Pulp Percentage Research Articles

Association between Physico Biochemical Parameters of Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) cv. Umran under Cold Storage

Aim: The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between the physical and biochemical attributes of Indian jujube or ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) cultivar Umran, affected by treatments applied after harvest and stored under cold storage conditions. Place and Duration: This investigation was conducted at Horticulture Department of SKN Agriculture University, Jobner in the month of February to March, 2019. Methodology: The fruits treated with calcium chloride (CaCl2) (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) and gibberellic acid (GA3) (20, 40 and 60ppm) while being maintained in cold storage. The experiment was carried out utilizing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), consisting of seven treatments and three replications. The study evaluated multiple attributes of fruits, such as physiological weight loss, marketability, pulp percentage, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars and reducing sugars. Results: The correlation analysis revealed a highly significant positive correlation between the weight of the fruit and various quality measures, such as marketability (r = 0.959), pulp percent (r =0.846), total soluble solids (r =0.947), titratable acidity (r =0.998), ascorbic acid (r =0.991), total sugars (r =0.980) and reducing sugars (r =0.963). While, a strong negative association was observed between the fruit's weight and PLW (r =-0.947). The linear regression model provides additional evidence for this relationship revealed that changes in fruit weight were responsible for a substantial amount of the differences observed in the evaluated quality attributes. The values of the coefficients of determination (r²) varied between 0.747 and 0.996. Conclusion: The strong correlations and regression model provide valuable insights for improving post-harvest handling and storage practices, leading to enhanced preservation of fruit quality during cold storage.

Growth of peaches at three altitudes in the Santander mountains of Northeastern Colombia

A study was conducted in the high tropics in the province of Pamplona, Colombia, with the objective of evaluating the growth of peach, Jarillo variety, under three different altitudes (1670, 1870, and 2170 masl). A total of eight trees were sampled per altitude for the purposes of this study. Ten fruits were taken from the middle third, and their mass was measured as follows: fresh and dry from the fruit and fruit pulp, pulp-seed ratio, and the roundness index during the three stages of development after defoliation. A multivariate analysis of variance and a nested longitudinal mixed model were employed to analyze the total fresh mass from three altitudes. The simple effects of altitude and the phenological stages and their interaction were found to be significant when the nested structure of the random effects, fruits nested in trees, and trees in altitudes were incorporated. The effects of time and altitude demonstrated a significant interaction for all variables. In all cases, 1670 masl was the altitude which had the highest fresh mass and the pulp-seed relationship, which it allowed a higher percentage of pulp from harvested fruits for agro-industrial processes. The pattern of relationship between fruit-associated variables as a function of days after defoliation was explained using a second-order polynomial regression model.

Integrated Nutrient Management of Papaya (Carica papaya L.): Application of Microbial Consortium Enriched Organic Manures for Yield and Fruit Quality Enhancement

An experiment was undertaken to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and quality of papaya under Kerala conditions. The trial was conducted in RBD. Papaya variety used for the study was Surya with ten treatments. The results revealed that the applications of microbial consortium enriched organic manures in papaya plants (NPK (25 %) as PGPR mix-1 enriched vermicompost along with N, P and K 75% of recommended dose of fertilizers fertilizers ( 240 N: 240 P2O5: 480 K2O (g plant-1) + 10 kg FYM) resulted in the highest number of fruit production, enhanced fruit weight , total fruit yield per plant. It also resulted in the production of fruits with highest fruit length, girth, pulp percentage and flesh thickness. Fruit quality characters like high TSS, less acidity, higher carotenoid content, ascorbic acid content, highest total sugar content and reducing sugar content were enhanced in papaya. Organoleptic characters of fruit were also enhanced by adopting integrated nutrient management in papaya . Papaya being an important fruit crop of Kerala gaining importance nowadays. Integrated nutrient management (INM) involves efficient and judicious supply of all major and micro components of plant nutrients including local available resources on sustainable basis. Papaya is known to be a heavy feeder of nutrients (NPK) and information regarding the effect of INM is more important

Effects of Pinching on Growth, Yield, and Quality of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Varieties in Chitwan, Nepal

An investigation was accomplished at the production farm of Nepal Agrovine Private Limited, Bharatpur-5, Chitwan, from February 2021 to May 2021. Two factorial randomized complete block designs with twelve treatment combinations and three replications were used to set up the experiment. Factor A comprised three watermelon hybrids (Augusta, Sugar Queen, and Super Queen), and factor B comprised four pinching levels treatment (no pinching, fourth node pinching, sixth node pinching, and tenth node pinching). Pinching combinations were placed in each replication. Augusta had the longest main vine and the most nodes, while Sugar Queen had the longest leaves. The number of branches, the number of leaves per vine, and the internodal distance were not significantly affected by variety. Super Queen had the most female flowers, but Sugar Queen had the highest yield characteristics, such as average fruit weight, yield, and the number of fruits collected per vine. Fruit quality parameters like rind thickness were highest in Augusta, while fruit length, pulp percentage, and total soluble solids were reported to be highest in Sugar Queen. The sixth node pinching level recorded the maximum length of the main vine, number of branches per vine, number of nodes on the main vine, and leaf length, while the fourth node pinching level reported the maximum number of leaves per vine. Days to first, 50% and 100% flowering were lowest in no pinching. In sixth-node pinching, the maximum amount of female flowers, lowest sex ratio, and minimum number of male flowers were recorded. In a similar vein, the yield, average fruit weight, and number of fruits gathered per vine were reported to be the highest in sixth-node pinching. Significantly greater leaf width was reported in Sugar Queen x sixth node pinching, maximum main vine's node count was reported in Augusta x fourth node pinching, greater internodal distance in Augusta x no pinching, Sugar Queen x no pinching, and Super Queen x no pinching. Similarly, the amount and quantity of fruits obtained from each vine were reported to be maximum in Sugar Queen x 10th node pinching. In contrast, the average fruit weight was reported to be maximum in Augusta x sixth node pinching. Thus, it can concluded that the Sugar Queen variety of watermelon can be grown in Chitwan conditions during the late winter to spring season by pinching it at the 10th node for better yield. By implementing the pinching technique at the 10th node, farmers can potentially achieve higher yields, improving overall productivity and profitability.

Physicochemical, nutritional properties, and antioxidant potential of ‘limilla’ fruit (Rhus aromatica var. schmidelioides (Schltdl.) Engl.)

Rhus aromatica inhabits humid oak and oakpine forests in the State of Michoacán (Mexico). The fruit of R. aromatica is edible and is traditionally used in the preparation of soft drinks, ice pops, ice creams and ‘atole’. The objective of the present investigation was to carry out a physical and chemical characterization and analysis of the antioxidant capacity of fruit. For the physical characterization, the equatorial and longitudinal diameter, weight and percentage of pulp were determined. In the chemical characterization, a proximal analysis was carried out, quantification of polyphenols and flavonoids was performed, and the antioxidant capacity was determined. The results showed that the fruit had a longitudinal diameter of 6.58 ± 1.02 mm, an equatorial diameter of 7.17 ± 0.66, a weight of 55.22 ± 5.47 mg, and a 40 % pulp proportion. The chemical characterization analysis indicated 8.7 % moisture, 30.6 % lipids, 8.7 % proteins, 29.4 % total sugars, 3.8 % ashes and 18.7 % crude fibre, 3.1 °Brix, pH 3.1, 1.92 % acidity total and a caloric intake of 4.27 kcal/g. The polyphenol content was higher in 60 % ethanol extracts with 88.6 ± 50.89 mg EAG/g; for flavonoids from extracts with 100 % acetone, it was 26.52 ± 0.65 mg EQ/g, and the total carotenoid content was 46.37 mg/100 g. The total antioxidant activity was higher in extracts with 80 % acetone, with 87.17 % inhibition of the DPPH radical and 90 % inhibition of ABTS without showing a significant difference with the different solvents used. The lowest IC50 values were presented in 100 % ethanol and 60 % methanol extracts for the DPPH radical and for the ABTS radical were the 80 % ethanol and 60 % methanol extracts. The lipid, protein, carotenoid, and polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacity of the fruit of R. aromatica were as high as those of other fruits consumed in the human diet.

Influence of Bio-stimulants on the Yield Attributes, Peel and Pulp Color of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv Mallika under Central Dry Zone of Karnataka

The mango (Mangifera indica L.) is considered the ‘King of fruits’ and found to be economically important due to its excellent fruit quality, despite having good fruit quality characteristics, it is associated with production constraints such as low initial fruit set, heavy fruit drops, undersized fruit and improper fruit color development. On the other hand, bio-stimulants play an important role in improving the productivity and quality of fruits. In the present study, four biostimulants viz., jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, brassinosteroids and triacontanol, were sprayed at intervals of 70 and 90 days after anthesis at two different concentrations with four replications. Among the treatments, triacontanol @ 10 ppm (T9) showed a significant difference in yield parameters and recorded maximum average fruit weight (571.98 g), fruit length (17.53 cm), fruit diameter (92.38 cm), fruit volume (723.75 cc), pulp weight (435.91 g), pulp percentage (76.24), number of fruits (75.25), yield per tree (41.31 kg) in comparison to control. However, salicylic acid @ 150 ppm (T5) showed the highest colorimeter coordinates L*, a*, b*, C* and hº for both pulp and peel color. The study concludes the use of phytohormones enhances the fruit development and quality parameters of mango cv Mallika under the central dry zone of Karnataka.

Phenotypic and Molecular Diversity of Wild Populations of Acca sellowiana (Berg.) Burret in the Southern Area of Natural Distribution

Acca sellowiana is a subtropical tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) native to southern Brazil and northeastern Uruguay. It is recognized for its value as a fruit-bearing, ornamental, and medicinal species. Based on distinctive characteristics of fruits, seeds, and leaves, as well as its geographical distribution pattern, two variants of the species are distinguished: the “Brazilian type” and the “Uruguayan type”. The objective of this study was to characterize, for the first time, the diversity of 202 individuals from four wild populations in Uruguay, representative of the species’ most southern natural distribution. Twenty-three morphological descriptors (leaf, flower, and fruit) and 204 RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers were used. The morphological data collected validated the main criteria that distinguish “Uruguayan type” populations from “Brazilian type” populations, such as lower seed weight and fruit size, thin and slightly rough skin, high pulp percentage, and hairy white abaxial leaf surfaces. Analyses of both morphological and molecular data indicated wide diversity and strong population structuring, which is relevant information for designing conservation plans, sustainable utilization, and genetic improvement of the plant genetic resources of this species.

Development and Maturation of the Dromedary Spleen: Anatomical and Histological Analysis During the First Three Years of Life

Background: The dromedary spleen plays a crucial role in the immune system and maintaining homeostasis. However, there is limited research on the developmental changes in the spleen during the first few years of a dromedary’s life. Objectives: The objective of this study was to comprehensively investigate the developmental changes in the dromedary spleen during the crucial first three years of life. This aim was achieved through a multi-faceted approach involving macroscopic examination, which entailed measuring the absolute and relative mass of the spleen and morphometric analysis. Additionally, histological and histomorphometric analyses were employed to study the cellular composition of the spleen at different ages. Methods: Five groups of dromedaries were examined in Southeastern Algeria. Their spleens were analyzed using both gross anatomy and histological examination. The cellular composition of their spleens was studied on histological slides of different ages, stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Results: The results showed that the spleen’s size, weight, and volume significantly increased as the animals grew. The splenic mass of the animal of the first group showed an average absolute mass of 251±14.19 g, whereas in the fourth group, they showed an average mass of 318±23.91 g. Also, the length, width, and thickness showed average values of 43.78±1.95 cm, 19.44±1.52 cm, and 1.88±0.16 cm, respectively, at 8 months. However, they showed average values of 49.6±1.86 cm, 24.32±1.69 cm, and 3.18±0.34 cm, respectively, at the age of 3 years. The cellular composition of the spleen changed over time, with a higher percentage of lymphoid tissue at 8 months, more red pulp at 1 year, and a higher percentage of white pulp at 2 years. Finally, the spleen had a mature mixture of red and white pulp and fully developed immune function by 3 years. Conclusion: This study provides new insights into the development and maturation of the dromedary spleen. The findings have important implications for understanding the health and well-being of these animals. The results could potentially contribute to the development of better strategies for the management and care of dromedaries.

The Quality Evaluation of Avocado Fruits (Persea americana Mill.) of Hass Produced in Different Localities on the Island of Tenerife, Spain.

The effect of the production area on the quality of Hass avocados grown on the island of Tenerife was studied. For this purpose, several physicochemical parameters, such as fruit weight, percentage of pulp, seed and skin, proximate composition, minerals, total phenolic compounds (TP), total flavonoid compounds (TF), α-tocopherol, antioxidant capacity, and fatty acid profile were analyzed. The location of the orchards significantly influenced avocado weight; pulp and seed percentage; and fat, fiber, ash, α-tocopherol, TP, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and oleic and palmitoleic acid contents. Buenavista (BU) avocados were the smallest (185 g) and presented the highest percentage of pulp (77.1%) and lowest percentage of fiber (5.43%). The highest levels of dry matter (33.8%) and fat (20.4%) were found in avocados harvested in Los Silos (SI) and Santiago del Teide (SA), respectively. Compared with those at the other locations, the avocados harvested in Güímar (GU) had high levels of α-tocopherol (52.2 µg g-1) and phenolic compounds (56.0 mg GAE 100 g-1). Avocados from Los Realejos (RE) had the highest percentage of oleic acid and the lowest percentage of palmitoleic acid. Numerous significant correlations were found between the variables studied, especially those between TP, TF, and antioxidant capacity (DPPH) and between fat percentage and dry matter.

Non-Destructive Detection of Golden Passion Fruit Quality Based on Dielectric Characteristics

This study pioneered a non-destructive testing approach to evaluating the physicochemical properties of golden passion fruit by developing a platform to analyze the fruit’s electrical characteristics. By using dielectric properties, the method accurately predicted the soluble solids content (SSC), Acidity and pulp percentage (PP) in passion fruit. The investigation entailed measuring the relative dielectric constant (ε′) and dielectric loss factor (ε″) for 192 samples across a spectrum of 34 frequencies from 0.05 to 100 kHz. The analysis revealed that with increasing frequency and fruit maturity, both ε′ and ε″ showed a declining trend. Moreover, there was a discernible correlation between the fruit’s physicochemical indicators and dielectric properties. In refining the dataset, 12 outliers were removed using the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) algorithm. The study employed various advanced feature extraction techniques, including Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV), Permutation Importance based on Random Forest Regression (PI-RF), Permutation Importance based on Linear Regression (PI-LR) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). All the variables and the selected variables after screening were used as inputs to build Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Categorical Boosting (Cat-Boost) models to predict the SSC, Acidity and PP in passion fruit. The results indicate that the PI-RF-XGBoost model demonstrated superior performance in predicting both the SSC (R2 = 0.9240, RMSE = 0.2595) and the PP (R2 = 0.9092, RMSE = 0.0014) of passion fruit. Meanwhile, the GA-CatBoost model exhibited the best performance in predicting Acidity (R2 = 0.9471, RMSE = 0.1237). In addition, for the well-performing algorithms, the selected features are mainly concentrated within the frequency range of 0.05–6 kHz, which is consistent with the frequency range highly correlated with the dielectric properties and quality indicators. It is feasible to predict the quality indicators of fruit by detecting their low-frequency dielectric properties. This research offers significant insights and a valuable reference for non-destructive testing methods in assessing the quality of golden passion fruit.

Evaluating the Physiochemical and Nutritional Attributes of Dates (Phoenix Dactylifera) Based Cupcakes

Purpose: The proximate analysis aimed to determine nutritional profile of the cupcakes including moisture, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein, ash, pH and acidity values, while the physicochemical analysis was performed to study total phenolic and total flavonoids contents. The organoleptic attributes if date cupcakes were studied by using nine points hedonic scale for texture, color, volume, flavor, aroma and hardness.
 Materials and Methods: Exploratory research design was opted for qualitative and quantitative study of five treatments of date cupcakes aimed to address their dietary significance with respect to shelf life status, nutritional content as well as phytochemical and physicochemical analysis. Dates were purchased from intensive farmers from Multan division, Dera Ismail khan and from local markets. The dates were sorted, graded and washed with chlorinated water to remove field waste. The substitute fruit sample was conveyed to Food Science & Technology lab of Minhaj University Lahore under controlled conditions for further studies. The dates enriched cupcakes with different percentages of date pulp (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) along with control (without date pulp) were subjected for proximate, phytochemical and physicochemical analysis.
 Findings: The calculated resulted were compared with control and it was concluded that the overall acceptability and stability of cupcakes with 20% date pulp was greater than other percentages.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Phoenix dactylifera is among the oldest plants cultivated by men. The nutritional, industrial, medical and environmental importance of this plant is globally acknowledged. Current studies focus on nutritional significance of Phoenix dactylifera when used as a natural additive in cupcakes.

Diversity in morpho-pomological attributes and biochemical profiling of bael (Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa) genotypes of North-Western India

Bael is a medicinal cum fruit tree with multipurpose utility and propagated mostly through seeds. The present study aimed to assess and analyse the morpho-pomological and biochemical traits of eighty seedlings grown bael genotypes comparison with two commercial cultivars (NB-5 and NB-9) of bael. The significant differences were detected among the genotypes based on the measured morpho-pomological and biochemical traits. The morpho-pomological and biochemical traits of bael exhibited variation ranging from 6.17% to 133.65%. Trunk girth ranged from 29.50 to 63.40 cm and tree spread (N–S) varied 1.00–6.30 m. Fruit length ranged from 4.60 to 12.05 cm and fruit width ranged from 4.64 to 11.72 cm. Moreover, fruit weight ranged from 56.33 to 917.65 g and pulp percentage varied from 58.64 to 81.38%. Soluble Solid Content ranged from 25.90 to 36.77 0brix and ascorbic acid varied from 14.38 to 25.45 mg/100 g. Fruit length was positively correlated with fruit width, fruit weight, pulp percentage, seed length, seed diameter and number of seeds per fruit, while it was negatively correlated with fruit surface and total number of fruit per plant. Principal component analysis showed that 76.66% of the variability observed was explained by the 13 components. Ward cluster analysis using Euclidean distance classified the genotypes into two main clusters. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the diversity and relationships among the studied genotypes, aiding future breeding and selection programs for improved bael cultivation.

Effect of Low-calorie Sweeteners on Sensory, Physicochemical, and Quality Attributes of Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) Juice

Background: The goldenberry is a fruit that grows in the Andean valleys of Ecuador and Peru. The goldenberry has a high nutritional value, thanks to the presence of ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and total phenols. Also, this fruit has shown the ability to attenuate hepatorenal injuries, antidiabetic and antihypertensive effects, and hepatoprotective effects. Objective: The work aimed to take advantage of the nutritional and medicinal properties of the goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) by developing a juice substituting sucrose for low-calorie sweeteners. Also, this study evaluated the effect of these sweeteners on sensory, physicochemical, and quality of juice attributes. Methods: Different formulations were tested, varying the percentage of pulp, sweeteners (sucrose, sucralose, and acesulfame K), and stabilizer (xanthan gum). The formulations were subjected to sensory analysis using 48 semi-trained tasters. The acidity, pH, soluble solids, and density were analyzed using the methodology described in Ecuadorian standards. In addition, the nutritional and microbiological quality was analyzed, and a shelf-life study was carried out under normal and accelerated conditions. Results: The best formulation was elaborated with 30% goldenberry pulp, 0.016% acesulfame K, 0.0054% sucralose, and 0.1% xanthan gum. The best formulation showed 0.3% of protein, 0.3% of ash, 4% of carbohydrates, and 35 mg/100 g of vitamin C. Consumption of 500 ml of the beverage provided 17 Kcal. It can be preserved for 2.5, 1.6, and 0.8 months at 8, 20, and 35ºC storage temperatures, respectively. Conclusion: The best formulation scored better in odor and general acceptability attributes. Also, this formulation showed a synergistic effect between the fruit components and the low-calorie sweeteners, generating an effect that intensifies the sensory fruity aroma.

Flowering, fruiting and germplasm characterization of burmese grape (baccaurea sapida muell. Arg.)

Burmese grape (Baccaurea sapida Muell. Arg.) belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, is a minor underexploited fruit crop grown wild as well as under cultivation in Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, for fresh consumption. It is a dioecious plant and reported to have an excellent nutritive value, but mainly grown in homestead condition mostly in neglected ways. The present study was aimed to characterize the germplasm nature, details of flowering and fruiting system of Burmese grape. Tree growth habit and crown shape of all the accessions surveyed were semi erect and irregular, respectively. The colour of the male flowers varied from yellow to green yellow shades while the colour of the female flowers varied from yellow to yellow green and green yellow shades. The variation present on fruit length (2.81 cm to 3.80 cm), fruit weight (12.25g to 22.95g), pulp percentage (49.82% to 65.33%), total soluble solids (9.00º to 13.10ºBrix), tritatable acidity (0.73mg to 1.28mg/100g fruit pulp) and ascorbic acid content ranged from (23.18mg to 57.80mg/100g fruit pulp) suggest suitable selection method for identification of promising Burmese grape genotypes. Bangladesh J. Bot. 52(4): 989-998, 2023 (December)

Development of coconut milk-based palmyrah fruit pulp drink for ready to serve beverage market

Plant-based or non-dairy milk alternatives are a growing trend in new product development. The palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L) fruits have excellent nutritional and functional properties with unique organoleptic characteristics. Unfortunately, they are often wasted during their peak season due to limited industrial utilization. The present study was focused on the ready-to-serve beverage market. Coconut milk (Cocos nucifera L.) based Palmyrah fruits pulp drink was developed with four product formulations by changing the pulp percentage (T1=0 %, T2=20 %, T3=40 %, and T4=60 %). Pulp was treated with acid and heat treatment to reduce and mask its bitterness. The proximate composition, physicochemical, functional, and microbial properties were determined for all product formulations. Results were analyzed using the parametric one-way ANOVA turkey test method at a 5 % significance level. Sensory properties were evaluated by performing nine point hedonic scale test using 30 semi-trained panelists and data were analyzed using the Friedman test. With compared to other formulations, T2 was selected with better physicochemical and sensory properties. The pH (5.2), TSS (12° Brix), titratable acidity (0.04), specific gravity (1.04), and viscosity (124 mm2/s) were not significantly varied during storage at room temperature. Moisture, fat, protein, carbohydrate, crude fiber and ash contents are 83.29 %, 3.4 %, 1.63 %, 23.49 %, 0.21 % and 1.55 % respectively. Functional properties were determined by DPPH (112 mg/ml) and Total phenolic content (GAE 35.31 mg/100 g). According to evaluation, the shelf-life of the product can be predicted as more than 12 weeks. Overall the study findings highlight that the newly developed coconut milk based palmyrah pulp drink is a marketable product boasting significant nutritional and functional properties. With its favorable sensory attributes, stability during storage and extended shelf life, this beverage holds great potential in the market as a desirable and healthful alternative for consumers seeking plant based and lactose free options.

Morphological Diversity of an Underutilized and Wild Edible Fruit (Cordia) Species in Three Districts of Bastar Region of Chhattisgarh, India

The multipurpose deciduous tree Cordia dichotoma belongs to the family Boraginaceae and it is variously called as Glueberry, Goonda, Lasora and locally as ‘Bohaar’ in Bastar (Chhattisgarh). The diversity in morphological traits in Cordia species were marked and identified at different locations of three districts of Bastar region to assess phenotypic morphological variation and to estimate genotypic and phenotypic variability for various morphological traits of fruits for future use. The quantitative traits like fruit weight, length, and diameter are important quality traits in many horticultural crops are used in genetic diversity studies. The underutilized fruits are advantageous crops being hardy in nature and tolerate extreme climatic conditions and possess high potential to provide nutritional and social benefits. The present investigation is performed for the identification, morphological analysis and diversity exploration with respect to food value of underutilized and wild edible fruit Cordia dichotoma found in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. A Total of ten numbers of representative trees of Cordia species from each district were selected for morphological and silvicultural studies. It is found that genotype of Cordia has morphological variations in the region. Two species of Cordia i.e., Cordia obliqua and Cordia dichotoma were taken for the study. This study revealed that source/provenance Jagdalpur and Dantewada had Cordia species with better fruit size than district Kondagaon source, also morphological variations of Cordia species in different sources or provenance with respect to fruit fresh weight, pulp weight, peel weight, pulp and peel ratio revealed that Cordia dichotoma G. Forst has better fruit size and pulp percentage.

Morpho-molecular exploration and selection of elite genotypes from indigenous Syzygium cumini L. Skeels (jamun) diversity of North-Western Indian Himalayas

AbstractEfficiently distinguishing various Syzygium cumini L. Skeels (jamun) accessions holds practical significance for selection purposes. This study concentrated on 15 superior genotypes of jamun from the North Western Indian Himalayas, selected for their pivotal horticultural traits. Drawn from a pool of 82 collected genotypes and assessed across two consecutive years (2019 and 2020), these genotypes underwent morphological evaluations utilizing a randomized block design replicated thrice. Concurrently, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were employed for molecular analysis. Substantial variations surfaced among genotypes, both in morphological traits and fruit biochemistry. Notably, tree 43 exhibited promise across multiple horticultural facets, encompassing fruit weight, length, pulp weight, pulp-to-seed ratio and pulp percentage. Conversely, tree 49 excelled in elevated levels of total soluble solids, total sugar and reducing sugar. While principal component analysis and cluster analysis unveiled modest genetic variability, RAPD and ISSR markers unveiled pronounced molecular-level polymorphism. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering delineated the genotypes into five distinct clusters. Cluster I encompassed two genotypes, cluster II embraced five while the largest group, cluster III, included six genotypes. Clusters IV and V highlighted individual genotypes, trees 43 and 54 respectively. In the molecular analysis, UPGMA clustering yielded two primary clusters, spotlighting the noteworthy similarity between genotypes trees 49 and 52 whereas, trees 40, 43, 44 and 48 stood distinct. The observed genetic diversity stands as a valuable resource with substantial potential to enrich diverse breeding initiatives. These salient genetic variations underscore the richness within the studied population, offering a valuable asset for focused future pursuits.

A Study on Optimum Use of Fly Ash and GGBS in Fiber Cement Sheet to Enhance Sustainable Manufacturing

The biproducts of different industries must be reused or recycled which will avoid disposal of waste materials in the environment in different forms to protect our environment. Also the hazardous material used for the manufacturing of the products to be eliminated or minimized. In this paper a study has been conducted for optimum use of fly ash generated from power plants and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) generated from steel plants in the manufacturing of fiber cemented roofing sheets. Also different percentages of fly ash, GGBS and pulp were added during the manufacturing of fiber cement roofing sheets in a fiber cement roofing sheet manufacturing plant and the quality of the final product has been tested subsequently in the laboratory to minimize the use of cement and asbestos fiber. Different results have been achieved in different percentages of fly ash, cement, GGBS, wood pulp and asbestos fiber combination. It is found that up to 36% addition of fly ash is acceptable with respect to the quality acceptance criteria of the final product, above 36% degrades the quality of the product which doesn’t meet the BIS: 459 standard requirements. Similarly, 10.38% of GGBS can be added without hampering the quality of the product. Finally, the best combination of raw mix design as per environmental sustainability point of view as well as the economic point of view has been suggested for the sustainable manufacturing of fiber cement roofing sheets.

Physicochemical, Rheological, and Nutritional Quality of Artisanal Fermented Milk Beverages with Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) Pulp and Flour.

The use of fruits and their by-products in food has dramatically impacted the food industry due to the nutritional benefits and the technological and sensory effects of food matrices. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of adding cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) pulp and flour on fermented milk beverages' physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties during refrigerated storage (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days). Twelve formulations were realized with different percentages of cupuassu pulp (0, 5, 7.5, and 10% w/v) and flour (0, 1.5, and 3% w/v). The treatments with 3% cupuassu flour presented the highest percentages of protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrates, compared with the samples containing pulp. On the other hand, the addition of pulp increased water retention capacity and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and C*) and decreased pH and syneresis on day 0 of storage. During storage, the samples with pulp showed increases in pH values, consistency index, and apparent viscosity. In comparison, cupuassu flour addition decreased syneresis values and increased L* and b* during storage, as did pulp. In addition, sample HPHF (10% pulp and 3% cupuassu flour), based on just-about-right, penalty, and check-all-that-apply analyses, improved some sensory attributes of the fermented milk beverage, such as brown color, acid taste, bitter taste, cupuassu flavor, and firm texture. It can be concluded that cupuassu pulp and flour addition improves the physicochemical and sensory quality of fermented milk beverages and can provide nutritional value to the product.

Effect of red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel and pulp on jelly candy chemical composition and acceptance

Dragon fruit (H. polyrhizus) is one type of fruit that is favored by many people. It has a dietary fiber content of 10.1 g/100 g; vitamin A 102.13 µg/100 g; vitamin C 420.27 µg/100 g and vitamin E 105.67 µg/100gr. This study aimed to determine the effect of the peel and pulp of red dragon fruit addition on the chemical composition of jelly candy and the acceptance of panelists. Different percentage of red dragon fruit pulp (50 g, 55 g, 60 g, and 65 g) was added to jelly candy. The study was performed by using completely randomized design with four replicates and data was analyzed by using SPSS 22. Chemical composition measured were water content, vitamin C and sugar content. Then, the 25 panelists used a five-point hedonic scale to evaluate the rate of acceptance toward dragon fruit jelly candy including texture, aroma, color and taste. The highest acceptance rate of jelly candy was the P3 treatment with a composition of 150 g dragon fruit peel + 60 g dragon fruit pulp + 290 g sugar flour. The chemical composition of P3 jelly candy was water content of 25.6%, sugar content of 53.7%, and vitamin C of 0.03%.