Fresh-cut Research Articles

Evaluation of Biodegradable Gelatin and Gelatin–Rice Starch Coatings to Fresh Cut Zucchini Slices

Biodegradable packaging minimizes negative environmental impacts of synthetic materials and maintains product quality. Fresh cut vegetables and fruits such as zucchini were sensitive to degradation, which could be delayed by edible coatings. Mixtures of gelatin and other biopolymers were commonly used in novel food packaging preserving quality characteristics of foods. In this study, for first time, gelatin and a gelatin mixture with rice starch were applied to zucchini slices during 7 days of storage at 5 °C in order to evaluate weight loss, firmness, breaking force and color. Gelatin coating as a treatment type demonstrated superior ability to preserve the quality of sliced zucchini fruit and contributed to the maintenance of their texture characteristics similar to values of the control group. The addition of rice starch to the gelatin coating also maintained firmness and breaking force, but accelerated the increase of weight loss and decreased lightness compared to control samples. In conclusion, this study on coatings of gelatin and a gelatin–rice starch mixture enriches the knowledge within the food industry on biodegradable coatings, and gives useful information for zucchini slice storage at a low temperature.

Physiological and quality changes in fresh-cut mango fruit as influenced by cold plasma

In this study, fresh-cut (FC) mango cubes were treated with cold plasma (CP) at 75 kV for 3 min using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) generator and then stored at 15 °C for 4 d to simulate a shelf life, during which the quality parameters and related physiological metabolisms were evaluated. The results showed that CP treatment effectively delayed the declines in organoleptic and nutritional qualities in FC mangoes, as manifested by higher retentions of chromaticity parameters (L*, a* and b*), firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), SSC/TA ratio and carotenoids content in CP-treated samples during storage. CP treatment repressed the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (O2-. and H2O2) and reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), thus reducing oxidative damage to FC mangoes. Inhibition of browning-related phenolic oxidation, as demonstrated by higher contents of total phenolics and flavonoids accompanied by lower activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), was noted in CP-treated FC mangoes compared to control FC fruit. CP treatment also maintained antioxidant capacity in stored FC mangoes by increasing the contents of ascorbic acid (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR). In addition, CP treatment markedly inhibited the growth of total microbial counts, thus contributing to the improvement of edible safety in FC mangoes. The results suggest that CP treatment could be a promising preservation technology for improving the quality and extending the shelf life of FC mango fruit.

Transcriptome analysis reveals mechanisms of acetylsalicylic acid-mediated fruit quality maintenance in fresh-cut kiwifruit

Postharvest ripening and processing of fresh-cut (FC) kiwifruit brings quality deterioration and spoilage, including substantial changes in fruit color, texture and flavor. Hence, a series of preservation techniques have emerged to reduce postharvest loss and maintain FC kiwifruit quality. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a derivative of plant endogenous hormone salicylic acid, in preserving the quality and delaying the ripening process of FC kiwifruit. Compared to the control fruit, ASA treatment maintained a better fruit appearance and higher fruit firmness, as well as reducing mass loss, total soluble solids and ethylene production. Based on the RNA-seq data and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), eight biosynthetic genes were identified as involved in fruit quality change, which participates in cell wall metabolism, starch degradation/sugar accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis. Moreover, the analysis showed that four transcription factors were significantly induced by exogenous ASA treatment. Dual-luciferase assays proved that ASA-responsive transcription factors regulated fruit quality-related genes, resulting in delaying ripening process and extending the shelf-life of FC kiwifruit. This study showed that ASA effectively delayed the ripening process, and AcWRKY7/AcDOF21/AcC2H2–151/AcbHLH123 are associated with the ASA-mediated fruit quality maintenance.

A growth model based on standardized growing degree days for hydroponic fresh cut tulip in solar greenhouses

A growth model based on standardized growing degree days for hydroponic fresh cut tulip in solar greenhouses

Comparative Analysis of Aerobic Composting of Fresh Cut Floral Waste

Abstract Increased levels of pesticide applications are used when growing cut flowers in many developing countries where most are grown and where they are less restrictive on pesticide use when compared to regulations in the United States. Therefore, special consideration should be given to cut flower disposal from floral shops that utilize flowers from other countries due to the potential for pesticide leaching into land and waterways. Most retail florists in the industry dispose of their floral waste in municipal dumpsters. While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stringent guidelines to prevent the importation of insect and disease pests, there are no regulations regarding residual pesticides or other harmful chemical contamination on imported floral crops. Composting is one technique used as an alternative waste management method to traditional landfill dumping and can produce a valuable commodity for agricultural, horticultural, and related industries. The main objectives of this study were to compare the physicochemical properties of two different compost protocols that incorporated cut flower and foliage waste and to determine whether pesticide residues remained in the finished compost. Analysis of results were based on the U.S. Composting Council's Tests Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost used by the U.S. Composting Council's Seal of Testing Approval (STA) program. When compared to STA standards, both compost samples pH, total nitrogen, C:N ratio, and bioassay were found to be within normal ranges for compost sold in the horticulture industry. Chemical analysis found the levels of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, zinc all to be well below set industry standards. Additionally, the compost was tested for 23 herbicides and insecticides. Of those, two herbicides (clopyralid and MCPA) and one insecticide (lufenuron) were found in the sample in trace amounts, though well below USDA standards for food crops after the composting process. Results indicated floral waste collected from retail flower shops has the potential to be incorporated into a composting system to create a quality compost suitable for use in the horticulture industry.

Significance to the Horticulture Industry

Significance to the Horticulture Industry

Effect of alginate-based coating charged with hydroxyapatite and quercetin on colour, firmness, sugars and volatile compounds of fresh cut papaya during cold storage

Active alginate-based coatings with quercetin glycoside and complexes of hydroxyapatite/quercetin-glycoside were used to study the shelf life of fresh cut papaya stored at 6 °C. Hydroxyapatite was used as a carrier for the release of the bioactive compound. The parameters considered affecting the quality of the fruit during storage were weight loss, color, texture, sugars and volatile compounds. Active coatings with hydroxyapatite and quercetin glycoside proved a higher capacity to slow down the degradation phenomena studied, showing less weight loss, a lower reduction in glucose and fructose, as well as better firmness, than the other samples after 14 days of cold storage. Benzyl isothiocyanate, the characteristic odor compound of papaya fruit, ranged from approximately 10.0 μg/kg in fresh cut fruit to approximately 7.50 μg/kg in samples coated by alginate with hydroxyapatite/quercetin and 3.6 μg/kg in the fresh cut papaya without coating after 14 days of cold storage. The trials also indicated greater effectiveness of alginate coatings alone and with quercetin-glucoside in preserving the color of freshly cut papaya.

Effects of Precise Temperature Treatment on the Browning, Physiological and Quality of Fresh Cut Lotus Root

Effects of Precise Temperature Treatment on the Browning, Physiological and Quality of Fresh Cut Lotus Root

Evaluation of edible coatings for microbiological and physicochemical quality maintenance of fresh cut papaya

Fresh cut fruits face more challenges owing to their more chances for microbial spoilage. Edible coatings can act as a barrier to keep their organoleptic quality intact and to control microbial spoilage. In the present study, six different edible coatings were evaluated for their antimicrobial efficacy over fresh cut papaya that showed coated samples have low microbial count as compared to uncoated samples. Alginate, pectin, and chitosan showed at par results in controlling microbial growth over FC papaya. However, pectin-coated FC papaya showed more significant results in terms of microbial inhibition and quality maintenance. Optimization studies revealed that FC papaya dipped in 1% w/v pectin for 3 min resulted in 5–6 days shelf life extension in contrast to uncoated sample. Shelf life studies showed that pectin-coated FC papaya stored under refrigeration can be consumed till 12th day with all its quality characteristics and microbial load under acceptable limits. Practical Applications Evaluation of different edible coatings over fresh cut papaya and optimization of coating conditions can help in developing a technology to extend the shelf life of fresh cut fruits. Edible coatings over fresh cut fruit is an interesting way to enhance the shelf life of fresh cut besides increasing its nutraceutical values. The developed protocol can help the fruit growers to opt for technology and to increase the fresh cut market in North India.

Optimization of Disinfection Treatment for Shelf Life Extension of Fresh Cut Salad Vegetables

In the present study, disinfectant pre-treatment conditions were optimized for Fresh cut salad vegetables after evaluating bactericidal efficacy of the five different disinfectants viz. Sodium hypochlorite, potassium metabisulfite, citric acid, acetic acid and benzoic acid. Sodium hypochlorite @ 100ppm was selected for disinfectant pretreatment of fresh cut vegetables viz. cucumber, carrot and tomato through physicochemical and microbial analysis. Optimization of pre-treatment conditions viz. temperature, pH and contact time was statistically designed and analyzed using response surface methodology. Numerical optimization of results revealed a temperature of 6.5, 10.0 and 6.5°C; pH 6.0, 7.0 and 7.0; contact time 23.0, 8.0 and 30.0 minutes was found to be optimized for fresh cut cucumber, carrot and tomato disinfectant pretreatment with a desirability level of 94, 94 and 92%, respectively. Shelf life analysis of pre-treated (under optimized conditions) and untreated fresh cut vegetables stored under refrigeration conditions (5-7°C) revealed enhancement in shelf life of treated fresh cut vegetables from 6, 9 and 6 days to 9, 12 and 9 days of fresh cut cucumber, carrot and tomato, respectively. During shelf life period, all physicochemical parameters of pre-treated fresh cut vegetables differed non-significantly along with microbial load under acceptable limits and a good sensory score.

Abstract 66: A multi-institution examination of concordance in spatial transcriptomics using the GeoMx Cancer Transcriptome Atlas

Abstract Multiplexed spatial profiling can enable biological insights by characterizing gene expression within discrete physical locations of a tissue. However, these advanced techniques can be confounded by variability of sample collection, storage, or profiling protocols, making it difficult to accurately compare data generated by different laboratories. Further, as more spatial profiling datasets become publicly available, having methods to enable meta-analysis of samples collected on different studies will maximize the learnings to support the advancement of treatments or identifying patient segments. To quantify the variability of spatial profiling data at different laboratories and to advance data normalization methodologies, 4 independent laboratories used the NanoString® GeoMx® Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP) to profile serial 5 µm sections of tissue and cell pellet arrays (CPAs). GeoMx DSP enables high throughput, spatially resolved analysis of gene or protein expression from fresh or archival human tissues. In this study, the GeoMx Cancer Transcriptome Atlas was used to profile >1800 genes simultaneously. We examined the concordance of GeoMx data generated in the different laboratories when controlling for methodical variation (e.g., reagents, tissue source) and experimentally varying region of interest (ROI) size, collection site, and sample preservation methods. Sections of tonsil, colon, and 2 CPAs were profiled separately at the 4 laboratories. Each analyzed fresh cut (FC) tissues and two sites examined sample stability by analyzing the impact of storing slides at -80°C for 1 month prior to spatial profiling. Concordance analysis was performed using the Horn-Morisita Index on raw data comparing paired and unpaired ROIs across each set of slides. In CPA samples where each pellet was a different tumor type (e.g., NSCLC, melanoma), we observed strong clustering by cell line. While data initially showed varying degrees of clustering by slide, factoring out this variable removed the association of slide, allowing integration of the data across profiling locations without affecting concordance within slides. In tonsil, ROIs with increasing area were profiled. Comparing expression between pairs of samples for a given area, concordance increased with ROI size (R = -0.40, p<6e-06). Finally, we observed little impact of preservation method (FC vs -80°C) in these data. In this study, we quantify slide-specific variation observed in high-plex RNA profiling by the DSP platform and detail methods for accounting for this variation. We note that many downstream analyses (e.g., differential expression) already model slide effects during the analysis, but modeling it explicitly allows for direct comparison of concordance with other approaches (e.g., clustering, PCA). These methods support the use of multi-institution studies leveraging the GeoMx platform. Citation Format: Tyler Hether, Tim Howes, David Scoville, Charlie Glaser, Yanyun Li, Rami Vanguri, Neeman Mohibullah, Wan-Jung Chang, Todd Yoder, Minnal Gupta, Kathy Ton, Yan Liang, Ying Huang, Zach Herbert, Jason Reeves, Elizabeth Mittendorf, Simon Lacey, Travis Hollmann, Sarah Warren, Theresa LaVallee. A multi-institution examination of concordance in spatial transcriptomics using the GeoMx Cancer Transcriptome Atlas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 66.

Significance to the Horticulture Industry

Significance to the Horticulture Industry

An Analysis of the Quality of Compost Produced from Vermicomposting Fresh Cut Flower Waste

Abstract Higher levels of pesticide applications are used when growing cut flowers when compared to other crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, and rice, much of the floriculture industry production occurs in developing countries where less environmental regulations may be in place compared to those in the United States. Therefore, special consideration should be given to cut flower disposal from floral shops due to the potential excessive leaching of pesticides into land and waterways. Most retail florists in the industry dispose of their floral waste into municipal dumpsters. There are an estimated 13,200 retail flower shop locations in the United States, comprised of single location and multiple location companies. While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stringent guidelines to prevent the importation of pests and plant diseases, there are no regulations on the disposal of spent floral crops that may contain residues of pesticides or other chemicals. Vermicomposting is a method of composting used for pollution abatement while having the added benefit of acting as an alternative waste management method to traditional landfill dumping. The castings produced are a valuable commodity for agricultural, horticultural, and related industries. The main objective of this research was to analyze the quality of compost produced from vermicomposting fresh cut floral waste. Analysis of results was based on the U.S. Composting Council's Tests Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost used by the U.S. Composting Council's Seal of Testing Approval (STA) program. When compared to STA standards, pH, soluble salts, organic matter, total nitrogen, carbon, carbon-to-nitrogen, bioassay, and respirometry all were found to be within normal ranges for compost sold in the horticulture industry. Chemical analysis found the level of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, zinc all to be well below set industry standards. Additionally, the vermicompost was lab tested for 23 herbicides and insecticides. Of those, one herbicide (clopyralid) and two insecticides (clofentezine and lufenuron) were found in the sample in trace amounts, and well below Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set industry standards for acceptable trace amount in U.S. products. Results indicated floral waste collected from retail flower shops can be incorporated into a vermicomposting system to create a quality compost suitable for use in the horticulture industry.

Effects of Postharvest Gaseous Ozone Treatment on Quality Attributes and Extending Storage Life of Fresh Cut ‘Hass' Avocado Fruits

Effects of Postharvest Gaseous Ozone Treatment on Quality Attributes and Extending Storage Life of Fresh Cut ‘Hass' Avocado Fruits

Preservation of postharvest quality of fresh cut cauliflower through simple and easy packaging techniques

Increasing urbanization, changes in life style and involvement of more women into jobs has forced to find out easy way to get safe and nutritious foods. Fresh cut (FC) vegetables and fruits may satisfy these demands as healthy alternatives. FC processing gives additional value to fresh fruits and vegetables in terms of convenience, fresh, nutritious, and time saving. Therefore, the objective is to investigate the effect of different types of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum packaging during storage at low temperature on postharvest quality of FC cauliflower. Washed and surface water free cauliflower pieces were packed into different packaging techniques like i. without packaging (control); ii. polypropylene (PP) box iii. Styrofoam tray wrapped with cling film; iv. 1% perforated low density polyethylene (LDPE); v. sealed LDPE; vi. vacuum LDPE. After packaging, all samples were stored at refrigerator (4±1°C and 50±5% RH). The effectiveness of the packaging in extending shelf life with quality was evaluated by determining respiration rate, firmness, weight loss, external colour, ascorbic acid , total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity, pH, total sugar, reducing sugar, yeast, mould, total bacterial count (TBC) and sensory quality. At 10th day of storage, sensory quality in case of overall acceptability, control/unpacked FC cauliflower secured 4.4 scores that indicate unacceptable by the consumer's preference, while more than 8 (like very much to like extremely) scores were obtained by all type of packed FC cauliflowers. However, vacuum packed FC cauliflower obtained 7.5 scores (like moderately to like very much) whereas rest of the packaged FC cauliflowers scored around 4 (unacceptable) at 20th day of storage in case of overall acceptability.

Daya Suka Kalkun terhadap Hijauan, Dedak Padi dan Ransum Komersial dengan Free Choice Feeding

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consumption of feed ingredients (forage, rice bran and commercial rations) in adult local turkeys using free choice feeding. A total of seven adult male turkeys were used in this study, fed with forage (Musa paradisiaca, Ipomea spp, and Indigofera sp leaves), rice brand and commercial ration. Five kinds of feed ingredients were placed in different feeders in each turkey cage. The fresh cut forage was prepared into small pieces of 1-2 cm. Each feed ingredient was analyzed for nutrient content (moisture content, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, NFE (Nitrogen Free Extract), ash and gross energy). The data obtained were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the most palatability forage by adult native turkeys was ipomea spp, indigofera spp and Musa paradisiaca leaves respectively. The commercial ration was the most preferred feed ingredient of all the feed ingredients tested and was followed by rice bran. Adult local turkeys consumed fresh forage was 62 % and total rice bran and commercial feeds was 38%, resp. Consumption of dry matter forage was 17.59% and total rice bran and commercial rations was 82.41%. It can be concluded that turkey feed can consist of forage, rice bran and commercial ration.
 Key words: free choice feeding, Indigofera sp, Ipomea sp, Musa paradisiaca, native turkey, rice bran

Effect of nitrogen levels and harvest timing on growth, yield and quality of lettuce under floating hydroponic system

Nitrogen (N) supply and harvest timing through ‘reaping and re-growth’ method are critical determinants of yield and quality in hydroponically grown leafy vegetables. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was chosen as a test crop for evaluating the effect of nitrogen applications and harvesting times. In India, farmers often apply N without guidance and improperly harvest leafy vegetables. Therefore, it is essential to determine the optimum N supply and harvesting time for yield and quality enhancement of hydroponically grown lettuce. We studied the effect of different levels of N (4, 6, 8 and 10 mmolL−1) and two harvest timings on the growth attributes and quality of lettuce. The higher N levels (10 and 8 mmolL−1) showed pronounced positive effects on growth, yield, and quality of lettuce. However, the dry matter yield and ascorbic acid content decreased with the increase in N levels. For a continuous supply of fresh cut leaves of lettuce and to optimize leaf nitrate content, the plants has to be harvested by adapting cut and come again method during winter season. The average growth rate, showed significant positive response to N. The present study demonstrates that optimum levels of N (10 mmolL−1) and harvest through cutting (after 45 days of harvesting) significantly increase the leaf yield and quality of the lettuce.

Characterization of Fat Quality in Cow Milk from Alpine Farms as Influenced by Seasonal Variations of Diets.

Simple SummaryMilk produced in Alpine farms under pasture- and-grass-based feeding systems is characterized by beneficial nutritional traits, which are linked to its high fat quality. In this study, milk samples collected in two alpine farms set in the Italian Piedmont region were analyzed together with samples of feedstuffs (pasture, fresh grass, concentrates and total mixed ration) furnished to cows during summer and winter, when the feeding strategy was modified. The results suggested a favorable fat composition of all samples analyzed, with some differences detected between the seasons and the farms. The milk obtained following a pasture- or fresh-grass-based feeding strategy (during summer) showed a higher fat quality, which was characterized by higher amounts of beneficial fatty acids. Particularly, a distinctive fat composition of milk samples coming from cows exclusively fed on pasture during the summer season was evidenced. The outcomes obtained in this study contributed toward evaluating and promoting alpine dairy products from the Alpine region as products associated with an added value, with beneficial effects for both producers and consumers.The production systems linked to mountain animal husbandry have had an environmental, social and cultural role in recent years. Zootechnical systems based on feeding strategies, such as pasture grazing and grass-fed strategies, contribute to a significant increase in the relative amounts of favorable fatty acids (FAs) in animal products, indicating their ability to improve the long-term health of consumers. In this study, we compared different feeding strategies in two small mountain farms in the Piedmont Alpine region, Italy. Particularly, during the summer season, the two farms were distinguished by the exclusive employment of Alpine pasture (farm A), assumed as the best way to improve the quality of the FA profile in milk vs. the supply of daily fresh cut mountain grass plus a reduced implementation with hay and concentrates directly in the barn (farm B). The milk fatty acid profile was analyzed using gas chromatography. The results showed the high quality of alpine milk collected in the two farms. Even with some differences, particularly evidenced when comparing the summer diets, the milk FA profiles in farm A and farm B were favorable from a nutritional point of view in both seasons. Milk samples obtained using the exclusive employment of alpine grazing during summer were represented by an FA profile of higher quality (lower saturated FAs, higher branched FAs and monounsaturated FA, favorable n6/n3 ratio). However, milk obtained using the integrated strategy (fresh grass plus concentrates in the barn farm B) resulted in a more homogenous composition during the summer season, with a higher concentration of polyunsaturated FAs. These outcomes suggested that the integrated strategy, even if related to a lower ability in improving milk FA profile, could represent a valid and cost-effective alternative for mountain farmers to obtain an overall superior quality of milk, which was not strictly linked to the grazing practice. The multivariate analysis showed that information contained in the milk FA profile may provide a valuable tool that can distinguish mountain-grass-based diet.

Multi-Analytical Approach to Study Fresh-Cut Apples Vacuum Impregnated with Different Solutions.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different solutions for vacuum impregnation (VI) of fresh-cut (FC) apples through an innovative multi-analytical approach. In particular, the individual and synergistic effects of ascorbic acid and calcium lactate on the preservation of freshness of FC apples was assessed through color, texture, microscopy, isothermal calorimetry, and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) evaluations. The analysis was performed immediately after VI and after 24 h of refrigerated storage. The obtained results showed a good preservation of color and higher firmness in the impregnated samples. Concerning the metabolic heat production, a decrease following the VI treatment was observed, especially when the combined solution was used for the impregnation. The TD-NMR studies showed higher changes in terms of signal intensity and transversal relaxation time T2 after 24 h of storage, evidencing the meta-stability of the plant material for its dynamic tissue nature, and the dewatering/impregnation processes evolution until the achievement of dynamic equilibrium.

Development of low-cost edible coatings based on polysaccharides with active lactic acid bacteria for the protection of fresh produce modeled using fresh cut apples.

The loss of fresh produce along the supply chain represents a significant contributor to environmental and economic burden. Although technological advances in distribution and storage have provided a means to reduce the loss of fresh produce, in resource-limited settings, these technologies may not be available. One attractive approach to help address this limitation is to use edible coatings to protect fresh produce from biotic and abiotic factors that cause food deterioration. Here, we developed edible coatings from materials that are cheap and easy to prepare: maize starch, κ-carrageenan, and agar as the matrix; glycerol as the plasticizer; and Lactobacillus plantarum TPB21.12 as the active ingredient. Using fresh cut apples as a model substrate, we found that maize starch coating retained color, agar coating delayed browning, and κ-carrageenan coating decreased mass shrinkage of the fresh cut apples. L. plantarum TPB21.12 remained viable in the edible coating suspensions during storage and was active against Escherichia coli TPB21.8, a model bacterium for biotic factor that causes food spoilage. The simplicity of the edible coating formulation and preparation method offers an attractive approach for applications to help protect fresh produce from deterioration and reduce food loss and waste generation.