Fruit Stone Research Articles

Acoustic characterisation of boards manufactured with fruit stones mixed with coconut fibre

Sustainable and recycled materials are being used in a wide range of fields to solve a waste management problem and, at the same time, to confer them a second life. These materials include fruit stones of different crops: apricot, peach, cherry and olive. Employing fruit stones as acoustic materials contributes to minimise the environmental impact and to create a new product with interesting sound-absorption properties, apart from offering aesthetic added value. Some previous works have demonstrated the application of fruit stones panels as sound absorbers. This study aims to determine the acoustic properties of boards manufactured with a mixture of the four above fruit stone types. A coconut fibre layer is added to compare the results with and without coconut fibre. The experimental results show that acoustic properties improve by increasing board thickness and the sound-absorption coefficient is higher when a coconut fibre layer is added. Sound transmission loss is not significantly affected by adding the coconut fibre layer.

PbARF19-mediated auxin signaling regulates lignification in pear fruit stone cells

The stone cells in pear fruits cause rough flesh and low juice, seriously affecting the taste. Lignin has been demonstrated as the main component of stone cells. Auxin, one of the most important plant hormone, regulates most physiological processes in plants including lignification. However, the concentration effect and regulators of auxin on pear fruits stone cell formation remains unclear. Here, endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and stone cells were found to be co-localized in lignified cells by immunofluorescence localization analysis. The exogenous treatment of different concentrations of IAA demonstrated that the application of 200 µM IAA significantly reduced stone cell content, while concentrations greater than 500 µM significantly increased stone cell content. Besides, 31 auxin response factors (ARFs) were identified in pear genome. Putative ARFs were predicted as critical regulators involved in the lignification of pear flesh cells by phylogenetic relationship and expression analysis. Furthermore, the negative regulation of PbARF19 on stone cell formation in pear fruit was demonstrated by overexpression in pear fruitlets and Arabidopsis. These results illustrated that the PbARF19-mediated auxin signal plays a critical role in the lignification of pear stone cell by regulating lignin biosynthetic genes. This study provides theoretical and practical guidance for improving fruit quality in pear production.

Acoustic and thermal properties of panels made of fruit stones waste with coconut fibre

Using natural porous and fibrous materials for acoustic and thermal conditioning in the construction sector is a solution to achieve a comfort level in buildings. The novelty of this research work lies in employing agricultural and agro-industry waste to solve noise and thermal insulation problems. This study was conducted to investigate a multilayered panel made of fruit stones and coconut fibre from agro-industry waste. Acoustic absorption, and acoustic and thermal transmission, tests were run on four different fruit stone types, olive, cherry, apricot and peach, plus a coconut fibre layer. Although they are not structural elements, bending tests were run to ensure panels’ structural integrity. Acoustic tests complied with the recommendations of Standards ISO 10534–2 and ASTM E 2611–09, based on the standing wave tube to obtain the acoustic absorption coefficient and sound transmission loss, respectively. Standard EN 12667 was considered for the thermal test to determine the thermal conductivity coefficient based on the hot plate method. The results show an average sound absorption coefficient above 0.5 and sound insulation over 25 dB within certain frequency ranges. The cherry panels had absorption values of around 0.7 and apricots had sound insulation values of up to 30 dB. Samples’ thermal transmittance coefficient values were between 3.0 and 3.4 (W/m2K), which indicate panels’ ability to provide thermal insulation. The cherry and olive panels obtained the lowest thermal conductivity (around 0.14 W/mK). The backing effect of the coconut fibre layer improves all the panels’ acoustic absorption and thermal properties.

Morfološka i kemijska analiza introduciranih sorti nektarine u Hercegovini

A 2-year study was done to compare fruit morphological and chemical composition of three nectarine cultivars grown in south Hercegovinia conditions. A high variability among and within cultivars was found and significant differences were observed among them in all properties analyzed. On the basis of evaluated data, the best fruit performance was registered in ‘Caldesi 2000’ and ‘Venus’ grown in the condition of this part of the Mediteran. This evaluation may help to select a set of nectarine cultivars with better fruit quality attributes, which in our growing conditions might be indicated in ‘Caldesi 2000’ and somewhat in ‘Venus’. The highest average of fruit width (61.18 mm) and fruit weight (148.24 g) was found in cultivar Caldesi 2000. As for friut thickness, also cultivar Caldesi 2000 had the highest value (55.39 mm). The results for the highest fruit length (60.48 mm) had Venus cultivar also fruit stone weight length, width and thickness. The contents sugars (glucose, fructose) total soluble dry matter, and total acids in fruits were found in cultivar Venus, but pH and sucrose were found in cultivar Sun Grand.

Sound absorption and thermal insulation performance of sustainable fruit stone panels

The sound absorption and thermal insulation behavior of panels made of different fruit stones, including peach, apricot, plum, date, and black cherry, were investigated. To this end, samples in the crushed and uncrushed forms were fabricated with thicknesses of 30 and 50 mm. The FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images showed that the studied stones have different morphological and topological surfaces, which in turn lead to different sound absorption coefficients (SACs) and effective thermal conductivities (Keff). It was found that smaller fruit stones with higher surface roughness generally have higher noise reduction coefficients, and this was more pronounced for samples of 50 mm thickness. In addition, samples in the crushed form enjoyed superior sound absorption performance compared with their uncrushed counterparts. The SAC peak in the crushed form appeared at lower frequencies and its value was higher than that of the uncrushed stones. Moreover, when the air gap was introduced, all samples showed excellent sound absorption at frequencies of 400–600 Hz. It was found that, while an increase in sample thickness led to an enhancement in SAC at low and middle frequencies, the Keff values did not significantly change. Uncrushed samples demonstrated enhanced thermal insulation properties compared to their crushed counterparts. The Keff values of the specimens were found to be in the range of 0.087–0.204 W.m−1 K−1, indicating the good thermal insulation performance of the panels. The frequency-dependent SACs of fruit stone panels were predicted using the Johnson-Champox-Allard and Attenborough models, and acceptable consistency was observed.

Does Regulated Deficit Irrigation Affect Pear Fruit Texture by Modifying the Stone Cells?

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies aim to improve water usage without reducing yield. Generally, irrigation strategy effectiveness is measured as fruit yield, with little consideration of fruit quality. As water deficit and increased plant cell sclerification are often associated, this study explored the effect of RDI on pear fruit stone cells, a crucial trait affecting flesh texture. The presence, distribution, and development of pear fruit stone cells under RDI and full irrigation were compared using Pyrus communis L. cv. Barlett trees, employing recently developed microscope image analysis technology. The control treatment was maintained under non-stress conditions, while the RDI treatment received an average of 15% of the control water during the latter part of Stage I fruit development. Observations at the end of Stage I and at harvest revealed no effect on stone cell presence under the RDI strategy tested. The relative area of stone cells within the flesh was greater at Stage I than at harvest, as stone cell expansion occurred early in development, while the (unsclerified) parenchyma cells, a dominant component of the fruit flesh, expanded until harvest. Stone cell cluster density was higher near the fruit core than in the cortex center and exterior. These initial results suggest that well-planned RDI strategies will generally not affect pear fruit stone cell content and, thus, textural quality. Microscope image analysis supported the results from previously used analytical techniques, mainly chemical, while providing a tool for better understanding the process and factors involved in the timing of stone cell differentiation.

Methodology for the development of identification criteria of stone fruit brandy

The need to develop identification criteria for fruit brandy is connected with the prevention of the sale of counterfeit products on the Russian alcohol market. Due to the variety of factors affecting the final product, the solution to this problem requires the use of a methodology based on an integrated approach. The work is devoted to its first stage — the assessment of the influence of the biochemical composition of fruit stone raw materials, as well as various technological factors on the formation of essential (identification) characteristics of products. Fresh fruits of apricots, cherry plums, cherries, dogwood and plums, as well as samples of fermented raw materials were used as objects of research. The biochemical composition of fresh fruits was assessed by the content of sugars, free organic acids, amino acids and pectin substances. It has been found that the values of all main indicators of the biochemical composition varied widely in the samples of initial raw materials. At the same time, significant differences were noted between the types of fruit raw materials in the content of free amino acids (dogwood, cherry plum up to 0.08% and 0.12%, respectively; cherry, plum and apricot up to 0.19–0.30%) and pectin substances (cherry, apricot up to 0.6–0.8%; cherry plum, dogwood, plum up to 1.2–1.3%). The following factors were studied in the work as technological factors: a method of primary processing of raw materials (obtaining pulp or juice extraction); a maceration method — without enzyme preparations and with treatment with enzyme preparations; a fermentation method — without fermentation activators and using fermentation activators. It has been established that the method for primary processing of raw materials affects the concentration of methanol, esters and higher alcohols in fermented raw materials. The use of fermentation activators contributes to an increase in the concentration of higher alcohols and esters in them by almost 2 times, and the use of individual complex enzyme preparations — by 16% and 80%, respectively. It has been shown that the methodology for developing identification criteria for fruit vodkas at the first stage should include an assessment of the physico-chemical composition of initial raw materials and individual technological factors at the stage of preparing them for distillation.

Transcriptome analysis reveals that PbMYB61 and PbMYB308 are involved in the regulation of lignin biosynthesis in pear fruit stone cells.

Pear fruit stone cells have thick walls and are formed by the secondary deposition of lignin in the primary cell wall of thin-walled cells. Their content and size seriously affect fruit characteristics related to edibility. To reveal the regulatory mechanism underlying stone cell formation during pear fruit development and to identify hub genes, we examined the stone cell and lignin contents of 30 'Shannongsu' pear flesh samples and analyzed the transcriptomes of 15 pear flesh samples collected at five developmental stages. On the basis of the RNA-seq data, 35,874 differentially expressed genes were detected. Additionally, two stone cell-related modules were identified according to a WGCNA. A total of 42 lignin-related structural genes were subsequently obtained. Furthermore, nine hub structural genes were identified in the lignin regulatory network. We also identified PbMYB61 and PbMYB308 as candidate transcriptional regulators of stone cell formation after analyzing co-expression networks and phylogenetic relationships. Finally, we experimentally validated and characterized the candidate transcription factors and revealed that PbMYB61 regulates stone cell lignin formation by binding to the AC element in the PbLAC1 promoter to upregulate expression. However, PbMYB308 negatively regulates stone cell lignin synthesis by binding to PbMYB61 to form a dimer that cannot activate PbLAC1 expression. In this study, we explored the lignin synthesis-related functions of MYB family members. The results presented herein are useful for elucidating the complex mechanisms underlying lignin biosynthesis during pear fruit stone cell development.

The Synthesis and Evaluation of Porous Carbon Material from Corozo Fruit (Bactris guineensis) for Efficient Propranolol Hydrochloride Adsorption

This study explores the potential of the corozo fruit (Bactris guineensis) palm tree in the Colombian Caribbean as a source for porous carbon material. Its specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore size were obtained using N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms. The images of the precursor and adsorbent surface were obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were obtained to detect the main functional groups present and an X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was performed in order to analyze the structural organization of the materials. By carbonizing the fruit stone with zinc chloride, a porous carbon material was achieved with a substantial specific surface area (1125 m2 g⁻1) and pore volume (3.241 × 10−1 cm3 g⁻1). The material was tested for its adsorption capabilities of the drug propranolol. The optimal adsorption occurred under basic conditions and at a dosage of 0.7 g L⁻1. The Langmuir homogeneous surface model effectively described the equilibrium data and, as the temperature increased, the adsorption capacity improved, reaching a maximum of 134.7 mg g⁻1 at 328.15 K. The model constant was favorable to the temperature increase, increasing from 1.556 × 10−1 to 2.299 × 10−1 L mg−1. Thermodynamically, the adsorption of propranolol was found to be spontaneous and benefited from higher temperatures, indicating an endothermic nature (12.39 kJ mol⁻1). The negative ΔG0 values decreased from −26.28 to −29.99 kJ mol−1, with the more negative value occurring at 328 K. The adsorbent material exhibited rapid kinetics, with equilibrium times ranging from 30 to 120 min, depending on the initial concentration. The kinetics data were well-represented by the general order and linear driving force models. The rate constant of the general order model diminished from 1.124 × 10−3 to 9.458 × 10−14 with an increasing concentration. In summary, the leftover stone from the Bactris guineensis plant can be utilized to develop activated carbon, particularly when activated using zinc chloride. This material shows promise for efficiently adsorbing propranolol and potentially other emerging pollutants.

A contribution to the variability of Prunus spinosa L. in the vicinity of the mediaeval Castle Kolno, S-W Poland

The variability of fruit stone characteristics of medieval fossil forms and modern ones was analysed in a small Prunus spinosa (blackthorn) population in the vicinity of Castle Kolno near Stare Kolnie in Opole Province. A modern putative hybrid resulting from natural crossing with cultivated plums was discovered, corresponding to some fossil morphotypes. The analysis of the correlations of features indicated developmental relationships between them. The pattern of variability of the examined stones in the ordination space confirmed the development of the Prunus spinosa-Prunus domestica complex as an element of a dynamic syngameon. The population also showed variations in leaf morphotypes, which may be used in taxonomic analysis.

Adsorptive properties of highly porous activated carbon from açaí (Euterpe oleracea) towards the toxic herbicide atrazine

The great variety and possibilities of consumption of açaí pulp (Euterpe oleracea) have made its consumption increase considerably in recent years, mainly in Brazilian territory. The big problem is the generation of tons of waste that characterizes the fruit stone. This waste was converted into a highly porous activated carbon and employed to remove the herbicide atrazine. The characterization analyses confirmed that the applied methodology generated an adsorbent with good textural characteristics (specific surface area 920.56 m² g−1, pore volume 0.467 cm3 g−1; average pore diameter 1.13 nm). Furthermore, it was found that the adsorption of atrazine reached satisfactory results at natural pH and with an adsorbent mass of 0.54 g for each liter of solution. The Redlich-Peterson model presented the most satisfactory fit with the equilibrium data. This study found that the evolution of system temperature increased the concentration in the solid phase of 178 mg g−1 at 328 K. Regarding adsorption kinetics, the linear driving force model can represent the experimental data. Also, the predicted adsorption data of the model follows the experimental data. The application of the adsorbent in the removal of the herbicide mixture presented an efficiency of 81.45%. Therefore, using residual açaí fruit seeds as biomass for producing activated carbon employing zinc chloride as an agent activator is the possible application of the material. The material showed high efficiency and affinity with the target molecule.

MYB24 in control: Transcriptional activation of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis in pear fruit stone cells.

MYB24 in control: Transcriptional activation of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis in pear fruit stone cells.

Improved Annotation of the Peach (Prunus persica) Genome and Identification of Tissue- or Development Stage-Specific Alternative Splicing through the Integration of Iso-Seq and RNA-Seq Data

Alternative splicing (AS) is an important way to generate notable regulatory and proteomic complexity in eukaryotes. However, accurate full-length splicing isoform discovery by second-generation sequencing (SGS) technologies is beset with the precise assembly of multiple isoforms from the same gene loci. In recent years, third-generation sequencing (TGS) technologies have been adopted to gain insight into different aspects of transcriptome complexity, such as complete sequences of mRNA, alternative splicing, fusion transcript, and alternative polyadenylation (APA). Here, we combined PacBio Iso-Seq and Illumina RNA-Seq technologies to decipher the full-length transcriptome of peach. In total, 40,477 nonredundant high-quality consensus transcript sequences were obtained from equally pooled libraries from 10 samples of 6 organs, including leaf, shoot, flower, fruit peel, fruit mesocarp, and fruit stone, of which 18,274 isoforms were novel isoforms of known genes and 546 isoforms were novel gene transcripts. We also discovered 148 fusion transcripts, 15,434 AS events, 508 potential lncRNAs, and 4368 genes with APA events. Of these AS events, the most abundant (62.48%) AS type was intron retention (IR). Moreover, the expression levels of different isoforms identified in this study were quantitatively evaluated, and highly tissue- or development stage-specific expression patterns were observed. The novel transcript isoforms and new characteristics of the peach transcriptome revealed by this study will facilitate the annotation of the peach genome and lay the foundations for functional research in the future.

Apparent Hybridization of Nonnative Rhamnus Populations in Central New York and Connecticut, U.S.A.

The Eurasian Rhamnus cathartica is widespread, common, and naturalized in parts of the northeastern United States. Other nonnative buckthorn species are also present but underreported because intraspecific leaf polymorphisms, hybridization, and imprecise literature descriptions confuse identifications. A study of Rhamnus populations in Tompkins and Onondaga counties in New York and Hartford County in Connecticut provided an opportunity to revisit the literature and to propose identification aids based on infrequently reported fruit stone number and mature fruit pulp color. These characters facilitate inferences of ancestry of apparent hybrids involving R. cathartica, R. davurica, and R. utilis.

Adsorptive Analysis of Azo Dyes on Activated Carbon Prepared from Phyllanthus emblica Fruit Stone Sequentially via Hydrothermal Treatment

The present work aims to provide insight into the role of the functional group in the adsorption of azo dyes namely, ethyl orange (EO), methyl orange (MO), and metanil yellow (MY), on the activated carbon (surface area 569 m2·g−1) prepared from Phyllanthus emblica fruit stone by low-pressure hydrothermal treatment (AC-HTPEFS). More specifically, this study would facilitate a better understanding of the involvement of different amino substituents (-CH3, -C2H5, phenyl group) on the adsorption of azo dye molecules. The experimental adsorption isotherms of the azo dyes quantified with different adsorbents and temperatures (25–45 °C) were utilized to know the effect of functional groups on dye adsorption. Additionally, the equilibrium data were analyzed by applying isotherm models (Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin) in order to elucidate the best-fit isotherm model and adsorption capacity, with the Langmuir model fitting the isotherms best as shown by the higher correlation coefficients obtained (0.984–0.994). The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacities of EO, MO, and MY obtained at 25 °C were found to be 0.202, 0.187, and 0.158 mmol·g−1, respectively, which was attributed to the hydrophobicity and geometry of dye molecules. Moreover, adsorption kinetics conformed well with the pseudo-second-order model. The negative ΔG°, positive ΔH,° and positive ΔS° indicated the adsorption process to be favorable, endothermic, and increased randomness at the solid–liquid interface. Our findings indicate that the porous activated carbon from hydrothermally treated Phyllanthus emblica fruit stone exhibited a promising potential for the removal of azo dyes with rapid kinetics and high adsorption capacity. The present study could thus pave a way for future utilization of activated carbons produced via hydrothermal treatment techniques for wastewater applications.

Comparative Analysis of Complete Chloroplast Genome and Phenotypic Characteristics of Japanese Apricot Accessions

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) is among the most valued fruits and flowering plants in eastern Asia. However, few comparative studies have been conducted with respect to its agro-morphological and pomological traits, chloroplast (cp) genome sequences and plastid diversity. Therefore, a comparative study was, conducted to investigate the divergence and geographic distribution of ten Japanese apricot accessions from three Chinese provinces (Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Sichuan). Phenotypic characteristics of the evaluated accessions, such as leaf length, tip leaf length, flower diameter, anther number, fruit weight, longitudinal height, transversal height, lateral height, fruit stone weight, stone longitudinal height, stone transversal height, stone lateral heigh, titratable acid content and total soluble solids, varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the ten investigated accessions. On the other hand, most of the investigated accessions were statistically similar within the same province. Comparing the Cp genomes of P. mume accessions with those of the genus Prunus revealed a similarity in structure and composition with slight differences. “Bayes empirical Bayes” (BEB) analysis in Prunus species, including P. mume, revealed BEB in rps16, rps3, rpoC1(4*), rpl32, rpl16, rbcL, psbF, petB, ndhF, clpP and ccsA genes. The BEB value of the rpoC1 gene is higher than 0.95, indicating that it is potentially under positive selection. Interestingly, the accessions from the same province of origin had the same number of forward repeat sequences. Furthermore, all accessions from Zhejiang province had the same number of simple sequence repeats. Similarly, nucleotide deletion/insertion of the ycf1 sequence and the results of phylogenetic trees revealed that accessions were mainly clustered according to their province of origin. Our comparative study of agronomical traits, chloroplast composition, structure, nucleotide variability of cp genome and phylogeography in Japanese apricot accessions provides valuable information on their diversity and geographic distribution.

Украшения-апотропеи в женском костюме крымских готов

In the early Middle Ages, the Crimean Goths had jewelry that were endowed with apotropaic or healing properties: hollow jewelry — containers for amulets (cylindrical cases, bulla pendants, earrings with a polyhedron); bells, the ringing of which was believed to ward off evil spirits; composite “noisy” metal pendants with a core of wood, walnut or fruit stone; “brooch” necklaces with large beads and unusual pendants. The article characterizes these objects, identifies a group of analogies, and determines their purpose on the basis of written sources and ethnographic data. On the basis of the state of objects recorded in situ in the burials, a costume with apotropaic decorations is reconstructed.

Utilization of Phyllanthus emblica fruit stone as a Potential Biomaterial for Sustainable Remediation of Lead and Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Solutions

In the present work, an effort has been made to utilize Phyllanthus emblica (PE) fruit stone as a potential biomaterial for the sustainable remediation of noxious heavy metals viz. Pb(II) and Cd(II) from the aqueous solution using adsorption methodology. Further, to elucidate the adsorption potential of Phyllanthus emblica fruit stone (PEFS), effective parameters, such as contact time, initial metal concentration, temperature, etc., were investigated and optimized using a simple batch adsorption method. It was observed that 80% removal for both the heavy metal ions was carried out within 60 min of contact time at an optimized pH 6. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters results indicated that the adsorption process in the present study was endothermic, spontaneous, and feasible in nature. The positive value of entropy further reflects the high adsorbent–adsorbate interaction. Thus, based on the findings obtained, it can be concluded that the biosorbent may be considered a potential material for the remediation of these noxious impurities and can further be applied or extrapolated to other impurities.

Sustainable multiple resonator sound absorbers made from fruit stones and air gap

This article investigates the sound absorption coefficient of materials manufactured from natural wastes. Fruit stones from some crops are one of the most available natural wastes in the Mediterranean Region. Recycled and vegetable products are becoming an interesting alternative to traditional materials to be used as sound-absorbing panels.Fruit stones can be profitable for a number of applications, such as biomass to produce energy. This research work intends to demonstrate that one of their applications can be ecological sound absorbers in building acoustics.Different four fruit stone samples, with different air gap volume percentages, display similar behaviour to multiple Helmholtz resonators (MHRs). By adding a 40 mm-thick rockwool layer, the sound absorption coefficients are compared for each sample.The experimental results allow establishing some analogies between MHRs and the new absorbing materials according to thickness, fruit type and the air gap volume. These fruit stones have been demonstrated as a good choice from acoustic and sustainable points of view.

Effects of irrigation systems on yield and physical characteristics of date (Phoenix dactylifera .L) cv. ‘Medjool’

The shortage of irrigation water pooled with the effect of climate change and inadequate management in oases; affects the sustainability of the oasis ecosystem. Irrigation, as practiced in these oases, is not conducted according to the real water requirements of the crops, this management can induce water stress which affects the physical characteristics of the dates cultivated and consequently yield production, or on the contrary a significant water intake and a waste of the resource. This study investigated two irrigation systems; drip-irrigation, which is currently applied under date palms in the Moroccan oases, and the newly introduced underground irrigation (Micro-porous irrigation) .The aim of this work, was to assess the effects of different types of irrigation system on yield and physical quality parameters of ‘Medjool’ dates. Fruit quality assessment including fruit weight, length, breadth, pulp thickness, stone weight, length, breadth, number and average weight of bunches fruit per tree were evaluated, to identify the most effective irrigation system for date palm.