Fruit Parts Research Articles

Metabolic Profiles of Pomegranate Juices during Fruit Development and the Redirection of Flavonoid Metabolism

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is favorable for its nutrient-rich benefits to human health. However, the global metabolic profiles of pomegranate juice and the metabolic mechanisms of its essential metabolites are poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a widely targeted metabolome, integrated with the transcriptome of juices (edible parts) of pomegranate fruits at 50, 95, and 140 days after flowering (DAF) to comprehensively investigate the metabolic profiles and potential metabolism of essential metabolites. Five hundred and nine metabolites, including 11 sugar and sugar alcohols, 17 common organic acids, 20 essential amino acids, and a variety of flavonoids, were detected in pomegranate juices. Among them, metabolites in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway greatly changed during fruit development. Notably, the redirection of metabolite flux from catechin and its derivative synthesis to anthocyanin synthesis occurred at the later developmental stages. The increased expression of Pgr021399.1 encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), Pgr017842.1 encoding anthocyanidin synthesis (ANS), Pgr015322.1 encoding anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase (BZ1), Pgr000447.1 encoding UTG75C1, and the decreased expression of Pgr024128.1 encoding leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) may trigger redirection. The results of this study provide a global view of the metabolic profiles of pomegranate juices and valuable information on the molecular mechanisms underlying the redirection of flavonoid metabolism. It also sheds light on the genetic regulation of flavonoid metabolism in pomegranate juices.

First report of Fusarium incarnatum associated with fruit rot disease of drumstick (Moringa oleifera L.) in India.

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is one of the important leafy vegetable trees widely spread from India to Africa and widely used as food and medicine. During field investigation (July, 2021) of drumstick fields in Hiriyur (13°95'79" N; 76°64'45" E), Karnataka, fruits of drumstick plants showed a characteristic rot disease with an incidence ranging from 10-12% in an area of 5 hectares surveyed. Initially water soaked lesions turned to small necrotic lesions and later coalesced to form larger areas covered with white mycelial growth leading to softening and later mummification of fruits. Infected fruits were collected (n=5) and infected fruit parts (margins of healthy and infected tissues) were cut into small pieces, surface sterilized with sodium hypochlorite (2%, v/v) and blotter dried after three sterile water washes. An associated fungal species was isolated on PDA medium amended with Streptomycin (40 mg/L) and incubated at 28 ºC for 1 week. The fungal isolate grown on PDA had dense, white, aerial mycelium with light brown coloration on the reverse side of the agar medium. Morphological characteristics of conidia were determined for single-spore cultures grown on water agar media. Microconidia were single-celled, hyaline, non septate, ovoid, and 8.4 - 9.8 × 1.8 - 2.94 μm (n=20). Macroconidia were three- to five-septate, slightly curved, tapered at the apex, and 24.4 - 28 × 2 - 4 μm (n=20). Based on morphological characters' pathogen was identified as Fusarium sp. (Leslie and Summerell, 2006). Further, three representative isolate (SMG, MYS1 & MYS2) were subjected for molecular identification. The genomic DNA was extracted following CTAB method and ITS-rDNA was amplified using ITS1/ITS4 primers (White et al., 1990) and translation elongation factor (tef-1α) gene was amplified using EF1/EF2 primers (O'Donnell et al., 2009) respectively. ITS-rDNA sequence shared 100% sequence similarity (650bp / 650bp) with reference sequence F. incarnatum (ON226997) followed by 100% sequence identity to F. equiseti (KT277307 & MT953927). But, tef-1α gene sequence analysis in nBLAST showed that the sequence shared 100% (123/123bp) identity with F. incarnatum (F. incarnatum NEAU-TG1 MH920853; M2JP3 OP312673; WEH ON456146). Combined phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate shared a common clade with reference sequence of F. incarnatum in the Fusarium-incarnatum-equiseti species complex thus confirming the identity of the isolated pathogen as F. incarnatum (Rob. ex Desm.) Sacc. 1886. The sequences obtained in the present study are deposited in GenBank database (ITS: OP508729, OQ159019, OQ159020 and tef-1α: OP477394, OQ176254, OQ176255). To prove Koch's postulates, pathogenicity test was carried out by inoculating healthy drumstick fruits cv. Bhagya (n=10) with spore suspension (105 conidia/ml). Control fruits (n=5) were sprayed with sterile water. The experiments were conducted in triplicates and repeated twice. Inoculated and control fruits were kept in a moist chamber at 26 ± 2°C for 2 days and observed at regular intervals. Development of disease symptoms were recorded on 52 out of 60 inoculated fruits which were identical with symptoms seen in the field and all control fruits remained symptomless. Identity was confirmed after re-isolation by morphology and culture studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. incarnatum causing a fruit rot of drumstick in India. This disease affected the cost of drumstick production and contributed to the decline in production in India.

Research Progress of Natural Matrine Compounds and Synthetic Matrine Derivatives.

Matrine is a quinoline alkaloid extracted and separated from the dried root, fruit, and other parts of the plant Sophora flavescens using an organic solvent. Matrine exhibits a variety of biological activities and is widely used in pharmacy, agronomy, and other fields. Due to its low bioavailability, poor chemical stability, and toxicity to the central nervous system, a large number of researchers have searched for matrine derivatives with higher biological activity and safety by modifying its structure. In this review article, the research progress of matrine derivatives obtained using two methods (extraction from Sophora flavescens and structural modifications) from 2018 to 2022 in terms of pharmacological activity, mechanism of action, and structure-activity relationship are presented. The modification of matrine over the past five years has been mainly on the D-ring. Many new matrine alkaloids have been extracted from natural products, some of which have good pharmacological activity, which broadens the strategy for matrine structural modification in the future.

Knowledge and evaluation of productis made with unconventional parts of fruit for families in social vulnerability in Goiânia

Knowledge and evaluation of productis made with unconventional parts of fruit for families in social vulnerability in Goiânia

Neuroprotective effect of Capparis ovata Desf. var. palaestina Zoh. on H2O2‐induced neurotoxicity in SH‐SY5Y cells

The neuroprotective effect of flower and fruit parts of Capparis ovataDesf. var. palaestinaZoh. plant was investigated in H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. The cells were treated with H2O2alone or pretreated with flower (COMFL) and fruit extract (COMFR) of C. ovatavar. palaestina. MTT, xCELLigence, and qualitative and quantitative determination of phytochemical constituents in the extracts by LC-MS/MS methods were employed. COMFL and COMFR had a neuroprotective effect and this effect was stronger when the presence of oxidative stress. The mass spectrums revealed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acid derivatives in the extracts. According to quantitative analyses, the main compounds were myristoleic acid, apigenin, caffeic acid, caffeic acid-3-glucoside, and 5-cynapoil quinic acid in both COMFL and COMFR and rutin was found in COMFL. The extracts could inhibit H2O2induced neuronal cell death whichmight be beneficial for the pretreatment of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases

Neuroprotective effect of Capparis ovataDesf. var. palaestina Zoh. on H2O2‐induced neurotoxicity in SH‐SY5Y cells

The neuroprotective effect of flower and fruit parts of Capparis ovata Desf. var. palaestina Zoh. plant was investigated in H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. The cells were treated with H2O2 alone or pretreated with flower (COMFL) and fruit extract (COMFR) of C. ovatavar. palaestina. MTT, xCELLigence, and qualitative and quantitative determination of phytochemical constituents in the extracts by LC-MS/MS methods were employed. COMFL and COMFR had a neuroprotective effect and this effect was stronger when the presence of oxidative stress. The mass spectrums revealed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acid derivatives in the extracts. According to quantitative analyses, the main compounds were myristoleic acid, apigenin, caffeic acid, caffeic acid-3-glucoside, and 5-cynapoil quinic acid in both COMFL and COMFR and rutin was found in COMFL. The extracts could inhibit H2O2 induced neuronal cell death whichmight be beneficial for the pretreatment of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases

LCMS/MS Phytochemical Profiling, Molecular, Pathological, and Immune-Histochemical Studies on the Anticancer Properties of Annona muricata.

Annona muricate is a tropical plant that is well-known for its edible fruit of therapeutic interest. LCMS/MS analyses were applied to identify phytoconstituents of the ethanolic extract of the whole fruits and the aqueous extract of the edible fruit part, in addition to the investigation of their anticancer properties against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in male albino mice. LCMS/MS analyses resulted in the identification of 388 components, representing a wide array of classes of compounds, including acetogenins as the major constituents, alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolics. Among them, four compounds were tentatively characterized as new compounds (1-4), including an acid derivative, protocatechuic-coumaroyl-quinic acid (1), and three flavonoid derivatives, dihydromyricetin galloyl hexoside (2), apigenin gallate (3), and dihydromyricetin hexouronic acid hexoside (4). Induction with EAC cells resulted in abnormalities in the gene expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bax and caspase-3) and anti-apoptotic gene (Bcl-2) in the tumor mass. Moreover, microscopic, histopathological, and immune-histochemical examinations of the tumor mass and liver tissues exhibited extensive growth of malignant Ehrlich carcinoma cells and marked hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes and infiltration by tumor cells to liver tissue with marked inflammatory reaction. These abnormalities were markedly ameliorated aftertreatment of EAC mice with A. muricata extracts.

Potential Role of Avocado (Persea americana)

Persea Americana commonly called as avocado, belongs to family lauraceae is a species of P. americana. It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican. It is a medicinal fruit and used traditionally to treat various diseases like cancer, viral, diarrheal, fungal, microbial infection, skin diseases, ulcer, brain disorder and inflammation. The chemical constituents obtained from different parts of fruit include fibre, carbohydrates, fatty acids. These chemical constituents are mostly responsible for the pharmacological actions. In recent in-vivo and in-vitro studies shows that persea americana have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, insecticidal, anti-cancer, antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, antidiarrheal, and anticonvulsant properties. However, immediate efforts must be made to determine its mode of action, efficacy, dose range, and safety in addressing various disease situations. The current review summarized and presented an up-to-date article on the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of persea americana (avocado) fruit.

Pembuatan Minyak Kelapa Murni (Virgin Coconut Oil) dengan Metode Fermentasi dan Optimasi Waktu Simpan dan Penjernihan Menggunakan Ekstrak Daun Lada dan Karbon Aktif

Coconut oil is a valuable part of the coconut fruit and is widely used as an industrial raw material or part of it is made into cooking oil. Oil extraction from coconut meat can be done in several ways. Extraction of coconut oil that is being developed at this time is the fermentation method using several enzymes or microbes, one of which can be used is yeast tempeh. This research aims to analyze the yield content and quality criteria of coconut oil made using the fermentation method and to analyze the effect of adding pepper leaf extract and activated carbon on the shelf life and clarification of coconut oil. From the results of experiments carried out in mixing tempeh yeast, the free fatty acid test, yield test, aroma test and density test were carried out. As for the test results, the determination of free fatty acids in this cooking oil study used the titration method with NaOH until the color changed to pink. For the redemption test, the highest oil concentration was 3 grams, while the tempeh yeast 4 grams and 5 grams decreased. Aroma test where in week 9 coconut oil without treatment experienced rancidity. This was caused by auto-oxidation which began to form radicals due to the presence of fat peroxidation factors. The density test is close to the SNI standard value, namely the lowest density of 0.9600 g/cm3 obtained from closed treatment with 0.5 ml of extract. This is because in this treatment very little cooking oil is contaminated with other substances.

Proximate composition, phenolic, and antioxidant properties of soursop fruit parts

ABSTRACT Annona muricata L. (soursop fruit) is a seasonal plant with bio-geographical distribution in tropical and subtropical climates. This study evaluated the proximate, phenolic, and antioxidant properties of different parts of soursop fruit. The influence of oven and solar drying on phenolic and antioxidant activities of extracts (pulp, seed, and peel) were assessed. Proximate analysis on different parts of the soursop fruit showed the pulp to have high carbohydrate (32.9% ± 0.3) and moisture (19.1% ± 1.0). The seeds however contained higher crude fat (37.5% ± 1.2) and protein (25.0% ± 0.1) contents. Total phenolic content of the seeds (8.7 mgGAE g−1 ± 0.1) was higher than that of the pulp and the peel (8.6 mgGAE g−1 ± 0.1). The solar-dried fruit parts demonstrated superior antioxidant activity to the oven-dried parts. Extracts from the solar-dried soursop fruit samples, especially the seed, can serve as useful therapeutic ingredient for diet supplementation and could also be exploited for its high oil and protein contents.

Lutherische "Orthodoxie" als historisches Problem. Leitidee, Konstruktion und Gegenbegriff von Gottfried Arnold bis Ernst Troeltsch by Christian Volkmar Witt

Reviewed by: Lutherische "Orthodoxie" als historisches Problem. Leitidee, Konstruktion und Gegenbegriff von Gottfried Arnold bis Ernst Troeltsch by Christian Volkmar Witt Joar Haga Lutherische "Orthodoxie" als historisches Problem. Leitidee, Konstruktion und Gegenbegriff von Gottfried Arnold bis Ernst Troeltsch. By Christian Volkmar Witt. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2021. 300 pp. Most books present familiar material in new ways, fewer break new territory. Rarer still are those which change the way we think about a given period. This is such a rare book. The German church historian Christian Witt has written a book about the framing of the period that many until recently have referred to as Lutheran Orthodoxy. After this, it will be difficult or impossible to use the term "Orthodoxy" as a neutral category, suited to designate a period of church history. Packed with analytical tools from the theory of [End Page 230] institutional symbolic orders by sociologist Karl-Siegbert Rehberg, Witt deconstructs the function of a central term in history. A term that postulates a correct faith, ortho-doxa, "orthodoxy" does not merely function as a formula of identification of certain concrete features, it is also an instrument of demarcation and marginalisation (18). Witt uses the three concepts in the title (Leitidee, Konstruktion, Gegenbegriff) as perspectives on his material, stretching from Arnold to Troeltsch. Witt traces how the idea of truth is at work among central European church historians not merely in how they treat historical facts; he also uncovers how it is built into the very theories the interpretations rely on. These theories are in some ways connected through their truth-claims, or their resistance to making truth claims. To highlight this aspect of the conceptual framework, Witt draws on the historian Reinhard Koselleck, a scholar close to Carl Schmitt, who viewed politics through the categories of friend and foe. Indeed, one could read the whole German Begriffsgeschichte as an attempt to utilise Schmitt´s understanding of the political as a battle ground. Witt's twelve pages about "Gegenbegriff" (oppositional concept) could serve as a fruitful theoretical reflection on a wider range of materials, due to its unpacking of an almost silent pejorative potential in the analytical tools. In the conclusion, Witt in a more direct manner comes to the fore and fleshes out his understanding of heterodoxy, the opposite of orthodoxy. Witt underlines that the so-called heterodox theologian does not become heterodox by framing himself in the image of a different doctrinal conception. It is much more likely that the heterodox would construe his own identity as orthodox (40). Witt's deconstruction of the (in)famous Gottfried Arnold´s (1666–1714) supposedly Impartial History of the Church and of Heresy (1699)—the most unwillingly ironic title of all time—is perhaps the most fruitful part of this work. One could claim that Witt's presentation of Arnold offers nothing new. Arnold´s revisionist claims and radical pietist assumptions have been previously noted. For Arnold, to be orthodox meant to be a hard-headed persecutor of true believers. The strength of Witt´s text lies in showing how far the implications [End Page 231] and consequences of Arnold's fundamental distinction reverberated among church historians. By Witt's thorough step-by-step analysis of how Arnold unleashed his pejorative power, Arnold's method and its results become clear. In one sense, Witt's book is a portrayal of the rhetorical power of historians. Witt's nuanced tracing of how the normative choices of a man at the close of the seventeenth century dominated successive research is simply mindboggling. Witt traces the categories of interpretation influenced by Arnold through several church historians from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. For example, the analysis of the normative positions of supposedly neutral Enlightenment theologians such as Johann Semler (1725–1791) is rewarding. The search for an "inner attitude" (102) corresponded to Semler's lamenting how the Catholic church attempted to create a monopoly of the truth by allegedly suppressing an original plurality (109). The chapter on August Tholuck (1799–1877) and his book Der Geist der lutherischen Theologen Wittenbergs (1852) is a gem. Witt shows how Tholuck fought on two fronts, against the rationalism of yore and the confessionalism of...

Overview of Cucurbita spp. (pumpkin) and development of value-added products emphasizing its nutritional and chemical composition

Pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) is a commonly grown vegetable across the world however, due to its underutilization as a food source a significant imbalance between pumpkin production and consumption has been identified. Many researchers have reported morphological diversity and differences in the nutritional and chemical composition among the pumpkin species which resulted in a selective distribution of Cucurbita species in different parts of the world. As evidenced from literature, pumpkin has been identified as a remarkable source of nutrients and reported with high protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, and especially with high amounts of antioxidants. Despite their nutritional value, post-harvest loss associated with pumpkins is significantly high which highlights the importance of utilization of pumpkins through value addition. The value addition of pumpkin has drawn a huge research interest over the past years which has emphasized the nutritional and chemical composition of pumpkin, especially in the edible (flesh, seeds) and non-edible (peel and pulp) fruits parts and pumpkin flowers in several value additions. This review furnishes an overview of Cucurbita spp. production and the post-harvest loss associated with pumpkin along with the updated information about the reported value additions based on existing literature.

Explore the identification of Chinese herbal medicine based on the VGG-16 model

Chinese Chinese herbal medicine has a long history, is the crystallization of thousands of years of wisdom of the Chinese people, and plays a very important role in the world's medical system. Different from western medicine, Chinese herbal medicine is mainly the fruit, root system, leaves, and other parts of herbal plants, so some Chinese herbal medicine is difficult to distinguish the characteristics. In this paper, the vGG-16 model is proposed to recognize Chinese herbal medicine images automatically, which helps reduce the practical difficulty of identifying Chinese herbal medicine species. 950 images of different kinds and forms of Chinese herbal medicine were obtained through the network, and the vGG-16 model was trained by deep learning, with a final recognition accuracy of 70%. At the same time, the model was evaluated from various angles according to the main characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine, which laid a foundation for subsequent research and software development.

Investigation of the inhibition effect of pitaya (hylocereus guatemalensis) bark extracts on some metabolic enzymes

Pitaya is a tropical and subtropical plant with various uses. In this study, the maceration method obtained acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and methanol from the bark parts of pitaya fruit. The in vitro effects of fruit peel extracts on the critical metabolic enzyme activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), human carbonic anhydrase (hCA I and hCA II), and α-glycosidase, were investigated. Pitaya bark ethanol (PBE) (IC50: 20.16±0.22 µg/mL, r2:0.9694) for AChE and Pitaya bark acetone (PBA) (IC50:42.10±1.045 µg/mL, r2:0.9807) extract for BChE showed the most potent inhibition effect. Pitaya bark ethyl acetate (PBEA) extract showed the most potent inhibitory effect for hCA I and hCA II (IC50:53.51±2.22 µg/mL, r2:0.9562 and IC50:26.29±0.34 µg/mL, r2:0.9966), respectively. In addition, PBEA showed the most potent inhibition effect on α-glycosidase enzyme (IC50: 24.54±1.80 µg/mL, r2:0.9199). According to the results, the extracts can be effectively used treatment of diseases such as glaucoma, epilepsy, type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Perempuan, Melalui Sosialisasi Pengolahan Minuman Buah Markisa Sebagai Produk Bisnis Di Desa Bedanten, Kecamatan Bungah Di Kabupaten Gresik

Passion fruit contains many substances that are useful for the body. Even so, not everyone understands what the health benefits of passion fruit are and are able to process passion fruit into a selling value product. The same thing happened to Bedanten Village, Bungah Sub-Distric, in Gresik Distric with an abundance of passion fruit harvests and the intention was to make preparations made from passion fruit which later hoped to make it the village's superior product developed by the village women's empowerment group. Bedanten Village government officials facilitate the need to create products, through a series of community service activities involving academics to provide direction regarding the processing of passion fruit products. The purpose of service is to increase the knowledge and skills of village women for the welfare of society. The enthusiasm from the community service participants to listen to the socialization of the benefits of passion fruit parts. Participants were so happy and curious when they practiced how to process of making passion fruit. This was followed by exposure to entrepreneurship and digital marketing subjects which motivated them to become interested in entrepreneurial in the village. Therefore, it is necessary to follow up on the results of the service in achieving success in supporting the superiority of village products.

Nutritional and functional compounds and antioxidant activity of edible and non-edible fruit part of brebas and figs (Ficus carica L.) among different varieties

BackgroundThe objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of variety on the key nutritional and functional compounds (organic acids and sugars, dietary fiber, macro- and micro- elements, antioxidant activity and total phenols) and antioxidant activity on edible and non-edible fruit part (pulp and peel, respectively) from breba and fig fruits. ResultsSignificant differences among variety were found in most of the parameters studied. Among pulps, the highest total sugar content and% dietary fiber was found in Colar de Albatera fig one. Taking the macro-elements content among peels into account, the greatest value was found in the San Antonio breba peel. On the other hand, both Cuello de Dama Negra breba and figs peel showed the highest values of ABTS, DPPH, FRAP and TPC. Principal component analysis (PCA) easily shows that sugars and organic acids, dietary fiber, mineral content, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content are more correlated with the peel than with the pulp. Sugars content was higher in figs than in breba, while the percentage of total dietary fiber was higher in breba than in fig. ConclusionsFinally, clear changes in nutritional and functional compounds and antioxidant activity values of edible and non-edible fruit parts were observed in this study among the different studied varieties. Also, higher values of key components were found in non-edible than edible fruit part. A potential strategy could be the development of novel additives/ingredients for food industry from non-edible fruit part or unharvested edible fig fruits since it can be catalogued such as fig by-products.

Coconut water: production, nutritional properties and health benefits

Coconut water (Cocos nucifera L.) is an undiluted, non-fermented beverage obtained from the liquid part of the coconut fruit. It is a versatile product in the industry and has been growing economically due to its functional character. The objective is to identify in the scientific literature different aspects of coconut water production and its nutritional characteristics applied to health. A narrative review of the literature was carried out, using the databases Scielo, Scopus, Repositório Alice da EMBRAPA, Periódicos CAPES and Google academic, applying the descriptors, coconut water, nutrition, composition, health, health benefits, economy, pasteurization, ultrapressure, ultrasound, ozone and their respective names in English, considering the Boolean operators “OR” and “AND”. Titles and abstracts were screened, considering the eligibility criteria: full text available in English and/or Portuguese; paid and/or free access; dissertations and theses, narrative, systematic review, observational and longitudinal studies, including clinical trials. Non-thermal processing methods were effective in maintaining the shelf life of the beverage, however ultrapressure showed alterations in the physical functionality and/or changes in the color of protein-rich foods. The presence of phytohormones, vitamins and amino acids was detected, which are responsible for the antioxidant property of the product, as well as the beneficial effects on health. New studies are proposed to evaluate the effects of coconut water on human health, as it is a drink with market potential and accessible to consumers.

Antioxidants in Fruit Fractions of Mediterranean Ancient Pear Cultivars.

The genetic diversity of Sardinian pear germplasm has received limited attention regarding its chemical composition. Understanding this composition can aid in the setting up of resilient, extensive groves that offer multiple products and ecosystem services. This research aimed at investigating the antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds of ancient pear cultivars grown extensively in Sardinia (Italy); Methods: the cultivars Buttiru, Camusina, Spadona, and Coscia (as a reference) were compared. Fruit samples were manually peeled and cut. Their flesh, peel, core, and peduncle were frozen separately, lyophilized, and milled before being analysed; Results: The content of total phenolics (TotP), total flavonoids (TotF), condensed tannins (CT), and antioxidant capacity in each fruit part varied significantly among the cultivars. The TotP content was high in the peduncle (42.2-58.8 g GAE kg-1 DM) and low in flesh (6.4-17.7 g GAE kg-1 DM); Conclusions: the highest values of antioxidant capacity, TotP, NTP, TotF, and CT were found in the flesh of the cultivar Buttiru and in the peel of the cultivar Camusina. Chlorogenic acid was the major individual phenolic compound in peel, flesh and core, whereas arbutin was mostly present in the peduncle. Results can contribute to revise target exploitations of underutilized ancient pear cultivars.

Phytochemicals, Bioactive Properties and Commercial Potential of Calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa) Fruits: A Review.

The calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa) is a hybrid citrus fruit resulting from the crossing of a mandarin orange with a kumquat. It is a small, round-shaped fruit with thin, smooth skin ranging from orange to dark red. The aroma of the fruit is distinctive and unique. Calamondin is an excellent source of Vitamin C, D-Limonene, and essential oils, providing benefits to the immune system, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cancer properties, and it exhibits various therapeutic effects. It also contains a good amount of dietary fiber from pectin. Its distinctive flavor and high juice content make calamondin juice a popular ingredient in many international cuisines. The juice also contains bioactive compounds, such as phenolics and flavonoids, which are a potential source of antioxidant properties. All parts of the calamondin fruit, including the juice, pulp, seeds, and peel, can be used in various applications, from food products like juices, powders, and candies to non-food uses in herbal medicine and cosmetics, showcasing their versatility and unique properties. This review will examine various bioactive components of calamondin and their related medicinal effects, and provide guidelines for their utilization, processing, and value addition on a commercial scale.

Effect of moisture content on engineering characteristics of apricot (Prunus armeniacaL.) kernel

AbstractApricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernels, the innermost part of the economical stone fruit, are utilized for edible purposes, extraction of oil, and many pharmaceutical products. Biological materials are complex in structure and get affected by their moisture content. This study investigates the effect of different moisture content from 5.66% to 26.47% wet basis apricot kernels on its various engineering characteristics and develops their correlations. The engineering characteristics such as linear dimension length (13.26–14.47 mm), breadth (8.69–9.97 mm), thickness (5.36–6.50 mm), arithmetic mean diameter (9.11–10.32 mm), geometric mean diameter (8.48–9.77 mm), surface area (227.91–302.68 mm2), projected area (91.99–114.95 mm2), 1000 kernel mass (0.317–0.403 kg), true density (881.23–973.55 kg m−3), and porosity (33.74%–43.68%) increased linearly with moisture content. On the other hand, bulk density (548.23–583.89 kg m−3) and elongation ratio (2.25–2.51) showed a decreasing trend with an increase in moisture content. The frictional properties such as angle of repose (22.81–28.92°) and coefficient of static friction value for glass, stainless steel, galvanized iron, and wood were found to increase with increased moisture content and ranged from 0.179–0.283, 0.272–0.347, 0.416–0.512, and 0.488–0.595, respectively. The highest static coefficient of friction was observed for wood surfaces. A significant difference in color values L*, a*, b*, hue angle (H), chroma (C), and ∆E values were observed at different moisture content. Terminal velocities and hardness of AK increased linearly with moisture content and the values were found between 4.26 and 5.91 m s−1 and 21.59 to 35.25 N mm−1, respectively.Practical applicationsApricot kernels have nutritional and pharmaceutical value due to the abundance of bioactive components in them but are still underutilized due to a lack of handling knowledge and processing mechanization. Apricot kernels are delicate and sensitive for mechanical damage during every stage of their processing. This study investigates engineering characteristics in view to understand their relationship with moisture content, as many instruments and equipment are yet to be designed. Knowledge of its engineering characteristics at different moisture content would help handlers for quality evaluation, and manufacturers in optimally designing processing machinery and quality analytical instruments.