Intact Fruit Research Articles

CYTOGENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF COMPREHENSIVE IMPACT OF DRUGS AND ENVIRONMENTAL GENOTOXICANTS (ON EXAMPLE OF CEFTRIAXONE AND PB (II)) ON THE ORGANISM AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR ANTIMUTAGENIC CORRECTION

On fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster there was studied the possibility of antimutagenic correction of factors simulating exogenous xenobiotics, potentially dangerous for humans: lead compounds (II) and the drug ceftriaxonum, and their combinations. Research on the criterion of accounting the dominant lethal mutations (according to P.Ya. Shvarzman) showed (Pb (II) 10-5 M, ceftriaxonum 0,008 g per 100 g the nutrient medium) in studied doses to give rise correspondingly the gain in the frequency of occurring mutations de novo in generative cells by 3.8 and 5.9 times (relatively to the spontaneous level). Co-administration of these substances (at same doses) fails to cause synergistic effects: the frequency of lethal dominants in the experimental group relatively to the level of intact male fruit flies increases by 7.4 times. The aqueous extract of grass Amaranthus retroflexus L. (at a dosage of 0.43 ml per 100 g of the nutrient medium) had pronounced antimutagenic effect. The portion of mutations induced by lead ions was diminished by 54.4%, in the case of ceftriaxonum - by 37.4%, indicating to a specific antioxidant jugulating of free radical mutagenesis. Against the background of the combined effects of both the extent of damaging factors the antimutagenic activity of the complex of biologically active substances from Amaranthus retroflexus L. appeared to be the greatest - 70.7%. Various variants of the experiment simulating the conditions of the prevention or treatment (Amaranthus r. infusion before or after administration of the complex mutagens, respectively) showed a pronounced effect in both cases. In the case of preventive protection of the genome the degree of jugulating of adverse manifested symptoms was 70.7%, and in the case of possible treatment options - 68.8%. In this aspect, it is appropriate the further investigation of biologically active substances from Amaranthus r. L. with the aim to isolate of the spectrum of the most active compounds against exogenous xenobiotics and their introduction in the pharmacological practice.

Estimation of Ascorbic Acid in Intact Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) Fruit by NIRS and Chemometric Analysis

Acerola fruit is one of the richest natural sources of ascorbic acid ever known. As a consequence, acerola fruit and its products are demanded worldwide for the production of health supplements and the development of functional products. However, the analytical determination of ascorbic acid is time-consuming and costly. In this study, we show a non-destructive, reliable, and fast method to measure the ascorbic acid content in intact acerola, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) associated with multivariate calibration methods. Models using variable selection by means of interval partial least squares (iPLS) and a genetic algorithm (GA) were tested. The best model for ascorbic acid content, based on the prediction performance, was the GA-PLS method with second derivative spectral pretreatment, with a root mean square error of cross-validation equal to 22.9 mg/100 g, root mean square error of prediction equal to 46.3 mg/100 g, ratio of prediction to deviation equal to 8.0, determination coefficient for calibration equal to 0.98 and determination coefficient for prediction equal to 0.96. The current methodology, using NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics, is a promising and rapid tool to determine the ascorbic acid content of intact acerola fruit.

Patterns of frugivory in the columnar cactus Pilosocereus leucocephalus.

In the frugivory networks of many arid and semi‐arid Mesoamerican ecosystems, columnar cacti act as keystone species that produce fruits with a high content of water and nutrients attractive to numerous vertebrates. The aim of this investigation was to assess the fruit removal patterns of two guilds of frugivores on the fruits of the woolly torch Pilosocereus leucocephalus. We assessed fruit pulp removal in two ways: by estimating the consumption of seeds given the amount of pulp removed per visit and by estimating the percentage of pulp removal over time. We put exclosures on unripe, intact fruits to keep frugivores from removing material. Once ripe, we removed the exclosures and tracked animal visitation of 69 fruits using camera traps. We obtained a total of 2,162 hr of footage (14:47 hours of them with effective pulp removal). The highest number of visitors is that of diurnal species (n = 12, all birds) versus only four nocturnal (three bats, one rodent). The most effective species in pulp removal are birds. Bats play a modest role in frugivory of this cactus. The significance of this work is twofold: (a) birds and bats consume the fruit pulp of this cactus and likely disperse its seeds, and (b) although bats rank high in pulp removal effectiveness, birds as a guild far outweigh their importance in this system, as they are not only more frequent but also remove more pulp and seeds. Both groups are known to be important in cacti seed dispersal, and our findings are essential in understanding the population dynamics of the woolly torch and in elucidating its seed dispersal ecology.

Detection of pesticide residues on intact tomatoes by carbon fiber ionization mass spectrometry.

Trace and toxic pesticide residues may still remain on crops after harvest. Thus, maximum residual levels (MRLs) of pesticides on crops have been regulated. To determine whether the remaining pesticide residue level is below MRL, time-consuming sample pretreatment is needed prior to analysis of crop samples by suitable analytical tools. By elimination of sample pretreatment steps, a high-throughput method can be developed to determine the presence of pesticide residues directly on intact crops. Carbon fiber ionization mass spectrometry (CFI-MS) is effective in determining analytes with different polarities in solid, liquid, and vapor phases in open air. Moreover, the vapor derived from solid or liquid samples possessing high vapor pressure can be readily detected by CFI-MS. The setup of CFI-MS is straightforward. A carbon fiber (diameter of ~ 10μm and length of ~ 1cm) is placed close (~ 1mm) to the inlet of the mass spectrometer applied with a high voltage (- 4.5kV). No direct electrical contact applied on the carbon fiber is required. When placing the sample with certain vapor pressure underneath the carbon fiber, analyte ions derived from the sample can be readily detected by the mass spectrometer. Given that most pesticides possess a certain vapor pressure (~ 1.33 × 10-5-~ 1.33 × 10-4Pa), we herein develop a qualitative and quantitative analysis method to determine pesticide residues on intact fruits such as tomato based on CFI-MS without requiring any sample pretreatment. Atrazine, ametryn, carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, isoprocarb, and methomyl were selected as model samples. Low limits of detection (at nM range) were achieved for the model pesticides using the current approach. Moreover, we demonstrated that the precision and accuracy of quantitative analysis of ~ 5% and ~ 2%, respectively, could be achieved using this approach. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Transcriptomic and Metabolic Profiling Reveals 'Green Ring' and 'Red Ring' on Jujube Fruit upon Postharvest Alternaria alternata Infection.

Alternaria alternata is the major threat to postharvest storage of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruit. We found that natural A. alternata infection can cause very typical phenotype of 'green ring' and 'red ring' surrounding the disease spot on the jujube fruit. The phenotype was successfully modeled and constructed on jujubes by artificial inoculation with the pathogen. Furthermore, the pathogenic infection is evidenced essential to the onset of the phenotype. The 'red ring' circle is proved to be pre-fixed to block the 'green ring' area as a battlefield combating the pathogen's attack. We monitored the global transcriptomic profiling of 'green ring' and 'red ring' tissues from jujubes infected with A. alternata, in comparison with the mock-inoculated fruit and the control intact fruit. Large amount of differentially expressed genes were obtained in 'green ring', followed by 'red ring'. Transcriptional alterations associated with the core and peripheral phenylpropanoid and lignin pathways, plant hormonal metabolisms were greatly influenced in the 'green ring' and 'red ring' by the A. alternata infection. The integrated analysis of transcriptomic profiling and metabolic changes revealed the differentially but delicately coordinated activation of these biological processes in the 'green ring' and 'red ring' on jujubes in defensing the fungal infection.

Are badgers Meles meles effective dispersal agents for bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. in Ireland?

We studied four aspects of the dispersal of bramble by badgers: plant distribution, occurrence of fruits in diet, lack of damage to seed during ingestion, and beneficial effects on seed germination. The distribution of bramble plants was concentrated around a main sett and associated latrines. Examination of fresh badger dung samples in October 1992 showed that plants represented the main food items, with bramble seeds being by far the most common seeds present. Scanning electron microscopy of seeds before and after passage through the gut of badgers revealed little damage but for a reduced extent of the surface reticulations. Egested seeds exhibited a faster rate of germination than seeds in intact fruits or those washed clear of pericarp tissue. These results suggest that badgers are effective dispersers of brambles in Ireland.

Discrimination between Asian populations of the parasitoid wasp Ganaspis cf. brasiliensis using a simple MALDI-TOF MS-based method for use with insects.

The fruit fly Drosophila suzukii has recently become an invasive pest insect of significant economic impact in Europe and the USA. In contrast to other Drosophila species, D. suzukii is able to infest intact fruit by means of a saw-like ovipositor, which allows females to deposit eggs beneath the skin of the fruit. Classical biological control using the parasitoid wasp Ganaspis cf. brasiliensis is currently being researched as an environmentally sustainable option for the control of D. suzukii. In particular, the host specificity of this parasitoid has been assessed for populations from different regions in China and Japan. In order to study the relationship between the differences in specificity and molecular variations, we have adapted a matrix-assisted laser-desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based method, originally developed for use with plant material, to discriminate between example populations of G. cf. brasiliensis. We have employed a combination of principal component analysis and blind-tested comparison between reference sample MALDI-TOF MS spectra and test sample spectra to discriminate, on the basis of the acid-soluble insect protein spectra generated, between four populations of G. cf. brasiliensis (originally collected from Tokyo and Hasuike in Japan and Dali and Ximing in China). MALDI-TOF MS analysis is able to discriminate with 100% accuracy between populations G. cf. brasiliensis. The Chinese populations were observed to be similar, but the Tokyo population is slightly different and the Hasuike population is significantly different from the other populations. The Tokyo population appears more closely related to the Chinese populations than the Hasuike population, even though both originate from Japan.

Effects of seed moisture content, stratification and sowing date on the germination of Corylus avellana seeds

For Corylus avellana, pericarp permeability, seed desiccation tolerance, and the effect of warm and cold moist stratification combinations on germination and of outdoor sowing date on dormancy breaking and seedling emergence were investigated. Seeds with (intact fruit nut) and without the pericarp were subjected to an imbibition test, and water uptake was measured. After nuts had been stored for 5 months at 3–5 °C, seeds and desiccated seeds were cold-stratified at 3–5 °C (for 0, 1, 2 or 3 months), then tested for germination. Nuts were warm-stratified at 20–25 °C (for 0, 1 or 2 months), then cold-stratified (for 0, 1, 2 or 3 months) and tested for seed germination. The nuts were sown outdoors on three dates in the same year of their collection: 15 September (immediately after collection), 2 November, and 17 December, and emerged seedlings were counted the following spring. The pericarp was not a barrier to water uptake by the seed; however, the seeds imbibed water faster and had more mass when the pericarp was removed. Seeds tolerated desiccation; germination percentage was not reduced when seed moisture content was reduced to 8.71%. Germination of seeds without the pericarp (regardless of the moisture content) was the highest when the seeds were cold-stratified for 2 months. When seeds with the pericarp were tested for germination, 2 months of warm stratification before a 2-month cold stratification maximized seed germination. For outdoor sowing of nuts, sowing date affected percentage of seedling emergence the following spring; early autumn sowing (immediately after collection) resulted in the best emergence.

Russeting partially restores apple skin permeability to water vapour.

The higher water loss of russeted fruit results from the higher permeance of the periderm of the russeted skin as compared to that of the intact cuticle and epidermis. Apple fruit surfaces are often in-parallel composites, comprising areas of intact cuticle (atop a healthy epidermis) adjacent to areas covered by periderm (so-called russet). The occurrence of non-russeting and russeting genotypes makes this species an ideal model to study the barrier properties of its composite skin. The objective was to quantify the water vapour permeances of non-russeted ([Formula: see text]) and russeted fruit skins ([Formula: see text]). Rates of water loss from whole fruit ([Formula: see text]) and excised epidermal skin segments (ES) or peridermal skin segments (PS) were quantified gravimetrically. The [Formula: see text] was larger in russeting than in non-russeting genotypes because [Formula: see text] exceeded [Formula: see text] by about twofold. Also, the [Formula: see text] of russeting genotypes was larger than that of non-russeting genotypes. Generally, [Formula: see text] was more variable than [Formula: see text]. These differences were consistent across seasons and genotypes. The lower [Formula: see text] as compared to [Formula: see text] resulted primarily from the higher wax content of the cuticle of the [Formula: see text]. For non-russeted genotypes, the value of [Formula: see text] was significantly related to the permeance determined on the same intact fruit ([Formula: see text]). Close relationships were also found between the [Formula: see text] calculated from [Formula: see text] determined on the same fruit and the measured [Formula: see text]. For russeting genotypes, the [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] were not correlated with [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] calculated from [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (all determined on an individual-fruit basis) was significantly correlated with the measured [Formula: see text]. Our results demonstrate that the periderm permeance exceeds the cuticle permeance and that permeances of non-russeted surfaces of russeting genotypes exceed those of non-russeting genotypes.

High-resolution ultramicroscopy of the developing and adult nervous system in optically cleared Drosophila melanogaster

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an important experimental model to address central questions in neuroscience at an organismic level. However, imaging of neural circuits in intact fruit flies is limited due to structural properties of the cuticle. Here we present a novel approach combining tissue clearing, ultramicroscopy, and data analysis that enables the visualisation of neuronal networks with single-cell resolution from the larval stage up to the adult Drosophila. FlyClear, the signal preserving clearing technique we developed, stabilises tissue integrity and fluorescence signal intensity for over a month and efficiently removes the overall pigmentation. An aspheric ultramicroscope set-up utilising an improved light-sheet generator allows us to visualise long-range connections of peripheral sensory and central neurons in the visual and olfactory system. High-resolution 3D reconstructions with isotropic resolution from entire GFP-expressing flies are obtained by applying image fusion from orthogonal directions. This methodological integration of novel chemical, optical, and computational techniques allows a major advance in the analysis of global neural circuit organisation.

Calibration modelling for non-destructive estimation of external and internal quality parameters of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit using Vis/NIR spectroscopy

Consumer preference for fruit without disorder influences purchase of fruit at both local and international markets. Recent trends in horticulture show that consumer preference is influenced by assurance that external appearance is linked with rewarding internal sensory quality. Therefore, the need for non-destructive evaluation of external and internal quality parameters is important. This study was conducted to develop and test calibration models for integrated prediction of external and internal quality of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit. Visible to near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy (Vis/NIRS) was used to acquire spectral information from 522 intact fruit. Reference quality parameters such as colour indices (luminosity (L*), greenness (a*) and yellowness (b*)), rind dry matter (DM), rind total phenolics concentration, BrimA, carbohydrates, sweetness index (SI) and total sweetness index (TSI) were obtained using conventional methods. Principal component analysis was applied to analyse spectral data to identify outliers. Savitzky-Golay second derivative with second order polynomial was employed as pre-processing method to correct light scattering properties of the spectra. The spectra were subjected to a test set validation by categorising the spectra into calibration (60%) and validation (40%) sets. Partial least square regression was used as chemometric tool to develop models for predicting each parameter. The model validation results showed that external and internal quality parameters of grapefruit could be predicted with satisfactory accuracy with R2 value of 0.99 for rind quality parameters (L*, a*, b*, DM) and 0.77, 0.99, 0.99 for BrimA, SI and TSI, respectively. The residual predictive deviation (RPD) results for L*, a*, b*, DM, BrimA, SI and TSI were 64.1, 61.4, 123.4, 12.9, 1.4, 9.0 and 13.9, respectively. Vis/NIR calibration and validation results demonstrated that quality parameters of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit could be predicted using Vis/NIRS.

Impacts of minimal processing and hot water dipping of ‘Sonata’ strawberries on volatiles emitted during storage

Strawberries flavour attributes are important quality parameters that have a significant impact on consumer acceptability. Minimal processing and postharvest treatments in many cases neglect the importance of flavour attributes or sacrifice them for better appearance and/or longer shelf life. In addition, only few information is available on the impact of postharvest handling on flavour attributes. Thus, the objectives of this paper were to investigate: i) the effects of minimal processing on changes in composition and relative abundance (%) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from strawberries; and ii) the effects of hot water treatments (45 °C) at different dipping duration (5 and 10 min) on the shift in VOC composition of ‘Sonata’ strawberries. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis, the volatile profiles obtained for strawberries were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced by minimal processing. Aldehydes were most abundant in strawberry puree (34.1%) compared to sliced samples (17.5%) and none were detected in the headspace of intact fruit. Esters were most abundant in the sliced samples (62.9%) compared to intact strawberries (51.2%) and fruit puree (≈ 49%) samples. Hot water treatment and dipping durations had significant impact on the synthesis of methyl and ethyl esters and acetaldehyde in comparison to the untreated (control) samples (p ≤ 0.05). At the end of storage, concentrations of methyl acetate (4.9 ± 0.86 mg mL−1), methyl butanoate (6.7 ± 0.05 mg mL−1), ethyl butanoate (0.6 ± 0.37 mg mL−1), and acetaldehyde (3.1 ± 0.99 mg mL−1) were lowest in strawberries dipped in hot water at 45 °C for 10 min. In contrast, hot water treatment with dipping duration of 5 min best maintained and enhanced the synthesis of methyl butanoate and prevented the accumulation of methyl isobutyl ketone. This study showed that minimal processing had a significant impact on the volatile profile of ‘Sonata’ strawberries, and that hot water treatments play a crucial role on the emission of volatile compounds.

Handling by avian frugivores affects diaspore secondary removal.

The balance between the costs and benefits of fleshy fruit production depends on the feeding behavior of their seed dispersers, which might effectively disperse seeds to farther areas or drop beneath parent plants some diaspores they handle during frugivory bouts. Nevertheless, the consequences of variation in fruit handling by primary seed dispersers on the secondary removal of diaspores remains poorly understood. We conducted a field study to determine how variation in fruit handling by avian frugivores affects short-term secondary removal of Miconia irwinii (Melastomataceae) diaspores by the ground-dwelling fauna in campo rupestre vegetation, southeastern Brazil. We conducted factorial experiments manipulating: (1) different outcomes of primary fruit/seed removal by birds, (2) distances of diaspore deposition from conspecifics, and (3) the access of ants and vertebrates to diaspores. We showed that secondary removal of diaspores was highly variable at the population scale, with an overall low removal rate by the ground-dwelling fauna (13% seeds, 19% fruits). However, we found that gut-passed seeds embedded in bird feces were less removed than seeds expelled from fruits. Gut-passed seeds were more likely to be removed by ant species acting as secondary dispersers, whereas pulp-free seeds dropped by birds were likely to interact with potential seed predators, including ants and rodents. We found no clear effect of dispersal from parent plant vicinity on seed removal, but fruit removal was significantly higher near parent plants. Partially defleshed fruits were more removed than intact fruits. The removal of fruits by ant and vertebrate rescuers, including lizards and birds, might reduce the costs of interactions with less effective dispersers that drop partially defleshed fruits under parent plants. Our study highlights that variation in fruit handling by primary avian seed dispersers mediate subsequent interactions among discarded diaspores and ground-dwelling animals, potentially affecting final seed fates. Moreover, we argue that escape-related benefits of dispersal can be contingent on how primary dispersers handle and discard seeds.

Methyl jasmonate primes defense responses against wounding stress and enhances phenolic accumulation in fresh-cut pitaya fruit

The effect of a pre-cutting methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment on wound-induced phenolic accumulation in fresh-cut pitaya fruit and the possible mechanisms were investigated. Results showed that MeJA treatment before cutting significantly enhanced the accumulation of the main individual phenolic compounds and improved the antioxidant activity in fresh-cut pitaya fruit. It is evident that MeJA pretreatment induced a priming mechanism in pitaya fruit, since the MeJA treated intact fruit without subsequent wounding stress did not show any significant physiological responses. However, pitaya fruit pretreated with MeJA and followed by cutting showed an augmented capacity to enhance defense responses against wounding stress. These enhanced responses included reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst, increased gene expression and activity of key enzymes involved in phenylpropanoid pathway and ROS scavenging. These results demonstrated that MeJA treatment can effectively enhance the wound-induced accumulation of phenolic compounds and improve the antioxidant activity in fresh-cut pitaya fruit through priming of defense responses against wounding stress.

Effects of a foliar spray of selenite or selenate at different growth stages on selenium distribution and quality of blueberries.

Foliar spraying of selenium (Se) has increasingly been applied to improve Se concentrations in grain crops, although little information is available about the properties of Se-enriched fruits. In the present study, selenium distribution in blueberry and Se effect on blueberry quality were investigated by foliar spraying selenite or selenate (200 g ha-1 ) on two blueberry cultivars (Bluecrop and Northland) during the young fruit or coloring stage. Selenium concentration in blueberry was mainly affected by cultivar and spray stage relative to the Se source. Northland was 1.3- to 1.5-fold higher than Bluecrop with respect to Se enrichment. Se treatment at the young fruit stage induced a 1.5- to 2.3-fold increase compared to that at the coloring stage with respect to the Se concentration of blueberry. Additionally, selenium was mainly stored in pomace, with an accumulative distribution ratio of 89.3-94.9%. The proportion of organic Se reached up to 77.0% in blueberry. Furthermore, the foliar application of Se significantly increased the anthocyanin concentration and the intact fruit rate of blueberry. Se-enriched blueberry can be used as a 'functional food'. Because Se was mainly accumulated in the pomace, the consumption of blueberries as fresh fruit, dried fruit and jam can improve the efficiency of Se supplement. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mealiness in ‘Forelle’ pears: relationship between TSS and prediction based on FT-NIR spectroscopy

'Forelle' pears are prone to mealiness, a dry textural disorder characterised by loss of free juice and development of a floury texture when fruit softens. There is currently no method of determining mealiness in intact fruit and no instrumental index which correlates with mealiness. Presently, mealiness determination is done by sensorial panels on cut fruit. This study investigated physicochemical attributes associated with mealiness and the potential of Fourier transform-near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy for non-destructive detection of mealiness in 'Forelle' pears. Spectra were acquired on 400 fruit harvested from four farms over two seasons, stored for 8 weeks at -0.5°C and then for 7 d shelf life at 20°C. Physicochemical measurements were taken using standard destructive techniques. Mealiness was evaluated on each individual fruit by a panel of three trained evaluators and confirmed using the confined compression test. Principal component analysis (PCA) was done on physicochemical parameters to identify parameters that relate to mealiness. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) of FT-NIR spectra was used to discriminate mealy from non-mealy fruit. PCA results showed high positive correlations between mealiness and total soluble solids (TSS). The results showed potential for discriminating between mealy and non-mealy fruit using FT-NIR spectroscopy. Classification accuracies for the two-class OPLS-DA models ranged from 51-95%. Through discriminant analysis, FT-NIR was shown to be a potential non-destructive method for determining mealiness and for the first time TSS was shown to be linked with mealiness.

Seed dispersal of a tropical deciduous Mahua tree, Madhuca latifolia (Sapotaceae) exhibiting bat-fruit syndrome by pteropodid bats

Pollination and seed dispersal are two important phases of the reproductive cycle in plants and are usually performed by different groups of animal taxa in tropics. However, in Mahua tree, Madhuca latifolia (Sapotaceae) both pollination and seed dispersal are predominantly performed by pteropodid bats. We report the foraging and seed dispersal strategies of three sympatric pteropodid bats, Cynopterus sphinx, Rousettus leschenaultii and Pteropus giganteus, during two successive fruiting seasons of M. latifolia. These sympatric fruit bats exhibited spatio-temporal variation while foraging and consumed fleshy mesocarp of fruits and discarded the seeds. Fruit processing time corresponded to the size of the bat species (P. giganteus > R. leschenaultii > C. sphinx); the larger the bat, the more number of fruits they consumed. P. giganteus predominantly consumed the fruits in situ (87% of the times). However, during peak foraging hours, when intraspecific aggressive interactions were high, these bats flew away with fruits from the parent tree (13%), and transported seeds to longer distances (at a time, which they carried = 7.2 km). On the contrary, R. leschenaultii and C. sphinx plucked one fruit at a time and carried to their feeding roosts for consumption. The feeding roosts of medium-sized fruit bat R. leschenaultii were located farther than that of the small-sized C. sphinx, i.e., 52.81 m and 34.18 m, respectively. Comparison of seed germination rates showed no significant variation between bat-dispersed seeds (R. leschenaultii: 95% and C. sphinx: 90%) and control seeds (manually extracted: 90%). As intact fruits did not germinate, mesocarp removal and mobility of seeds away from the parent tree were the main advantages gained by M. latifolia from the foraging bats suggesting the existence of a resource−service mutualism between the fruit bats and bat fruits.

Non-destructive estimation of pomegranate juice content of intact fruit using X-ray computed tomography

Non-destructive estimation of pomegranate juice content of intact fruit using X-ray computed tomography

The role of frugivorous birds in fruit removal and seed germination of the invasive alien Cotoneaster franchetii in central Argentina

AbstractMany invasive plant species have fleshy fruits that are eaten by native frugivorous birds which disperse their seeds and may facilitate their germination, playing an important role in plant invasion success. The fleshy‐fruited shrub Cotoneaster franchetii (Rosaceae) is an important invasive alien in the mountainous regions of central Argentina. To determine the role of avian frugivorous in fruit removal of this species, we conducted a frugivore exclusion experiment including bagged and unbagged branches in 75 plants of C. franchetii. At the end of the dispersal period, we compared the percentage of missing fruits (removed by birds + naturally dropped) in unbagged branches with the percentage of naturally dropped fruits in bagged branches. To assess whether any mechanism acting on seeds during their passage through bird guts (de‐inhibition by pulp removal and/or seed scarification) affects seed germination of this species, we compared percentage and speed of germination among seeds obtained from faeces of the native frugivorous Turdus chiguanco, from manually de‐pulped fruits, and from intact fruits. The percentage of missing fruits per shrub in unbagged branches was significantly higher than the percentage of naturally dropped fruits in bagged branches, suggesting that frugivorous birds play an important role in fruit removal of C. franchetii in the study area. Seeds from bird faeces and from manually de‐pulped fruits germinated in higher percentage and faster than seeds from intact fruits. Germination percentage and speed of seeds from manually de‐pulped fruits were significantly higher than those of gut‐passed seeds. These results indicate that T. chiguanco increases and accelerates seed germination of C. franchetii through pulp removal, but not through seed scarification. Overall, our findings indicate that native frugivorous birds facilitate the dispersal and germination success of C. franchetii, likely playing an important role in its invasion throughout the mountainous region of central Argentina.

Rapid evaluation of the texture properties of melon (Cucumis melo L. Var. reticulata cv. Green net) using near infrared spectroscopy.

The near infrared spectroscopy protocol developed for determination of rupture force and penetrating force in pulp using intact fruit spectra as a nondestructive method will be useful for research works such as breeding and postharvest research, the melon processing factory and also the import and export of melon. There are also the protocol developed using pulp spectra can be used for texture determination of fresh-cut melon.