducible and oxidizable and the Cd uptake by vegetables were reduced. The release of residual Cd was decreased by 0.3 to 20.1% over time with biochar application (0-12 cm). The biochar was effective in mitigating the soil Cd pollution by preventing the vertical Cd leaching.

Biology of eggplant fruit and shoot borer Leucinodes orbonalis guenee from Malaysia: A review

Eggplant Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae), well known as brinjal is an important vegetable. Like other vegetables, it is also subject to attack by various insect pests. Brinjal shoot and fruit borer is the most destructive at both vegetative and reproductive stages in South and Southeast Asia. It causes significant reduction in yield up to 80%, and leads to problems for the farmers. This review is on the biology of the shoot and fruit borer Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera). Since this pest causes economic damages in Malaysia, this article describes all stages of the life cycle, incubation and larval period, larval instars, pupal period, adult longevity, fecundity, and total developmental period.

Polysaccharide-Based Edible Coatings Improve Eggplant Quality in Postharvest Storage

Eggplant fruits are highly perishable as they have a short shelf life after harvesting. To prolong the shelf life of perishable goods, application of edible coatings has been utilized. Edible coatings have been used in various agricultural commodities to preserve their quality and prolong their postharvest life. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different polysaccharide-based edible coatings on the physico-chemical, biochemical, and physiological properties of eggplant fruits. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with nine (9) treatments and three (3) replications. Four (4) edible coatings were evaluated at two different concentrations. Sodium alginate (AL), pectin (PE), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and cornstarch (CS) were tested at 1 and 2% concentrations. On days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12, samples were taken for the physicochemical, biochemical, and physiological analysis. The results of the study showed that the application of polysaccharide-based edible coatings significantly reduced weight loss and shriveling It also maintained firmness and VQR, prolonged shelf life, enhanced pH, TSS, TA, preserved vitamin C content, maintained moisture and dry matter content, and reduced respiration and microbial count of eggplant without significantly affecting ethylene production. The different coatings (alginate, pectin, carboxymethyl cellulose, and cornstarch) significantly maintained the quality of eggplants for eight (8) days compared to the control. Among the different coatings tested, alginate showed the best result in maintaining the quality of eggplant fruit. It significantly reduced weight loss, shriveling, and microbial count, and preserved vitamin C content. Therefore, edible coatings, especially alginate, are effective in maintaining eggplant quality during postharvest storage.

Temperature impacts on the eggplant shoot and fruit borer Leucinodes orbonalis: a life table approach

The eggplant shoot and fruit borer (ESFB), Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a notorious insect pest that causes havoc across all eggplant cultivation areas in Bangladesh. Remarkably, its relationship with environmental factors such as temperature is not clearly defined. We measured the effects of a range of temperatures (22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 °C) on the population growth parameters of ESFB under laboratory conditions (60 ± 5% relative humidity and 16 L:8 D photoperiod), developing an age-stage, two-sex life table. Results indicate that temperature significantly reduced development times and adult total lifespan and affected ESFB life table parameters (P < 0.05). Specifically, the egg hatching time reduced from 5 days at 22 °C to 3 days at 30 °C, while larval and pupal duration reduced from 12 to 8 days and 10 to 7 days respectively. Thus, the generation time (T) was longer (29 days) at 22 °C and shorter (22 days) at 30 °C; meanwhile, the highest fecundity (61 eggs per female) was recorded at 28 °C and the net reproduction rate (Ro) was higher at 24–30 °C, being (18–24) offspring/individual. Consequently, the ESFB population reared at 28 °C and 30 °C had higher finite rates (λ = 1.15 and 1.14 respectively) and intrinsic rates of natural increase (r = 0.14 and 0.13 respectively), testifying the most suitable temperatures for their growth and reproduction. Our findings contribute to understanding ESFB bionomics and occurrences, and thus, might enhance implemented management strategies, particularly in developing pesticide application schedules.

Effects of Infrared Radiation on Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Greenhouse Cultivation and Fruits' Phenolic Profile.

The implementation of Infrared (IR) radiation in heated greenhouses possesses the advantage of high directional control and focused compensation of energy losses, appropriate for creating local microclimate conditions in highly energy-consuming systems, such as greenhouses. Moreover, it can efficiently maintain favorable environmental conditions at the plant canopy. The present study studies the application of Infrared (IR) heating in an experimental greenhouse with eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivation. The experimental results are presented from a full cultivation period inside two identical, small scale experimental greenhouses, with IR and forced air heating system, respectively. The effects of IR heating over plant growth parameters, including the yield of the fruits as well as the total phenolic content and the antioxidant profile of eggplants fruits’ extracts are measured and discussed. The results indicate a greater uniformity production in the IR heating greenhouse in terms of antioxidant and radical scavenging activities, as well as the total phenolic content. Moreover, the phenolic profile of eggplant fruits from both greenhouses revealed the existence of numerous bioactive compounds, some of which were only characteristic of the eggplant fruits from IR heated greenhouses.

Impact of Grafting, Salinity and Irrigation Water Composition on Eggplant Fruit Yield and Ion Relations

Scarcity of fresh water in arid and semi-arid regions means that we must use more saline waters for irrigation and develop tools to improve crop salt tolerance. The objectives of our study were to (1) Evaluate fruit production, salt tolerance and ion composition of eggplant cv Angela, both nongrafted and when grafted on tomato cv Maxifort rootstock and (2) Evaluate eggplant specific toxicity effect of Cl− and Na+ ions under saline conditions. We salinized the irrigation water with either a Na+-Ca2+- Cl− composition typical of coastal Mediterranean ground waters as well as a mixed Na+-Ca2+-SO42− Cl− type water, a composition more typical of interior continental basin ground. For each water type we evaluated 5 different salinity (osmotic) levels of –0.003 (control), –0.15, –0.30, –0.45 and –0.60 MPa. There were no statistically significant differences in the fruit yield relative to the water type, indicating that Cl− ion toxicity is not a major factor in eggplant yield associated with salinity. This conclusion was confirmed by the determination that leaf Cl content was not correlated with relative yield. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) at which yield is predicted to be reduced by 50% was 4.6 dS m−1 for the grafted plants vs. 1.33 dS m−1 for the nongrafted plants. The relative yield was very well correlated to leaf Na concentrations regardless of grafting status, indicating that Na is the toxic ion responsible for eggplant yield loss under saline conditions. The increased salt tolerance of cv Angela eggplant when grafted onto tomato Maxifort rootstock is attributed to a reduced Na uptake and increased Ca and K uptake with Maxifort rootstock.

Recovery of eggplant field waste as a source of phytochemicals

The influence of ripening stage was evaluated on fruit characteristics of three widely cultivated eggplant cultivars (Birgah, Black Bell and Black Moon), with the aim to characterize their fruit residual waste for phytochemicals extraction. At overripening stage, eggplant fruits showed the highest average weight, dry matter content and weight incidence of the pulp. Total anthocyanins concentration of the peel (mainly represented by nasunin) was higher at commercial ripening, whereas total polyphenols (most of all 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and steroidal glycoalkaloids (α-solasonine and α-solamargine) peaked at the overripening stage. Because of these modifications, every ton of fresh fruit gave up to 59 g of total anthocyanins, 1054 g CAE of total polyphenols and 252 g of total glycoalkaloids, depending on cultivar and fruit ripening stage. This study highlighted the possibility to manage the choice of cultivar and harvest time in the view of valorise this raw material for phytochemical extraction.

ENHANCING EGGPLANT PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH IRRIGATION SCHEDULING REGIME AND FOLIAR SPRAY WITH CHITOSAN CONCENTRATES

Two Field trials were carried out at Abo-Gensho village, Abshway District, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, during two successive summer seasons of the 2017 and 2018 to study the effect of irrigation scheduling treatments andfoliar spray with chitosan concentrates on growth parameters, yield and its components and some water relations of eggplants cv. black beauty. Three irrigation scheduling treatments based on coefficients of cumulative pan evaporation (CPE), i.e. I1: 1.1, I2:0.9 and I3: 0.7 CPE with three chitosan concentrates, i.e. C1: 0 (without addition, control), C2:40 and C3:80 mg l-1 with three replications in a strip plot design. Results indicated that the highest plant growth and eggplant fruits yield in both seasons were detected from a combination of irrigation at 1.1 CPE and spraying by 80 mg l-1 as chitosan concentrate. Further, it resulted in highest values for seasonal consumptive use (ETC) as well as water use efficiency (WUE). On other hand, it could be recommended the combination of irrigation at 0.9 CPE and applying 80 mg l-1 as chitosan concentrate in Egypt for enhanced eggplant fruits yield especially under deficit irrigation water conditions.

Feasibility of Using Bitterness and Foaming Properties as Surrogate Instrument in Assessing Antioxidant Potentials of Selected Eggplant Cultivars

This study attempt to circumvent the hurdle associated with the utilization of laborious and expensive procedure to assess some health promoting properties of eggplant fruits. The feasibility of using simple and cheap procedure as a surrogate tool to gain insight into the antioxidant potentials of eggplant cultivars was evaluated. Some eggplants cultivars obtained fresh were used for the work. Extracts from the garden eggs were analysed for relative reducing power, total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity using DPPH. Physical and Sensory attributes such as foaming ability and stability, and level of bitterness were also carried out. Results showed that assessment of some antioxidant markers notably total phenolic content (2.266 – 6.406), radical scavenging activity (35.00 – 82.50) and relative reducing power (0.139 – 1.145), showed positive correlation (r = 0.60281 - 0.803348; r = 0.861877 -0.905333; and r = 0.851459 - 0.958941) with bitterness, foaming capacity and foaming stability respectively. Simple and cheap quality control protocol could be used as surrogate tool to gain insight into the antioxidant markers, a health promoting endowment of some eggplants. Keywords - Eggplants, bitterness, foaming capacity, surrogate tool, antioxidant potentials.

Karakteristik Buah Dan Biji Terong (Solanum Melongena .L var. Kenari) Setelah Diberi Ekstrak Air Akar Eceng Gondok (Eichhornia crassipes)

Thai aubergine or eggplant, or goes by local name terong kenari (Solanum melongena L. var Kenari), is a vegetable included in the family Solanaceae. Eggplant loved by most of Indonesians, either eaten fresh or cooked. However, some often despise eggplant’s seeds as it may cause digestive problem. Plant hormone in controlling plants’ growth, such as giberelin, are frequently used to produce seedless or no-seed eggplant. This study is conducted to test the impact of water hyacinth, or goes by local name eceng gondok (Eichhornia crassipes), root extract treatment in the characteristic of eggplant (Solanum melongena L. var Kenari) fruit and seeds. This research is done in experimental manner, using the completely randomized design, including four different extract’s concentration; 0 g/L, 50 g/L, 100 g/L, and 150 g/L; and one giberelin treatment that are given five times, repeatedly. According to the research conducted, the water hyacinth root extract treatment results in the increase of the quantity and weight of the eggplant, and also the reduction in seeds, as it also affects the fruit skin layer thickness. As in the study, the optimum outcome is obtained with the concentration of 150 g/L water hyacinth root extract; which result in average number of fruit 6.6 for each plant, average weight 179.57 gram per fruit, average number of seeds 561 per fruit, average weight 6.14 gram per seed, and average skin thickness 0.78 in each eggplant. &#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Eggplant, gibberellin hormone, water hyacinth, characteristic of eggplant fruit and seeds&#x0D;

Early detection of eggplant fruit stored at chilling temperature using different non-destructive optical techniques and supervised classification algorithms

Eggplant fruit is a chilling injury sensitive vegetable and should not be stored at lower than 12 °C postharvest, although fruit are often placed in temperatures as low as 0–5 °C. For this reason, a rapid early detection of eggplants previously stored at chilling temperatures would allow early removal of those fruit from the market. Eggplant fruit (cv. Fantasy) were stored either at 2 °C (chilling injurious temperature) or at 12 °C (safe storage temperature) for 10 days. Every 2 days, fruit from each group were sampled and left at room temperature, for one additional day. Color measurements in the CIE L*a*b* mode and reflectance data in the wavelength range 360–740 nm, Fourier Transform (FT)-NIR spectra (800–2777 nm) and hyperspectral images at the visible (400–1000 nm) and near infrared (900–1700 nm) part of the electromagnetic spectrum were also acquired on each fruit. Three supervised algorithms; partial least square (PLS), supervised vector machine (SVM) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) were applied to classify fruit according to the storage temperature. Chilling injury (CI) was subjectively evaluated, according to the presence of black seeds or of brown discolored flesh area. According to the results, although chilling injury symptoms started being evident only after the 4th day of storage at 2 °C, it was possible to discriminate fruit earlier, since day 2, by processing the FT-NIR spectral data with the SVM classifier (100 and 92% non-error-rate (NER)) in calibration and cross validation, respectively) in the whole period data set. Color or FT-NIR spectral data classified with PLSDA permitted relatively good classification of fruit (>83% accuracy) since the 4th day of storage, while L, C, H° color measurements or Vis-NIR hyperspectral imaging data combined with PLSDA generate trustworthy models only after the 6th day of storage. On the other hand, NIR hyperspectral imaging technique and kNN classification algorithm were incapable to separate the fruit either accurately or consistently. These results indicate a good potential of adapting selected protocols, in terms of technique, processing of the raw data and supervised classification algorithm, in order to minimize postharvest losses induced by the improper temperature management of chilling sensitive fruit, such as the eggplants.

Influence of soursop (&lt;i&gt;Annona muricata&lt;/i&gt; L.) leaf extract on quality indices of stored fruits of field grown egg plant (&lt;i&gt;Solanum melongena&lt;/i&gt; L.)

The use of various plant leaf and spices extracts that are economically and environmentally friendly during pre-harvest and postharvest stages are becoming popular among researchers in recent year to enhance the shelf life and quality of fruits. The main objective of the study is to assess the effect of Soursop (Annona muricata) extracts on physical parameters and quality of stored egg plant (Solanum melongena L.). The experiment was carried out at the Department of Crop Science and Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Imo State University, Owerri. The experimental design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with four treatments levels and four replications. The treatments are control (T1), 25% ethanol extraction (T2), 50% ethanol extract (T3) and 75% ethanol (T4) extract of plant extracts (Soursop). Fruits of egg plant were dipped for 5 minutes and 10minutes in ethanol extract (25%, 50% and 75%) of Soursop leaf and stored at laboratory temperature. Analysis of physical parameters was done at 24hours Interval while proximate analysis was done at the end of the storage period. After 3-6 Days the highest colour change (60%) and decrease in shrinking (73.33%) were recorded in control.T3 for 5 minutes and 10 minutes soaking period gave the lowest percentage of physiological weight loss of 13.2% and 13.81% respectively which were significantly different(p<0.05) from 18.19% and 17.63% respectively recorded from control. The result of proximate composition, revealed that T4 recorded the highest Crude protein of 14.61% and 14.79% from 5 minutes and 10 minutes soaking period which was significantly different (p<0.05) from control. However, Application of Soursop plant extracts improved nutritional quality of egg plant and reduced physical degradation.Keywords: Soursop, plant extracts, physical parameters, and egg plants

New hosts of tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse on eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus sp. L.) from India

The tea mosquito bug (TMB), Helopeltis theivora is a serious pest on tea, cashew and cocoa. Of late, H. theivora expanded the host range attacking certain weeds, vegetables and medicinal plants. Following a farmer complaint, field investigations on eggplant and amaranth plot at Kollam District, Kerala, India were conducted. Individual plants were observed for the symptoms, immature or adult stages of pests. The investigations revealed new feeding hosts of H. theivora on eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and green amaranth (Amaranthus sp.). The infestation caused 98% damage on eggplant. Blighted appearance of leaves and scabs were noticed on leaves and fruits of eggplant, respectively whereas whitish speckles were observed on amaranth leaves. The red ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (F.) was found as a potential predator of TMB on eggplant ecosystem. The current observations on TMB highlight the first report of the pest on cultivated eggplant and amaranth. The expanding host range of TMB on a wide spectrum of economic plants warrants extensive and exhaustive pest surveillance and intensive scouting and monitoring mechanism for designing effective pest management solutions.

Effects of combined red, blue and white LED light on the quality of eggplant seedlings and fruit peels.

The effects of red/blue=3/1 [R/B=3/1(9/3), as control, CK1], white light (W, as control, CK2), and combined light of red, blue and white [R/B/W=3/1/1 (9/3/3), T1; R/B/W=9/3/8, T2; R/B/W=3/1/6 (9/3/18), T3; R/B/W=3/1/16 (9/3/48), T4] on the growth, root development, quality and yield of eggplants were examined to provide theoretical and technical support for intensive and high-efficient light supplement and eggplant seedlings cultivation, using LED to accurately regulate light environment and 'Gailiangdalong' eggplant, based on the previous findings of the benefits of R/B=3/1 to the cultivation of eggplant seedlings. The results showed that R/B/W=9/3/8 treatment significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, seedling index, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, root development, anthocyanins and flavonoids content in eggplant peels and early yield. Root/shoot, total phenolic content in eggplant peels and soluble sugar content in pulps under R/B/W=3/1/1 treatment were significantly higher than those of other treatments. Total leaf area and free amino acid content in pulps were higher under R/B/W=3/1/6 treatment. The soluble protein content in pulps was higher under R/B/W=3/1/16 treatment. In summary, combined LED light of red, blue and white could improve the quality of eggplant seedlings and the yield and quality of eggplant fruits, with R/B/W=9/3/8 treatment being the best one in our study.

Identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of RT-qPCR data in eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée)

The eggplant shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a monophagous and destructive insect pest of eggplant. L. orbonalis developed multiple insecticide resistance that led to frequent field control failures in many countries. The possible reversal of resistance in L. orbonalis requires an understanding of the expression dynamics of individual genes conferring resistance to insecticides through gene expression analysis. The availability of reference genes (RG) to normalize transcript data of target genes, achieved by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), is mandatory. Hence, the present study investigated the stable expression pattern of nine putative reference genes viz., actin, 28S ribosomal protein S18c, mitochondrial isoform X2 (28SM), calnexin, β-tubulin, 28S ribosomal protein S3 mitochondrial (28SR3), TATA box binding protein (TATA), elongation factor-1α (EF-1α), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and ubiquitin 60S ribosomal protein (Ubiquitin) to select the most stable genes that could be used as reference genes for target transcript gene normalization. Different algorithms such as ΔCt, geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper were used to assess gene expression stability. By integrating these data into online RefFinder tool, 28SR3 and GAPDH, were chosen as highly suitable RGs based on their stable expression pattern.

Evaluation of shelf-life, antioxidant activity and nutritional quality attributes in carnauba wax coated eggplant genotypes.

Eggplant genotypes of white, green and violet are very popular in the specific regions of sub-tropics and tropics. These possess enormous health benefits as having high antioxidant activity. Due to limited shelf life i.e. 3days at ambient storage, wholesalers and retailers apply many unhygienic practices. They use petroleum based oil to make the fruit surface shiny and attractive. In the present study, Eggplant genotypes, viz. violet, green and white, were assessed after carnauba wax (CW) emulsion containing additives such as 2.5% polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 0.5% sodium alginate (SA) as T1, 0.5% SA as T2, 2.5% PEG as T3 and non-coated eggplant fruits as control fruits (T4) for shelf life extension and retention of nutritional quality attributes at ambient condition (20 ± 2°C and RH 52-54%) for 7days. The additives mixed CW coatings were effective in extending the shelf life and retaining the nutritional quality attributes than control genotypes. Sodium alginate (SA) mixed CW coating resulted in maximum shelf life extension of white eggplant genotypes by 7days as compared to 3-4days in control eggplant genotypes at ambient storage. However, 6.9%, 1.83% and 6.04% decrease in physiological loss in weight was obtained in 0.5% SA based CW coating after 5days of ambient storage of violet, green and white eggplant genotypes, respectively in comparison to fully control eggplant genotype. The firmness level of eggplant genotypes in 0.5% SA based CW coating was more (85.1%, 50% and 45%) after 7days of ambient storage of violet, green and white genotypes, respectively in comparison to fully control eggplant genotype. Similarly, total phenol content was also increased (26.1%, 37.5% and 180.9%) in 0.5% SA based CW coated eggplant genotypes of violet, green and white, respectively after 7days of ambient storage in comparison to fully control eggplant genotype. Initially there had been increase in antioxidant activity in white genotype up to 5days of storage which thereafter decreased on 7days of storage in all the treatments. However, violet and green genotypes had not followed any trend during storage.

Effect of low-temperature conditioning combined with methyl jasmonate treatment on the chilling resistance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruit.

Chilling injury (CI) can injure harvested eggplants and lead to a reduction in postharvest quality. The present study examined the effect of low-temperature conditioning (LTC) combined with a methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment on CI by analyzing the visual appearance and physiology of eggplants stored at 4°C. Results indicated that treatment of eggplants with LTC+MeJA effectively maintained the visual quality of eggplants, inhibited a decline in chlorophyll and total phenolics, delayed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), decreased polyphenol oxidase (PPO) gene expression and enzyme activity, and enhanced the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), as well as the expression of their corresponding genes. Collectively, the data indicate that LTC combined with MeJA effectively improves the CI tolerance of postharvest eggplant fruit stored at 4°C, by enhancing the activity and relative gene expression of antioxidant enzymes.