Raw Fruits Research Articles

Effect of in vitro gastric digestion conditions on physicochemical properties of raw apple fruit cell wall polysaccharides

The effects of in vitro gastric digestion conditions on the properties of the soluble (SC) and insoluble (IC) components of apple cell walls were investigated. Apple fruits were homogenized and successively treated in natural saliva (3 min, 37 °C) and in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, 2 h, 37 °C). The incubation pH (5.0, 3.0, 1.8) and the ratio of apple mixture to SGF (1:0.05, 1:0.5, 1:1, v/v) were varied. Pectin (GalA 74 wt%, Mw 1800 × 103 g/mol, yield 1.9–2.4%) was a major high-molecular-weight component of SC obtained at pH 1.8, whereas at pH 3.0 and 5.0, proteins (41–55 wt%) and phenolic compounds (2.7–3.1 wt%) were dissolved together with pectins (15–24 wt% GalA, Mw 28-33 × 103 g/mol, yield 0.6–0.8%). Rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) and homogalacturonan (HG) were identified in all pectins. HG was the major component of pectins extracted at pH 1.8; RG-I was the major component of pectins extracted at pH 3.0 and 5.0. The dissolution of cell wall pectins of apple fruits in SGF increased the viscosity of the SC of the apple mixture, decreased the hardness of the apple mixture, increased the water retention and water swelling capacity of the IC, and improved the capacity of high-molecular-weight soluble and insoluble components to retard glucose diffusion. The difference in surface morphology of insoluble components obtained at different values of pH incubation was observed under a SEM.

Microbial Seed Coating-An Emerging Strategy towards Organic Vegetable Production: A Review

New revolutions have been taking place in agriculture since pre-historic times to increase agricultural production and meet the demands of rising population. The last revolution or green revolution has increased the overall production of all agricultural components but has led to several long-term environmental problems. Almost 62% of vegetables and 82% of fruits are found to have pesticide residues, which can affect our health in different ways. This have arisen the fear of eating raw fruits and vegetables and led to sublethal effects on natural enemies and pollinators. So, it is the very need of hour to look for sustainable approaches to control the plant diseases. Most of the plant pathogens are seed borne and disseminated. Thus, they affect the plants during pre-emergence stage or cause seedling damping off resulting in 100% crop loss. Under sustainable practices, microbial seed coating is an evolving precision technology. It enhances the shelf-life and activity of beneficial microbes and thereby decrease the use of harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Natural products such as biochar, chitosan, peat, acacia gum, natural dyes from flowers Phutuka, Polash, Khoyar, Kodam can be used to manufacture microbial seed coats manually. Agribusiness firms Incotec, Novozymes and Monsanto have also led to developing of coated seeds laced with promising microbes. Thus, adoption of microbial seed coating can be a cost effective and efficient strategy in organic horticultural production.

Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae antibiotic-resistant genes: An impending source of multidrug resistance dissemination through raw food

This study aimed to find out the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profile of Klebsiella pneumoniae in raw food items. A total of 261 raw food items, including vegetables, fruits, meat, and milk samples, were collected and processed for isolation of K.pneumoniae. Further antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular analysis was done to analyze the drug resistance encoding genes. The prevalence rate of K.pneumoniae was found to be high (38%), and the raw milk samples were predominantly contaminated (19/51), followed by fruits (12/51), meat (11/51), and vegetables (9/51). However, no significant association was observed for the isolation of K.pneumoniae and any particular specimen. Among the isolates, 43% were extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers, 24% were AmpC, and 20% were carbapenemase producers. The highest rates of ESBLs and AmpC were observed in vegetables (cabbage, bell pepper, and spinach) and carbapenemases in raw chicken, fish, and raw meat samples. Notably, blaCTX-M was the most prevalent, followed by blaSHV and blaTEM. Six K.pneumoniae possessed blaMOX, and five possessed blaFOX genes. Numerous carbapenemases were identified with a higher proportion of blaNDM. This study indicates that raw vegetables, fruits, meat, and milk are exposed to contaminants. These findings imply a potential threat that drug-resistant K.pneumoniae pathogens could transmit to humans through raw vegetables, fruits, and meat.

Effect of Cola pachycarpa and Cola lepidota fruit juices on liver function parameters and histopathological indices of alloxan-induced adult male diabetic Wistar rats

Background: Diversity is a potential source for immense untapped material wealth in the forms of food, medicine and other amenities. One of these neglected plants is Monkey Cola.
 Objective: The study evaluated the effect of Cola pachycarpa and Cola lepidota fruit juices on the liver function parameters (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase & total protein) and histopathological indices (liver tissue) of alloxan- induced diabetic rats.
 Materials and methods: Fresh Cola pachycarpa and Cola lepidota fruits were obtained from local markets and home farms within communities in Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo State and Isiala Ngwa South local government area of Abia State. The fruits were processed into raw and undiluted fruit juice using an electric juicer. Forty healthy adult albino male rats with an average weight of 239.35g were randomized into eight groups, six experimental and two control groups, based on body weight. All the rats in each group were induced with alloxan to become diabetic. Samples of blood were collected for use as basal biochemical and hematological indices as well as after induction with diabetes. Standard diabetic drug, glibenclamide and Cola fruit juices (pachycarpa and lepidota) were administered differently and in varied concentrations (5ml/kg and 10ml/kg body weight). The experiment lasted for 21days after which the animals were sedated with mild anesthetic and sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The liver of the animals were excised, packaged, labeled and stored for subsequent chemical analysis and histopathology. Data was analyzed statistically using IBM-SPSS (Special Package for Social Sciences) version 20 software for means and standard deviation.
 Results: Monkey Cola fruit juices significantly (p < 0.05) decreased alkaline phosphatase (28.95%, CPV1, Group that received Cola pachycarpa very rough epicarp fruit juice at 5ml/kg body weight), aspartate transaminase (29.81%, CPV1) comparative to those of the standard diabetic drug (29.58% and 17.58% respectively). Histopathological studies indicated abnormal hepatocyte structure in only the untreated group of rats. Rats that received standard diabetic drug reported significant (p < 0.05) better liver architecture from other treatment groups, though damage to the liver was not noticed in rats that received the fruit juices. All the Cola juices especially those administered at 10mls/kg body weight impacted positively in improving body weight, haematological, biochemical and histopathological indices in diabetes control.
 Conclusion: Further research could be done to establish its prospect as an anti-diabetic agent.

Mechanical Enhancement of Composite Bricks Using Kenaf and Oil Palm Cellulose Nanofibrils

The application of nanocellulose has been adapted as fillers in composite bricks. Raw kenaf and oil palm empty fruit bunch were treated through chemical treatment and high intensity ultrasonication process to produce cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). One control brick without CNF and ten CNF composite bricks were fabricated. The composite bricks used different amount of CNF which were 40 - 200 ml mixed with filtered sand, portland cement and pebbles. Physical and mechanical characterization was done by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and universal testing machine (UTM) on CNF and composite bricks. FESEM showed the fibril diameter were ranges from 30 - 80 nm for kenaf and 20 - 60 nm for oil palm. The compression tests showed that control brick, 40 ml kenaf CNF composite brick and 40 ml oil palm CNF composite brick were cracked at force 39.01 kN, 50.46 kN and 42.16 kN respectively. Kenaf CNF composite brick has the highest value of Young’s Modulus which is 28.92 N/mm2, followed by oil palm CNF composite brick with 27.8 N/mm2 and control brick (Malaysia Standard) with 25.8 N/mm2. Kenaf and oil palm CNF can increase the strength of the bricks because of enhancement in their mechanical properties.

Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Pyuthan district

Objectives: Wild edible plants (WEPs) are those plants that are not domesticated and often neglected but have nutritional and medicinal value and can be used as a good source of diet. The study discusses and depicts the availability of WEPs, their taxonomical categories, species richness, distribution, preference, and their threat in the Gaumukhi area. Methodology: Data were collected from 60 randomly selected WEP consumers of Puja and Khung village using a semi-structured interview schedule. The study showed that 37 different species of wild plants are frequently used by respondents. It was found that the majority of the WEPs used were trees followed by herbs and shrubs. Results: Regarding the plant parts used, most of the respondents (54%) use WEPs in the form of vegetables followed by raw fruits (28%) users. The study revealed that the majority of WEP's consumers (39%) were from other caste categories such as Giri, Puri, and Malla followed by Dalits (36%). Research indicated that most of the WEPs were collected from the forest area having an altitude of (1300–1500) masl. The major threat to WEPs was fuel wood collection followed by uncontrolled fire. Conclusions: Study preference of WEPs among the respondents showed that Polystichum squarrosum (Daude) was the highly preferred one followed by Diplazium esculentum (Neuro) and Dendrocalamus hamiltoni (Tama).

Utilization of raw mango peel waste for instant soup preparation

During processing of raw mango fruits, peel is generally removed and thrown as waste though it contains fair amounts of nutritive elements apart characteristic aroma and taste. Raw mango peel is a good source of fibre, pectin, acid, minerals, phenolics and pigments like chlorophylls and carotenoids. In order to utilize such nutritionally rich waste, an attempt was made to develop a value added product out of it in the form of instant soup. The peel powder was added with spices and other ingredients and packed in laminated aluminum pouches. The product was stored at room temperature (20-30°C) and analyzed up to 6 months for various biochemical and sensory parameters. The soup powder was found to have 5.7 per cent titratable acidity, 52.6 mg per 100 g vitamin-C and 944 mg per 100 g total phenolics. Decreasing trends were observed in the contents of acid, vitamin-C and total phenolics during storage. Organoleptically, soup was found to be acceptable till the end of storage, obtaining 7 or above sensory score out of 9. Raw mango peel soup may find good acceptability among market consumers. The protocol may also serve a good mean to utilize huge quantity of raw mango peel which otherwise is thrown as waste.

Evaluation of the frequency of consumption of vegetables, fruits and products rich in antioxidants by amateur and professional athletes

Athletes belong to a group with special nutritional needs. Strenuous physical activity causes an imbalance of oxidation reduction. The purpose of the study was to assess the frequency of consuming antioxidant-rich food products among amateurs and professionals practicing selected sports. A total of 119 athletes were included in the study. The study group consisted of amateur bodybuilders and Cross-Fit athletes, as well as professional football and handball players. A validated original questionnaire assessing the frequency of consumption of selected high-antioxidant products was used. The highest frequency of consuming raw fruits among amateur athletes was 5-6 times a week (40.68%, n = 24). Sport professionals usually reported 1 serving a day (26.67%, n=16). The highest frequency of consumption of raw vegetables was 2-4 portions a week (37.29%, n=22) in amateurs group, and 5-6 portions weekly (33.33%, n = 20) in professionals group. In addition, we evaluated the intake of red wine. Most of the amateurs (47.46%, n = 28) and professionals (41.67%, n = 25) did not consume wine. All the respondents consumed food products containing antioxidants in quantities that were much lower than those recommended. The obtained findings indicate the need to develop dietary recommendations on anti-oxidant-rich food products for athletes, as well as appropriate nutritional education.

Contribution to the Study of Risk Factors for Cholera in City of Uvira in South Kivu Province of Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.)

The objective of this work was to identify the risk factors for cholera and to propose an appropriate control strategy. It is therefore, a case control analytical study conducted in Uvira for the period from January to December 2020. The strength of the association between exposure and disease is estimated by the odds ratio. It has been observed that no age has been spared from cholera, with an overrepresentation of men. The disease has a strong predilection for regions with problems with hygiene, water and sanitation. Our study identified risk factors, such as contact with cholera; a lack of waste disposal system; a lack of running water and soap to wash hands before meals and after passing stools; a lack of hygienic latrines; a lack of water treatment for drinking; the consumption of food left uncovered by vendors at the roadside; the consumption of the raw fruits, tubers and foods; the conservation of drinking water in a container with a non-narrow collar; illiteracy; and the consumption of well water. However, all of these factors are vulnerable through a multisectoral approach through control strategies, such as governmental political commitment, behavior change, communication, epidemiological surveillance, community participation and funding of drinking water programs to improve accessibility and environmental sanitation.

Detection of Ripeness of Manggosteen Fruit Using Hsv Color Space Transformation Method

Rapid advances in innovation in the PC field are increasingly making applications and exploration of image handling strategies created. Image processing has an important role in various fields. Image processing applications are concerned with image processing with regard to color transformation. In this case, the method of transforming the color space as part of the image processing helps in detecting the colors in the image and processing them. Color space is a mathematical model that describes the color represented in the number model. HSV color space is a color space composed of 3 components, namely Hue, Saturation, Value. Hue is related to purity (color pattern), Saturation is related to the saturation of the color, Value expresses the brightness level of the color. In this study, based on the results of testing using mangosteen fruit imagery to detect the type of ripeness by transforming RGB color space into HSV color space conducted using sample data as much as 60 fruit data consisting of 45 training samples consisting of 15 images of mangosteen fruit in each type of ripeness, and 15 test samples consisting of 5 samples of ripe mangosteen fruit, 5 samples of half-cooked mangosteen fruit and 5 samples of raw mangosteen fruit obtained success rate accuracy of 86.6%, so it can be concluded that the HSV Color Space Transformation method can be used to detect the ripeness of mangosteen fruit.

EVALUASI MUTU PANEN KELAPA SAWIT DI PT. SENTOSA KALIMANTAN JAYA

The objective of the research is to evaluate the quality of harvesting oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) correlated to the harvest system implemented by two afdelings in the oil palm plantation company, PT. Sentosa Kalimantan Jaya. The research employs descriptive design, with qualitative approach, purposive sampling and snowball sampling using questionnaires, and documentation. The research reveals that the characteristics of harvesters from two afdelings are dominated from the productive age and educated at elementary school. The harvesters in afdeling 2 have more experience than afdeling 4. Afdeling 2 provides better quality of FFB than afdeling 4, it comprises ripe fruit was 86.91%, abnormal was 1.07% and long stalk was 0%. Meanwhile, afdeling 4 comprises raw fruit was 1.32%, ripe fruit was 79.97%, and over ripe fruit was 12.88%. Both afdelings have permanent design of harvest system comprise the percentage of loose fruit, sengkleh stems, under pruning and over pruning which are beneath the standard. The under pruning interferes the process of cutting fruit, meanwhile the over pruning would potentially be able to reduce average bunches weight and produce male flowers dominantly. As a result, it can be deduced that the main factor affects the quality of permanent design of harvest system, and the quality of oil palm fresh fruit bunches is the harvesters’ experience of work. Afdeling 2 has 6 harvesters working for >5 years or 46.2%. The overall findings reveal that the longer harvester's working period, the labor productivity of harvesting oil palm will increase.

Pharmacological Aspects of 6-Gingerol: A Review

Habitual consumption of raw fruits as well as vegetables can trim down the threat of many diseases. Ginger is consumed globally as a cuisine and herbal medicine. It is rich in pungent phenolic phytochemical substances together called gingerols. 6-Gingerol (1-[4’-hydroxy-3’-methoxyphenyl]-5-hydroxy-3- decanone) is the chief pharmacologically-active moiety of ginger. Molecularly, gingerol is a relative of capsaicin and piperine, the compounds which are alkaloids, though the bioactive pathways are unconnected. It is normally found as pungent yellow oil in the ginger rhizome, but can also form a low-melting crystalline solid. Previous studies have suggested ample of therapeutic activities including anticancer, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation. 6-Gingerol has been found to possess anticancer activities via its effect on a variety of biological pathways involved in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, cytotoxic activity and inhibition of angiogenesis. Thus, due to its efficacy and regulation of multiple targets, as well as its safety for human use, 6-gingerol has received considerable interest as a potential therapeutic agent for the prevention and/or treatment of various diseases. Overall, this review encapsulates different therapeutic and pharmacological facets of 6-gingerol along with its possible mechanism of action.

Metabolomics Study at the Postharvest Conditions of Cold Storage and Fungicide (Imazalil Sulfate) Treatment in Navel Oranges and Clementine Mandarins.

Millions of citrus products are wasted every year due to postharvest fungal infections. To minimize fungal infections, packhouses utilize aqueous applications of fungicides to prevent infections that occur during harvest. The most prominent fungal pathogens of citrus fruit are commonly treated with imazalil sulfate (IMZ) due to its efficacy for controlling these pathogens at low cost and ease of handling. However, little is known on how it alters the tissues in the citrus fruit physiology. In this study, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics study is utilized to investigate the role of IMZ treatment in the juice, albedo, and flavedo tissues of two citrus commodities (navels and clementines). The experimental design consists of (a) fresh fruits at harvest, (b) raw fruits stored at 4 °C for 10 days, and (c) raw fruits treated with IMZ and stored at 4 °C for 10 days. Twenty-seven metabolites were identified, and several changes of metabolite composition due to either cold storage or IMZ treatment for both the spatial (albedo, flavedo, or juice) and temporal levels (days and storage) were found. The results show a notable difference between metabolomics profiles across the types and tissues, particularly significant changes on the albedo tissues of clementine. Furthermore, the pathways derived from the metabolomics profiles of the cold storage and the IMZ treatment are complementary to each other. Thus, the utility of metabolomics as a quality control tool in the citrus industry has the potential for broader applications to understand fruit growth and development.

Removal of Methyl Red using Adsorbent Produced from Empty Fruit Bunches by Taguchi Approach

Contamination of anionic dye in the water streams may cause harm to human being and aquatic species. The conventional adsorbent used in the adsorption process is normally produced using expensive and unsustainable precursor such as coal. In this work, activated carbon was produced through carbonization and activation of raw oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFBs). Taguchi approach was employed to determine the optimum dye removal parameters. The percentages of contribution of each factor in the removal of Methyl Red (MR) by raw EFB and EFB based activated carbon (AC) were determined using analysis of variance (ANOVA). According to ANOVA, for raw EFB, agitation speed has the highest percentage of contribution. As for EFB based AC, the amount of adsorbent is the most significant factor. The optimum parameters for both adsorbents were obtained from mean and S/N ratio. The optimum operating parameters for raw EFB were 25 ppm of initial dye concentration, 0.01 g of adsorbent and 200 rpm of agitation speed whereas the optimum operating parameters for EFB based AC were 20 ppm of initial dye concentration, 0.06 g of adsorbent and 120 rpm of agitation speed. The predicted percentages of dye removal for raw EFB (55.54%) and EFB based AC (86.72%) were in good agreement with the experimental values for raw EFB (50.5%) and EFB based AC (84.61%), respectively. This study provides a useful insight into the practicability of using the Taguchi method in the removal of anionic dye using raw EFB and EFB based AC as adsorbents.

An Investigation into the Association Between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Bipolar Disorder

Studies have implicated Toxoplasma gondii in the etiology of mental disorders because of its neurotropic nature and its ability to modulate neurotransmitter pathways. This study aims to investigate T. gondii seroprevalence in patients with bipolar disorder and in healthy controls living in the Isparta Region of Turkey and to assess the probable relationship between T. gondii and bipolar disorder. Fourty-eight patients with bipolar disorder and 50 healthy controls were included in the study. Sociodemographic data, possible risk factors for T. gondii infection and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Serum anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibody levels were measured by using chemiluminescence immunoassay method (Roche Cobas e601 analyzer, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity rates were determined as 18.8% and 20% in the patient group and the control group, respectively. No statistically significant relationship was observed between T. gondii IgG seropositivity and bipolar disorder (p=0.876). In the study population, advanced age, low education level, living in a rural region and consumption of unwashed raw vegetable or fruit were found to be the significant risk factors for T. gondii infection (p<0.05). Our preliminary findings do not support the hypothesis that T. gondii infection is related to bipolar disorder. However, further studies would require larger sample sizes to confirm our results.

Effect of Conditioning Methods on Mechanical Properties of Raw Bael Fruit

Background: Bael is an important indigenous fruit, which is rich in nutritional and health promoting factors. Development of value-added products from this fruit poses a problem as the fruit has a hard rind and is difficult to be removed by hand. Methods: The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of different conditioning methods as normal water dipping (25-27°C), chilling (10-11°C), freezing (4-5°C) and hot water dipping (90-95°C) on firmness and other mechanical properties of raw and matured bael fruit, with a goal of devising some methods for easy removal of the rind. The fruits after conditioning were subjected to puncture test by universal testing machine. Distinct peaks were observed on the force-displacement traces which indicated the rupture force and firmness of the fruits. The changes observed in rupture force, deformation and firmness in conditioned samples were compared. Result: Rupture force measured for control sample (kept under ambient conditions) was 344.4±27.13 N and was found to be lower than that of the conditioned samples. The minimum rupture force of 192.6±14.41 N was observed in frozen sample. No significant difference in rupture force could be observed between the normal water dipped sample and chilled samples. Hot water dipped sample required a rupture force of 215.3±29.2 N, which was not significantly (p greater than 0.05) less than those of other treatments but, the green color of the fruits degraded to brown. The change in other mechanical properties also remained similar. The results would be useful for preparing the raw bael fruit for further processing and value addition.

Effects of Gasification Temperature and Equivalence Ratio on Gasification Performance and Tar Generation of Air Fluidized Bed Gasification Using Raw and Torrefied Empty Fruit Bunch

This paper presents gasification performance study and tar generation at different gasification temperature and equivalence ratio using air fluidized bed gasification process. Empty fruit bunch (EFB) is selected as feedstock where two types of EFB were used which are raw EFB and EFB undergo torrefaction process as pretreatment. Experimental results show the synthesis gas yield, lower heating value (LHV), cold gas efficiency (CGE) and tar generation are steadily increased for both feedstock when gasification temperature is increased from 700 to 900°C. When ER is increased from 0.26 to 0.33 at fixed gasification temperature of 900°C, all gasification performances except LHV show an increment trend. Torrefied EFB shows superior performance in terms of producing more synthesis gas and better LHV compared to raw EFB. However, tar generated from torrefied EFB is higher than raw EFB. Based on tar component analysis, it has been found that 7 tar components are detected where all of tar components are classified as tertiary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) group for both feedstocks. Based on tar analysis, naphthalene is the most produced tar components obtained from gasification of raw and torrefied EFB.

Husk Cherry: Nutritional attributes, bioactive compounds and technological applications

Husk cherry ( Physalis pruinosa ; L) is a tropical fruit commonly grown in the Mediterranean region, and widely consumed fresh in most countries of the world. To enhance our knowledge about this promising fruit, the technological, therapeutic, and nutritional quality attributes of the raw fruits were investigated. The fruit had an orange yellowish color and a mild sweetness, with a pulp yield of 93.40 % (w/w) and a juice yield of 64.45 % (v/w). It contains high ratios of total sugar (41.65%), protein (14.56%), crude fibers (11.59 %), ascorbic acid (40.17 mg/100 g), ß-carotene (64.78 μg/g), total phenols (178.53 mg gallic acid 100 g −1 ), anthocyanin (7.01 μg cyaniding-3-glucoside equivalents 100 g −1 ), flavonoids (6.69 mg quercetin g −1 ), and chlorophylls (19.03 μg g −1 ). These fruit showed high antioxidant activities, which were found using DPPH and ABTS assays, and could be considered as a good source of antioxidants. The fruit contained several minerals, including potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and magnesium. The major amino acids in the fruit pulp were glutamic acid, aspartic acid, arginine, phenylalanine, proline, valine and alanine. The main polyphenols detected in the fruits were gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, benzoic acid, catechol, ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin. Several flavonoids can be obtained in high concentrations, such as naringenin, luteolin, and rutin. Six functional food products (juice, jelly, jam, candied fruits, chocolate--coated dried fruits, and fruit leather) were manufactured using husk cherry fruits. The quality attributes of prepared products were determined. The highest crude fiber, ascorbic acid, β carotene, and total sugar compositions were found in chocolate-coated dry fruit products. All the manufactured products were well palatable amongst 25 trained panelists. The findings of this study confirmed the nutritional and technological potential of husk cherry fruits, which might be used effectively within the development of some functional products for food industries.

Responses of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes to ozone treatment on non-host tomato: Efficacy of intervention and evidence of induced acclimation.

Because of the continuous rise of foodborne illnesses caused by the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, effective post-harvest anti-microbial strategies are necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-microbial efficacy of ozone (O3) against two common causes of fresh produce contamination, the Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes, and to relate its effects to potential mechanisms of xenobiosis by transcriptional network modeling. The study on non-host tomato environment correlated the dose × time aspects of xenobiosis by examining the correlation between bacterial survival in terms of log-reduction and defense responses at the level of gene expression. In E. coli, low (1 μg O3/g of fruit) and moderate (2 μg O3/g of fruit) doses caused insignificant reduction in survival, while high dose (3 μg/g of fruit) caused significant reduction in survival in a time-dependent manner. In L. monocytogenes, moderate dose caused significant reduction even with short-duration exposure. Distinct responses to O3 xenobiosis between E. coli and L. monocytogenes are likely related to differences in membrane and cytoplasmic structure and components. Transcriptome profiling by RNA-Seq showed that primary defenses in E. coli were attenuated after exposure to a low dose, while the responses at moderate dose were characterized by massive upregulation of pathogenesis and stress-related genes, which implied the activation of defense responses. More genes were downregulated during the first hour at high dose, with a large number of such genes getting significantly upregulated after 2 hr and 3 hr. This trend suggests that prolonged exposure led to potential adaptation. In contrast, massive downregulation of genes was observed in L. monocytogenes regardless of dose and exposure duration, implying a mechanism of defense distinct from that of E. coli. The nature of bacterial responses revealed by this study should guide the selection of xenobiotic agents for eliminating bacterial contamination on fresh produce without overlooking the potential risks of adaptation.

HPLC-DAD-qTOF Compositional Analysis of the Phenolic Compounds Present in Crude Tomato Protein Extracts Derived from Food Processing.

The conversion of raw fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes into processed food products creates side streams of residues that can place a burden on the environment. However, these processed residues are still rich in bioactive compounds and in an effort to valorize these materials in tomato by-product streams, the main aim of this study is to extract proteins and identify the main phenolic compounds present in tomato pomace (TP), peel and skins (TPS) by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF. Forty different phenolic compounds were identified in the different tomato extracts, encompassing different groups of phenolic compounds, including derivatives of simple phenolic acid derivatives, hydroxycinnamoylquinic acid, flavones, flavonones, flavonol, and dihydrochalcone. In the crude protein extract (TPE) derived from tomatoes, most of these compounds were still present, confirming that valuable phenolic compounds were not degraded during food processing of these co-product streams. Moreover, phenolic compounds present in the tomato protein crude extract could provide a valuable contribution to the required daily intake of phenolics that are usually supplied by consuming fresh vegetables and fruits.