Percentage Of Fruit Research Articles

Can nudge interventions targeting healthy food purchases in real-world grocery stores reduce diet-related health disparities? A pooled analysis of four controlled trials

BackgroundHealthy food nudges may be more, or especially, effective among groups experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. We investigated the modifying role of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics in the effectiveness of nudge interventions targeting healthy foods in real-world grocery store settings on food purchasing patterns.MethodsWe pooled individual participant data from multiple trials. Eligible trials were identified via a PubMed search and selected based on having a controlled real-world design, testing a nudging intervention promoting healthy purchases, while collecting participants’ sociodemographic and purchasing data. Out of four eligible trials, three had longitudinal measurements, one consisted of a single time point, two were randomised and two were not. Applied nudges consisted of a combination of placement nudges (focussing on availability or positioning) and property nudges (presentation and/or information). Harmonised data included dichotomised socioeconomic and demographic variables and the percentage of purchased fruits and vegetables of total purchases. Multilevel meta-regression based on linear mixed-effects models were used to explore modifying effects using two approaches: longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses.ResultsThe analytical sample in the longitudinal analysis comprised of 638 participants, who were predominantly female (76.3%), had a lower education attainment (67.7%), and a mean age of 46.6 years (SD 13.5). These characteristics were similar in the cross-sectional analysis (n = 855). Compared to control group participants, there was no main effect of healthy food nudges on the percentage of fruit and vegetable purchases by intervention group participants in the longitudinal analysis (β = 0.00; 95%CI -0.03, 0.09). This main effect was not modified by educational attainment (βgroup*higher education = -0.06; -0.40, 0.02), sex (βgroup*females = 0.13; -0.00, 0.61) nor age (βgroup*older adults = -0.05; -0.39, 0.02). Results from the cross-sectional analysis were comparable.ConclusionsThis pooled analyses of four controlled trials did not find evidence supporting the hypothesis that grocery store nudge interventions of healthy foods work more effectively among groups experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. Future studies are needed to address the identified limitations through rigorous trial design using comprehensive interventional strategies, standardised outcome measures, while also evaluating context-specific approaches. Such insights will help to better understand the equity of nudging interventions in grocery store settings and the potential for reducing diet-related health disparities.Trial registrationsThe trial of Ayala et al. (2022) was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01475526; at 14 November 2011, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01475526), the of Huitink et al. (2020) was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN39440735; at 5 September 2018, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN39440735), the of Vogel et al. (2024) was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03518151; at 24 April 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03518151), and finally of Stuber et al. (2024) was registered in the Dutch Trial Register (ID NL7064, at 30 May 2018, https://www.onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/20990).

Potential reformulation of food products two years after implementation of Nutri-Score in Belgium

Abstract Background Nutri-score is a front of pack labeling system that provides consumers with simplified information of the nutritional quality of food products. It is based on a five color (green to red) or letter (A to E) scheme that grades the quality of the product using an algorithm that takes into account the energy, sugar, saturated fats, salt, fiber, protein content, and percent of fruits and vegetables. In Belgium, Nutri-score was implemented on a voluntary basis in April 2019. This study aims to explore reformulation of products with Nutri-score by comparing their nutrient content and Nutri-score distribution in 2019 and 2021. Methods Product data from one of the major retailers was used in the analysis. Similar products in 2019 and 2021 with matched barcodes were used. Descriptive statistics were computed and statistical analyses such as the signed rank test and the McNemars test were performed to respectively evaluate the changes in the nutrient content and Nutri-score. The tests were conducted at 5% level of significance. Results From the matched sample of 668 products, about 55% had a Nutri-score of A and B in both 2019 and 2021. The proportion of food products with Nutri-Score of A/B and of D/E was not significantly different after two years of Nutri-Score implementation. Results showed a significant decrease in the median energy content of dairy, sauces, and meat products and in the median sugar content of dairy and fruit and vegetable products. There was a significant increase in the median fiber content of the dairy, meat products, and non-alcoholic beverages. For all food groups, the salt content of the products in 2019 and 2021 was not significantly different. Conclusions This two-year interval analysis described the changes in the classification and reformulation of the products with Nutri-score. Favorable changes in the nutrient quality of the product profiles reveals improvement in their reformulation. Key messages • In this analysis, changes has been observed in the nutrient content of food products between 2019 and 2021. • Producers or manufacturers should continue working on commitments to enhance the nutritional quality of the products delivered to consumers.

Detection, counting, and maturity assessment of blueberries in canopy images using YOLOv8 and YOLOv9

Blueberry growers currently rely on manual or subjective approaches to harvest decision-making and yield estimation. Canopy image-based, pre-harvest blueberry detection provides a promising means for automated harvest maturity assessment, fruit counting, and yield estimation to optimize crop management and reduce labor costs. Data-driven deep-learning-based object detectors, especially the YOLO (You Only Look Once) series models, have emerged as a powerful tool for a diversity of computer vision tasks in agriculture. However, the detection of such small, densely populated objects as blueberries in unstructured scenes can pose great challenges, especially given the lack of dedicated datasets for model development. This study, therefore, presents the first publicly available dataset of blueberry canopy images with 17,955 ripe and unripe blueberries, which were captured in diverse orchard conditions, and performance evaluation of YOLOv8l (large) and YOLOv9-c (compact) with comparable complexity for blueberry detection and whereby fruit counting and ripe fruit percentage estimation. At the input image resolution of 2560 × 2560 pixels, both models performed similarly in terms of detection accuracy with around 91 % mAP@50, except that YOLOv9-c was far more time-consuming to train. Trained with the input of higher resolution images of 3520 × 3520 pixels, YOLOv8l achieved an overall mAP@50 of nearly 93 %, and an RMSEs (root-mean-square errors) of 10.4 in fruit counting and 3.62 % in estimating the percentage of ripe fruit of each image. Both the blueberry dataset11https://zenodo.org/records/14002517 and software programs22https://github.com/vicdxxx/BlueberryDetectionAndCounting of this study have been or will be made publicly available, which are expected to be useful for promoting greater community efforts for further algorithm development.

Models for the Inactivation of Foodborne Pathogens in Salad Dressing from Challenge Studies

The Association for Dressings and Sauces’ (ADS) members have conducted challenge studies on salad dressing products to assess pathogen survival. Data from 79 different challenge studies provided by ADS were used in this analysis. The acid-moisture ratio, pH, incubation temperature, and ingredient details were provided for each study. Linear regression models were used to predict the time to 3-log, 4-log, and 5-log reduction as a function of study parameters. A statistically based approach also was used to estimate the concentration of pathogens in ingredients based on testing history. This was combined with decline modeling to estimate pathogen concentration over time. The time-to-five log reduction for each of the target pathogens were highly skewed. A logarithmic transformation of time to 5 log reduction resulted in approximately normal distributions. Incubation temperature and formulation pH were highly significant (p < 1E−6), in predicting the number of days to a five-log reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7, while the percentage of spices in the formulation is also quite significant (p = 0.01). Salmonella modeling showed that the most highly significant parameter was the percentage of water (p < 1E−8). Other parameters in order of descending significance include the percent fruit (p = 0.00032), incubation temperature (p = 0.00268), followed by percent sugar (p = 0.02161) and percent vegetables (p = 0.03149). The most significant parameter in predicting Listeria monocytogenes reduction was incubation temperature (p = 0.000687), followed by acid moisture ratio (p = 0.012423). The next two significant parameters in the Listeria model were percent lipid (p = 0.023772) and percent water (p = 0.025701). The least significant parameter that meets the minimum criteria for inclusion in the Listeria model (p < 0.05) was percent fruit (p = 0.047074). Our analysis will be useful in developing risk-based approaches to continue to assure the safety of commercially prepared salad dressings.

Physicochemical, Textural, and Antioxidant Attributes of Yogurts Supplemented with Black Chokeberry: Fruit, Juice, and Pomace.

The fruit, juice, and pomace of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) are a rich source of phenolic compounds and can be used to obtain enriched dairy products. Chokeberry fruit, due to its astringent taste, is less favorable or even unacceptable to consumers and is usually processed into juice, resulting in large quantities of pomace, which is often discarded as waste. The aim of this study is to valorize chokeberry fruit, juice, and pomace by incorporating them in different percentages (1, 2, and 3%) into yogurt as functional ingredients. The physicochemical (total solids content, fat, protein, titratable acidity, pH, color), textural (hardness, adhesion, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness), antioxidant (DPPH scavenging activity and total phenolic content), and sensory characteristics of supplemented yogurts were investigated. The results showed that the addition of chokeberry pomace in yogurt increased their total solids content (from 11.46 ± 0.18% for the plain yogurt sample to 13.71 ± 0.18% for the yogurt sample with 3% chokeberry pomace), while the addition of fruit and juice decreased the protein content of the yogurt samples (from 4.35 ± 0.11% for the plain yogurt sample to 3.69 ± 0.15% for the yogurt sample with 3% chokeberry fruit and to 3.84 ± 0.1% for the yogurt sample with 3% chokeberry juice). There was no statistically significant change in the fat content of all samples of chokeberry-supplemented yogurt compared to plain yogurt. The pH of the yogurt samples decreased with the increase in the percentage of chokeberry fruit, juice, and pomace added to the yogurt (from 4.50 for the plain yogurt samples to 4.35, 4.30, and 4.20 for the yogurt samples supplemented with 1, 2, and 3% black chokeberry pomace). Inhibition of DPPH radical formation was higher in the yogurt samples with chokeberry fruit (57.84 ± 0.05%, 73.57 ± 0.11%, and 75.38 ± 0.05% inhibition for the samples with 1, 2, and 3% fruit) and pomace (up to 64.8 ± 0.11% inhibition for the sample with 3%), while total phenolic content decreased (from 392.14 ± 2.06 to 104.45 ± 2.63 µg/g) as follows: yogurt with chokeberry pomace > yogurt with chokeberry fruit > yogurt with chokeberry juice. The yogurt samples with the highest acceptance scores were the samples with 3% and 2% black chokeberry fruit, while the lowest acceptance score was obtained for the yogurt sample with 3% black chokeberry pomace. Chokeberry fruit, juice, and pomace can improve the physicochemical, textural, and antioxidant characteristics of yogurt, emphasizing that the antioxidant effect of yogurt could be substantially improved by the addition of chokeberry pomace due to its high phenolic content, while incorporation into yogurt is another way to valorize this by-product.

Effects of chitosan hydrolysate on control of postharvest infection caused by Botrytis cinerea and physiological responses of wounded tomato fruit

Chitosan is considered an eco-friendly plant protection agent. Chitosan hydrolysate (CH) with an average molecular weight (MW) of the main fraction of 135 × 103 Da, with a deacetylation degree (DD) of 93 % is an unfractionated product of nitric acid hydrolysis of high molecular weight chitosan. The effect of the CH on gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea in tomato fruit stored at 25 °C was investigated. Chitosan provided effective control of B. cinerea on tomato fruit. The CH treatment of wounded tomato fruit had a protective effect, reducing the percentage of infected fruit on the 7 d after treatment to 50 %, compared with untreated wounded fruit (69 %) and water-treated fruit (88 %). The protective effect of the CH in tomato fruit may be due to a direct fungitoxic action against the pathogen. It was found that the CH induced an immune response in tomato fruit via the accumulation of phenolic compounds. The level of phenolic compounds in the CH group was higher than in the untreated wound group from day 1 to 5, with a maximum reached on day 3 (113 mg-eq GA kg-1). No significant differences were found in the activities of peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, polyphenol oxidase, β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase. Thus, the CH affects the processes occurring during fruit damage and contributes to the preservation of the consumer qualities of fruit.

Apomictic seed formation and viability in Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. (Aquifoliaceae)

The objective of this study was to investigate fruit and seed formation in Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. without sexual reproduction in addition to evaluating their viability. This study was based on the hypothesis that the formation of apomictic fruit and seeds occurs, but the seeds are non-viable, contributing to the low germination percentage of the species. Five branches of 20 pistillate mother plants were bagged before anthesis (T1) and five immediately after fruit formation (TC). Once they reach maturity, the fruit were collected and counted. Their seeds were cut lengthwise and classified as intact (with embryo and endosperm) or non-intact (empty and/or deteriorated). The viability of intact seeds was evaluated with the tetrazolium test when they were classified as viable or non-viable. The data were submitted to the Kruskal-Wallis Test. The formation of viable fruit and seeds occurred in smaller numbers in T1, all statistically different from TC (p&lt;0.05). Although in smaller quantities and with a statistical difference, the formation of viable fruit and seeds occurs without sexual reproduction, suggesting that the process responsible for their formation is the facultative apomixis. The higher percentage of viable fruit and seeds in TC is probably a result of the occurrence of both apomixis and sexual reproduction. The percentage of non-viable seeds does not differ between the two treatments, suggesting that apomixis may not be the cause of the low percentage of viable seeds and germination, requiring further studies to understand its causes.

Ecofriendly treatments to improve pomegranate trees production and tolerance to climate change

BackgroundPomegranate is capable of growing in different agro-climatic conditions ranging from tropical to sub-tropical. Where vegetative growth, nutritional and physiological status of pomegranate plants oscillate at high temperatures waves in the summer season. While we can overcome the cracking and sunburn of fruits, which are the main problems confronting pomegranate cultivars due to their significant impact on the quality of fruits.MethodsThe present research was conducted over the course of two consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022. The study focused on ten-year-old trees that were cultivated in sandy soil inside a private orchard situated 70 km away from Cairo on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road in Egypt (30o13′31.4″N30o39′09″E). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of foliar spraying of Wonderful pomegranate trees with some nutrients (B, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ca and Cu), amino acids and irradiated licorice on vegetative growth, fruit physical, quality and chemical and leaf chemical parameters. A randomized full-block design with three duplicates was employed in the study. Using the recently computed least significant difference values at the 5% level, averages were compared.ResultsThe results indicated that foliar spraying with nutrients, amino acids and licorice extract (irradiated or not) alone or in combination significantly increased the vegetative growth and leaf total chlorophyll content compared to the control. Also, they significantly increased fruit length, diameter, weight, and number/tree and thus yield. As compared to the control, all treatments significantly reduced the number of sunburned and cracked fruits leading to decrease the percentage of un-marketable fruits. The juice content of anthocyanin, total sugars and total soluble solids increased significantly in response to all treatments compared to the control while the acidity% greatly reduced. When these treatments were used instead of the control, the content of N, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the leaves was also positively increased.ConclusionsIn conclusion, foliar spraying of “Wonderful” pomegranate trees with a mixture of nutrients (B, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ca, Cu) and amino acids or irradiated licorice extract can be considered as a suitable management of the problem of sunburned or cracked fruits while improving the physical and chemical fruit quality with increased productivity.

Fruit Variation in Yellow-Fleshed Actinidia (Actinidia chinensis Planch) Plants Grown in Southern Italy as a Function of Shoot Type

One of the goals of modern orcharding is to produce a high volume of fruits with uniform size, organoleptic parameters, and health characteristics. The aim of this work was to study various shoot types and their prevailing positions along the cane and to identify how shoot type can influence the quality of fruit from the Actinidia tree. The experiment was conducted over a two-year period in a commercial orchard of Actinidia chinensis, cv. Gold 3. The shoots along the cane were classified as follows: spur shoots (SPs), terminated shoots (TEs), non-terminated shoots (NTs), and cut non-terminated shoots (CNTs). The data were statistically processed using ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis (ACP). Four different categories of fruit were obtained from the four shoot types, and their various attributes were compared. The prevailing category (comprising 55% of the studied fruits) was TEs, which are characterised by a higher soluble solid content, sweetness, and excellent health characteristics, as well as the reduced hardness of their pulp, which would support the hypothesis that harvesting could be brought forward. The second most common category (comprising 19% of total fruit) with the lowest soluble solid content, but a high antioxidant capacity, was that which was detached from the CNTs, while 13% of the fruit was produced from NTs, which had the lowest health value but good sweetness perception. Finally, the category with the lowest fruit percentage over the total fruit harvested (10%) was SPs, which are characterised by their smaller size. It has yet to be determined what the performance of each category will be post-harvest; whether it is possible to assign the quality categories while harvesting the fruit or to differentiate the harvest time accordingly remains subject to debate.

Cooler Is Better: The Role of Temperature in the Reproductive Biology of Persian Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Studied in a Hungarian-Bred Cultivar

The aim was to determine the growth of pollen tubes throughout the transmitting tissue and the process of fertilization in open, optimal and over pollination on the 3rd, 6th and 9th day after pollination of pistillate flowers, together with apomixis. The experiment was carried out over 2 years in Lovasberény, Fejér district, Hungary, which differed in temperature conditions. The average number of pollen tubes in the locule of the ovary was significantly higher in 2017 (1.3%) than in 2019 (1%). A higher percentage of fruit set was recorded in 2017 compared to 2019. The percentage of apomictic fruits from variant of unpollination was higher in 2017 (10%) than in 2019 (3.7%). Based on these results it can be concluded that pollen tube growth and post-fertilization processes together with apomixis of cultivar ‘AK’ are better adaptable to lower temperatures. These findings may help us to move walnut production to the north or to higher altitudes, where the climate is more continental.

Improving the productivity and reducing the drop percentages of fruits in pear by the external application of some plant growth regulators

Improving the productivity and reducing the drop percentages of fruits in pear by the external application of some plant growth regulators

Efficiency of Antioxidants on Physiological Traits and Growth Curve of Date Palm Fruit Cultivars Barhi and Zamli

The study aimed to investigate the impact of variety factor on the physiological characteristics and growth curve of date palm fruits in a private orchard in the Hartha district of Al-Masheeb, north of Basrah province. Two date palm varieties, Barhi and Zamli, were selected and antioxidants tocopherol and Glutathione were used at three concentrations (0, 75, 150 mg/L) for each. The interaction between these factors was studied in terms of physiological characteristics and growth curves. Results showed no significant differences between the varieties' physiological characteristics, but the spray treatments had a significant effect on the percentage of fruit set. The Glutathione spraying treatment had the highest rate of fruit set (86.60%), while the comparison treatment had the lowest drop rate (77.55%). The interaction treatments also had significant differences in drop rate and non-set fruit percentages. The Zamli variety showed the highest growth curve of physical traits (6 and 12 weeks after pollination), while antioxidant spray treatments had significant differences in the rate of physical characteristics. The interaction had a significant effect on the studied characteristics during the two growth periods

Antifungal effects of volatile organic compounds produced by Trichoderma hamatum against Neocosmospora solani.

Neocosmospora solani causes Fusarium wilt disease and root rot, which are serious problems worldwide. To determine the growth inhibition of Neocosmospora solani by Trichoderma hamatum volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the major chemical components of Trichoderma hamatum VOCs and the differences in their contents at different times were analysed, and the activity of these components was evaluated. The antifungal activity of Trichoderma hamatum was measured by a screening test, as Trichoderma hamatum exhibited strong antagonism against Neocosmospora solani in vitro. The double plate technique was used to verify the activity of Trichoderma hamatum VOCs, and the inhibition rate was 63.77%. Neocosmospora solani mycelia were uneven and expanded, the contents of the cells leaked, and the mycelia shrank and presented a diaphragm in the hyphae upon Trichoderma hamatum VOCs treatment. Trichoderma hamatum VOCs and their contents at different times were analysed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 6-Pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one clearly presented in greater amounts than the other components on day 3, 4, 5, and 6. VOCs from Trichoderma hamatum exhibited evident effects on the percentage of healthy fruit after day 3. Moreover, Trichoderma hamatum can improve the biological control of diseases caused by soilborne pathogens, and can be applied in biocontrol fields.

Evaluation of Impact of Biofertilizer and Mulch Types on Growth and Production of Tomato Cultivar Gustavi F1 in Lowland Areas

Tomato plants are expected to have an ideal growing environment to optimize their growth and production. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of various concentrations of biofertilizer, mulch types, and their interactions on growth and production of the Gustavi F1 tomato cultivar. A randomized group design (RGD) arranged factorially was used for the analysis, with the first factor consisting of no mulch (M0), straw mulch (M1), and plastic mulch (M2). The second factor was five biofertilizer concentrations, including 0 ml.l-1 (L0), 5 ml.l-1 (L1), 10 ml.l-1 (L2) 15 ml.l-1 (L3), and 20 ml.l-1 (L4). Data were analyzed using the F test (analysis of variance), and in cases of significant differences, the analysis proceeded with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at an α level of 5%. Growth parameters observed in the experiments included plant height at 1 and 3 weeks after planting, while production parameters comprised fruit diameter, the number of fruits per plant, the percentage of fruits experiencing Blossom End-Rot (BER), and fruit weight per plot. The results showed that the use of plastic mulch significantly increased the number of fruits per plant, while the 0 ml.l-1 biofertilizer concentration showed the most effective reduction in the percentage of fruits experiencing BER. Moreover, an interaction between mulch and biofertilizer treatments was observed, particularly in relation to plant height 1 week after planting, the number of fruits per plant, and the percentage of fruits experiencing BER.

Comparison of modern raspberry varieties long cane

Relevance. Modern raspberry varieties (Rubus idaeus L.) have great potential for cultivation using Long Cane technology.Methods. The study compared raspberry varieties Ovation, Wengi, and Vajolet. Seedlings were obtained from root cuttings, then grown from April 2021 to July 2022 for the summer harvest and from April 2022 to October 2022 for the fall harvest.Results. It has been established that varietal characteristics and the fruiting period significantly affect the indicators. The largest fruits are in the Wengi variety (length 25.5 mm, diameter 24.3 mm, weight 7.2 g), the smallest are in the Ovation variety (length 22.2 mm, diameter 22.5 mm, weight 4.9 g). When observing varieties at different ripening periods, it was found that the fruit length (27.3 mm) and fruit weight (8.3 mm) during the summer fruiting period are maximum in the Wengi variety, and minimum in the Vajolet variety. The amount of sugar ranges from 11 to 13°Bx, the percentage of ripe fruits from 84.5 to 94.5. The difference between the Wengi and Ovation varieties in terms of vegetative characteristics at different growing periods has been reliably proven. During the summer fruiting period, the yield per shoot for Wengi was 2615 g, for Vajolet – 485 g. The Wengi variety was distinguished by its maximum length (27.3 mm) and fruit weight (8.3 g). Based on all the indicators, the most promising varieties for summer fruiting are Wengi and Vajolet, and for autumn fruiting – Ovation.

UV-C Enhances Phenolics Metabolism and the Production of the Related Bioactive Compounds in Green Chi-fah Chili (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Chi-fah Kiaw) Fruit

One of the fruit vegetables that is a favorite for consumers of spicy food worldwide is chili (Capsicum annuum). Thus, the external and internal quality attributes of harvested chili fruit, such as peel color and fruit antioxidants, are of interest for different cooking needs. UV-C is the shortest wavelength of ultraviolet radiation that can harm the living organisms. However, short-term exposure to this physical stress might have many advantages for crop species. This research studied the post-harvest effect of UV-C exposure for different times (0, 10, and 20 min) on the green fruit of Chi-fah chili. The results showed that the percentage of fruit with red peel color increased rapidly during storage after UV-C irradiation, especially in the 10-minute treatment 75% of fruit had red color after 6 days. UV-C treatment also promoted phenolic biosynthesis in green Chi-fah chili fruit as 10 and 20 min of UV-C exposure elevated phenolic contents in both the pulp and placenta with the maximum of 30 and 45 mg gallic acid/gFW, respectively. Exposure to 20 min of UV-C irradiation seemed to inhibit flavonoid production, whereas 10 min UV-C irradiation increased flavonoids in both the pulp and placenta (0.72 and 0.87 mg rutin/gFW, respectively). Of particular interest to the consumers, UV-C treatment could increase the capsaicin amount in green Chi-fah chili fruit. Only the fruit irradiated with UV-C for 10 min had the highest level of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in the pulp one day after storage, while the placenta had the highest level of PAL activity from day 1 to day 3. The 10 and 20 min UV-C irradiation led to the highest peroxidase (POD) activity in the pulp and the placenta, respectively. In conclusion, UV-C could be used to enhance the production of phenolics and related bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and capsaicin in green Chi-fah chili fruit during postharvest storage.

Research on Application of Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles L.) and Pork Collagen in Dark Chocolate-Benefits in Prevention of Inflammation In Vitro Model.

In the present study, the effect of the addition of quince and collagen type I and III to dessert chocolate on its functional properties was determined. The study evaluated the antioxidant potential of the tested formulations using the FRAP method and the linoleic acid oxidation test and beta-carotene bleaching test. The tested samples were also evaluated for inhibitory activity against enzymes important in preventive health (inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders) namely: AChE, BChE, GR, GPx, COX, and SOD. The addition of quince and collagen to the chocolate samples resulted in higher activity compared to the control sample, as indicated by the FRAP test. The experiment highlighted the impact of including quince fruit on the antioxidant activity of the chocolate samples. Interestingly, merely increasing the quince fruit amount did not consistently enhance antioxidant potential. Specifically, chocolate samples with a lower proportion of quince fruit (2 g/100 g) exhibited greater antioxidant activity when supplemented with collagen I. Conversely, in samples with higher quince percentages (3 g and 4 g), those enriched with collagen III showed higher antioxidant activity. Similar correlations were observed in the linoleic acid oxidation test. Notably, samples containing 3 g and 4 g of quince and type III collagen demonstrated statistically similar highest antioxidant properties. Regardless of the collagen type used, there was no observed increase in activity towards the tested enzymes for samples with the lowest percentage of quince fruit. Both collagen types exhibited the highest activity in the inhibition assay against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase when combined with 3 g and 4 g of quince. Overall, the experimental incorporation of both fruit and collagen enhanced the chocolates' activity. Similarly to the antioxidant activity findings, chocolates with lower quince fruit quantities showed increased activity when supplemented with collagen III, while those with higher quince content (3 g and 4 g) displayed higher activity with collagen I. Bitter chocolate by itself is an attractive food product, rich in many bioactive compounds. However, enriching it with other attractive raw materials can make its properties and taste even more attractive.

Influence of successive cycles of water stress on tomato production at fruiting stage

Progressive reduction of water supply was imposed during early period (S1) and late period (S2) interceded by a recovery, with a moderate stress for first case and un intensive stress for second case, at fruiting stage of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rio Grand). The influence of this reduction on fruit production, shoot growth, water content (WC), relative water content (RWC), leaf area (LA), specific leaf weight (SLW), total soluble solids of fruit (T.S.S.) and maturity percentage of fruit were investigated. Repetition of water stress (S1+S2) was obviously reducing the shoot growth, fresh yield, WC, LA and maturity percentage, whereas that was not achieved in dry weight of fruits (FDW), RWC, SLW and T.S.S. Since, a significant difference was founded between the effects of S2 cycle and when that has been preceded by another one S1+S2 on accumulation of dry matter of fruit. Two successive cycles of water stress were doubled of FDW by two times of that registered in control. These results indicate that, during fruiting stage, the effect of gradually exposure of a moderate water stress period, followed by recovery, thereafter by another gradually exposure of un intensive water stress period, contributed to better accumulation of dry matter in fruit by an osmotic adjusting therefore improving water use efficiency, compared to the effect of only one high intensive of water stress applied during the second period. Repetition cycle of water stress may be useful to develop management systems for a reasonable production of tomato and thus reducing the needs of irrigation water in regions facing deficit of water supplies.

Effects of Neem, Moringa, and Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Coating on Postharvest Shelf Life and Quality Retention of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), Azadirachta indica (neem), and Moringa oleifera (moringa) leaf extracts on the shelf life and quality retention of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits during storage. Thirty-five (35) red, matured tomato fruits were collected, rinsed and grouped for each treatment with AgNPs, neem and moringa coating: Control (n=5), moringa aqueous leaf extract (MALE) (n=5), neem aqueous leaf extract (NALE) (n=5), 1:9 and 6:4 moringa aqueous leaf extract synthesized silver nanoparticles (MALE-AgNPs) (n=5), 1:9 and 6:4 neem aqueous leaf extract synthesized silver nanoparticles (NALE-AgNPs) (n=5), respectively. The firmness, shelf life, and postharvest decay percentage of the tomato fruits were determined. Additionally, fungi associated with the postharvest deterioration of the fruits were isolated and identified using standard procedures. From the results of this study, tomato fruits coated with either neem or moringa crude extract showed the longest shelf life, as compared to the coating with AgNPs. Additionally, two fungi, namely Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus, were isolated from the decayed tomato fruits. In conclusion, the neem and moringa leaf extracts are effective in the extension of the shelf life and retention of the quality of tomato fruits.

Yields, Postharvest Storage, and Response to Pruning of Eggplant Cultivars Grown in High Tunnels in New Hampshire, USA

We grew eight cultivars of eggplant (Solanum melongena) over 2 years in four experiments conducted in high tunnels located in Durham, NH; North Haverhill, NH; and Ossipee, NH, USA. The marketable yields of eggplant harvested over 14 to 15 weeks ranged from 925 to 3269 g per plant (2.5–8.8 kg⋅m–2), depending on year and cultivar. Significant differences in marketable yield among cultivars were observed in three of the four experiments, but trends were not consistent. Parthenocarpic cultivars developed for greenhouse production, including Angela, Annina, Aretussa, Jaylo, and Michal, did not produce significantly greater yields than the cultivars developed for field production (Nadia, Traviata, and White Star). In two experiments, using a subset of cultivars, we explored the effects of training plants to four leaders compared with the standard practice of no pruning. Pruning treatment did not impact significantly the number or weight of marketable fruit, or the percentage of cull fruit, and there was no cultivar-by-pruning treatment interaction. In three separate experiments in Durham NH, USA, weight loss, browning, and softness were evaluated after 2 weeks of storage in one of three conditions: within the ideal range of temperatures (average of 50–64 °F), too warm (63–73 °F), and too cool (38–49 °F). Overall, responses to conditions that were warmer or cooler than ideal were as predicted, and weight loss, softness, and browning were all minimized when fruit were stored at 50 or 60 °F. We did, however, see some differences among cultivars in susceptibility to common postharvest storage problems. In conclusion, we found that cultivar choice can be important for high-tunnel eggplant producers, especially if postharvest storage conditions are not ideal. We also found that pruning and parthenocarpy did not enhance marketable yields, allowing growers to reduce labor and seed costs without impacting yield or fruit quality negatively.