Storage Conditions Room Temperature Research Articles

Surface Heterogeneity at the Polymer-Food Interface Influences Ag Migration from Plastic Packaging Incorporating Ag-Exchanged Zeolites.

Silver-enabled polymers, with their antimicrobial properties, could prolong the shelf life and maintain quality in packaged foods. However, there is limited understanding about how the Ag form in the polymer, food chemistry, and other factors affect the transfer (migration) of Ag from the polymer to the food under the intended conditions of use. In this study, we investigated the release of Ag from polymer composites (PCs) incorporating two different Ag-exchanged zeolites (Ag-Y), which have been explored as potential scaffolds for loading high concentrations of Ag within common polymers. We manufactured two Ag-Y films based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE): one incorporating ionic Ag (Ag+) and one incorporating nanoparticulate Ag (AgNPs), each with similar initial Ag concentrations. Then, we assessed the migration of Ag out of these PCs into food simulants under accelerated room temperature storage conditions. In all simulants investigated, the Ag+-Y/LDPE film exhibited a higher migration of Ag compared to the AgNP-Y/LDPE film, suggesting a lower fraction of readily releasable Ag in the latter material. Total Ag migration from AgNP-Y/LDPE over 10 days at 40 °C was 11.10 ± 2.05 ng cm-2 of packaging surface area in water, 7.63 ± 1.59 ng cm-2 in a 9 wt % aqueous sucrose solution, and 21.29 ± 1.98 ng cm-2 in a commercial sweetened carbonated beverage (Squirt). In contrast, Ag migration from Ag+-Y/LDPE was measured at 49.61 ± 3.46, 57.48 ± 9.65, and 91.54 ± 5.58 ng cm-2 in water, sucrose solution, and Squirt drink, respectively. Surface characterization techniques, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and conductivity measurements, revealed the presence of exposed zeolite particles at the surface of the films, suggesting that direct interactions between Ag-exchanged zeolites and food components at the simulant-polymer interface play an important role in determining Ag migration from Ag-Y/LDPE PCs.

Understand the Stabilization Engineering of Ascorbic Acid, Mapping the Scheme for Stabilization, and Advancement.

Vitamin C is extensively used in cosmetic formulation, howbeit stability is the supreme demerit that limits its use in beautifying products. Numerous techniques are being employed to inhibit the degradation of vitamin C caused by formulation components to facilitate the use in skin rejuvenating products. Diverse materials are being exercised in formulation to stabilize the ascorbic acid and ingredients selected in this formulation composition help for stabilization. The initial stable prototype is developed and further optimization is accomplished by applying the design of experiment tools. The stable pharmaceutical formulations were evaluated for the evaluation parameters and designated as two optimized formulations. The analytical method for the assay of ascorbic acid from the United States pharmacopeia and the related substance method from European pharmacopeia has been modified to be used for cream formulation. The DoE design exhibited that the stability of formulation is impacted by citric acid and tartaric acid but not by propylene glycol and glycerin. The analysis results of topical formulations for the evaluation parameter exhibited satisfactory results. The in-vitro release study method has been developed, optimized, and validated to fit the analysis. The in-vitro studies have been performed for selected compositions and both the formulation has similar kinds of release patterns. The stability study as per ICH guidelines exhibited that the product is stable for accelerated, intermediate, and room-temperature storage conditions. The optimized formulation shows constant release and permeation of ascorbic acid through the skin. The formulation with the combinations of citric acid, tartaric acid, and tocopherol is more stable and the degradation of vitamin C has been reduced significantly. The beaucoup strategies in the unique composition help to protect the degradation by inhibiting the multitudinous degradation pathways.

Is blood blood? Comparing quantitation of endogenous steroids and luteinizing hormone in concurrently collected venous serum and Tasso+ SST capillary serum samples.

The monitoring of endogenous steroids in urine has been an important component of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) for the last decade. Recently, the quantitation of endogenous steroids in blood has been incorporated into the ABP to increase sensitivity in circumstances where the excretion of urinary ABP biomarkers is low. Current ABP guidelines mandate the use of venous blood draws for blood steroid sample collections, however, recent efforts have focused on investigating the use of less invasive sample collection methods, such as capillary blood collected from the upper arm. The focus of this study was to compare the analytical results of venous and capillary blood collected weekly from 20 individuals, 10 males and 10 females, over six weeks. The two primary biomarkers of the blood steroid ABP module, testosterone (T) and the testosterone/androstenedione (T/A4) ratio, were compared, as well as luteinizing hormone (LH) and the T/LH ratio in male participants, two biomarkers known to be responsive to T use. All biomarkers showed excellent agreement between venous and capillary blood. Longitudinal stability between sample types within individuals was also comparable for all biomarkers. Finally, storage of simultaneously collected capillary samples at room temperature and frozen conditions was compared with evaluate the potential impact of non-cold chain shipping conditions. Most biomarkers showed excellent agreement between frozen and room temperature storage conditions. These results indicate capillary blood collections represent a promising alternative to venous blood collections for the blood steroid module of the ABP.

Photocurable extracellular matrix sealant for cessation of venous hemorrhage.

Hemorrhage is the second leading cause of death in patients under 46 years of age in the United States. Cessation of hemorrhage prevents hemorrhagic shock and tissue hypoxia. Controlling the bleed via direct pressure or tourniquet is often the first line of defense, but long-term care requires staples, hemostatic agents, or sealants that seal the vessel and restore blood flow. Here, we compare a new photocurable extracellular matrix sealant (pcECM) with low, medium, and high crosslink density formulations to a commercially available fibrin-based sealant, TISSEEL®. pcECM has potential uses in surgical and remote settings due to room temperature storage conditions and fast preparation time. Here, we determine if pcECM sealant can stop venous hemorrhage in a murine model, adhere to the wound site in vivo throughout the wound-healing process, and has the mechanical properties necessary for stopping hemorrhage. Adjusting pcECM crosslinking density significantly affected viscosity, swelling, burst strength, tensile strength, and elasticity of the sealant. 3-Dimensional ultrasound volume segmentations showed pcECM degrades to 17 ± 8% of its initial implant volume by day 28. Initially, local hemodynamic changes were observed, but returned close to baseline levels by day 28. Acute inflammation was observed near the puncture site in pcECM implanted mice, and we observed inflammatory markers at the 14-day explant for both sealants. pcECM and fibrin sealant successfully sealed the vessel in all cases, and consistently degraded over 14-28 days. pcECM is a durable sealant with tunable mechanical properties and possible uses in hemorrhage control and other surgical procedures.

Implications of the storage conditions and production system on the physical properties of eggs: a multivariate data analysis study

SummaryThe objective of this study was to apply multivariate data analytical methods to evaluate the effect of both storage conditions (cold and room temperature) and production systems (cage and free range) on the physical properties of chicken eggs produced under tropical conditions. The results of this study indicated that most of the physical quality parameters (Haugh units, egg weight, albumin height, yolk colour, shell breaking and shell thickness) measured in the egg samples stored at room temperature (RT) were lower compared with egg samples stored in cold room (CT) conditions. The weight loss rate (WLR) was higher in the egg samples from RT compared with CT conditions. Both egg samples from either CT storage conditions or FR production system had the best quality parameters (high Haugh units, heavy egg weights and low WLR). The highest classification rate using linear discriminant analysis was obtained for the prediction of systems of production where egg samples from cage (C) and FR were 83% and 80% correctly classified. However, the classification of weeks of storage provides with intermediate classification results based on the physical parameters measured where 75% and 72% of the samples were correctly classified as stored in CT or RT storage conditions, respectively. The utilisation of multivariate data analysis allowed for the analysis of all the variables at the time without the need to isolate effects such as birds age, housing systems or by the solely interpretation of a single parameter.

Revealing the specific regulations of nitric oxide on the postharvest ripening and senescence of bitter melon fruit

Bitter melon fruit is susceptible to yellowing, softening, and rotting under room-temperature storage conditions, resulting in reduced commercial value. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule and plays a crucial role in regulating the fruit postharvest quality. In this study, we investigated the effects of NO treatment on changes in sensory and firmness of bitter melon fruit during postharvest storage. Moreover, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and proteomic analyses were performed to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms through which NO treatment delays the ripening and senescence of bitter melon fruit. Our results show that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in fruit texture (CSLE, β-Gal, and PME), plant hormone signal transduction (ACS, JAR4, and AUX28), and fruit flavor and aroma (SUS2, LOX, and GDH2). In addition, proteins differentially abundant were associated with fruit texture (PLY, PME, and PGA) and plant hormone signal transduction (PBL15, JAR1, and PYL9). Moreover, NO significantly increased the abundance of key enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, thus enhancing the disease resistance and alleviating softening of bitter melon fruit. Finally, differential metabolites mainly included phenolic acids, terpenoids, and flavonoids. These results provide a theoretical basis for further studies on the physiological changes associated with postharvest ripening and senescence of bitter melon fruit.

Effect of different storage conditions on dimensional accuracy of 3D-printed dental models.

The objective was to determine the accuracy of 3D-printed dental models subjected to different storage conditions using six different material and printer combinations. Three completely dentate models were designed using dental CAD software (3Shape Dental System). A horseshoe-shaped solid base with a posterior horizontal bar was used. The models were printed in a horizontal direction against the building platform without support. The models were printed using six printers with the corresponding recommended resin material: Carbon M2 (DPR10), HeyGears A2D4K (Model HP UV2.0), Stratasys J5 (MED610), Stratasys Origin One (DM200), Envision One (E-Model LightDLP), and Asiga Pro4K (VeriModel) with a standard layer thickness of 50 μm. All printed models underwent scanning using a laboratory scanner (Sirona inEOS X5) after printing. Subsequently, the models were randomly assigned into three groups of storage conditions, LT: cold environment (4±1°C), HT: hot and dry environment (50±2°C), and RT: room temperature (25±2°C) serving as the control. Each group was kept under the designated condition and was scanned at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 weeks. The total number of models (N) was 72, with 6 printers producing 12 models per printer for 3 storage conditions, resulting in 4 models for each storage condition and each printer. The generated STL files were imported into a 3D inspection software for comparison with the original STL files. In-tolerance percentage, the deviation RMS, trueness, and precision were obtained and analyzed with least square mean linear regression using JMP Pro 15 to identify the significant effects (α = 0.05). The in-tolerance percentage as-printed was significantly different among different printers. Significant dimension deviations were observed after the first week of storage at HT and with subsequent weeks of storage. RT and LT did not show significant dimensional changes. Models printed with Carbon M2 showed the highest in-tolerance percentages compared to the other printers. The model deviations were affected by storage conditions and the printer used, with high-temperature storage showed least stability compared to low and room temperatures. No significant difference was observed between low and room temperature storage conditions. The Carbon M2 printer showed the highest accuracy among all printers tested. The region had a significant effect on the deviation measured, with the abutment body showing the least deviation. Among the 3D printers evaluated, A2D4K by HeyGears and Carbon M2 printers demonstrated the highest accuracy in terms of both precision and trueness.

Predicting Egg Storage Time with a Portable Near-Infrared Instrument: Effects of Temperature and Production System.

Determining egg freshness is critical for ensuring food safety and security and as such, different methods have been evaluated and implemented to accurately measure and predict it. In this study, a portable near-infrared (NIR) instrument combined with chemometrics was used to monitor and predict the storage time of eggs under two storage conditions-room temperature (RT) and cold (CT) storage-from two production systems: cage and free-range. A total of 700 egg samples were analyzed, using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression to analyze the NIR spectra. The PCA score plot did not show any clear separation between egg samples from the two production systems; however, some egg samples were grouped according to storage conditions. The cross-validation statistics for predicting storage time were as follows: for cage and RT eggs, the coefficient of determination in cross validation (R2CV) was 0.67, with a standard error in cross-validation (SECV) of 7.64 days and residual predictive deviation (RPD) of 1.8; for CT cage eggs, R2CV of 0.84, SECV of 5.38 days and RPD of 3.2; for CT free-range eggs, R2CV of 0.83, SECV of 5.52 days and RPD of 3.2; and for RT free-range eggs, R2CV of 0.82, SECV of 5.61 days, and RPD of 3.0. This study demonstrated that NIR spectroscopy can predict storage time non-destructively in intact egg samples. Even though the results of the present study are promising, further research is still needed to further extend these results to other production systems, as well as to explore the potential of this technique to predict other egg quality parameters associated with freshness.

Migration of oligomers from Tritan™ copolyester: application of hydrolysis for overall oligomer determination

Tritan™ (a kind of glycol-modified polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate) is a novel copolyester mainly in use for the production of sports bottles and food storage containers. Oligomers in three food-grade Tritan™ samples were identified after dissolution-precipitation by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and mass spectrometry and quantified after alkaline hydrolysis to the monomers. The obtained overall oligomer content <1000 Da determined by hydrolysis ranged from 7.2 to 10.6 mg/g material. Three consecutive migration experiments were performed according to the Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. Oligomer migration values decreased from first to third migration during all simulations. Less than 25 µg/kg (third migrate) were detected in bottle migrates when tested under room temperature storage conditions (40 °C, 24 h) with simulants 3% acetic acid, 20 and 50% ethanol and during hot-fill testing (70 °C, 2 h) with simulants 3% acetic acid and 20% ethanol, respectively, while 170 µg/kg were determined in 50% ethanol after migration at 70 °C for 2 h. Food storage containers that were labelled as microwave-suitable by the supplier were tested according to the Joint Research Centre recommendations for microwave dishware. A strong deformation of the containers as well as a loss of transparency were observed during the tests (100 °C, 2 h with 10% ethanol and 3% acetic acid in an autoclave, 121 °C, 30 min with sunflower oil), questioning the suitability of the material for microwave applications. Maximum oligomer migration was 379 µg/kg during the third migration (sunflower oil at 121 °C for 30 min). Based on the migration data and an in silico oligomer evaluation according to the threshold of toxicological concern concept, no exceedances of daily thresholds for oligomers are expected from a proper use of Tritan™ drinking bottles, even with hot drinks.

Improving the Quality and Shelf Life of Guava Fruits Using 1-Methylcyclopropene

Storage of guava fruits by using refrigerators as post-harvest treatment is commercially acceptable but is expensive, especially in developing countries. So, the present investigation was carried out with the objective to compare the efficacy of 1-MCP and their most effective concentrations for the shelf-life enhancement of guava fruits without any deterioration in fruit quality in the winter season at both cold and room-temperature storage conditions. Horticultural mature guava fruits were treated with 150, 300, and 600 ppb, and then stored at room temperature at 21°C, RH 45%, or cold storage at 6°C, RH 85%. The Results showed that the highest concentration of 1-MCP (600ppb) significantly (P&lt;0.05) preserved fruit firmness, and organoleptic quality attributes. In addition, the fruit weight loss, decay percentage, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit color development were significantly preserved compared to other treatments under both cold and room storage conditions. Generally, 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) could maintain the quality of guava fruit combined with cold temperatures for 24 days. While 150 and 300 ppb 1-MCP preserved the quality of fruits for up to 20 days compared to untreated fruits for 16 days. Otherwise, treated fruits with 600ppb of 1-MCP kept at room storage temperature preserved fruits quality for up to 20 days compared with untreated fruits for up to 12 days stored at room storage condition. Hence, 1-MCP as post-harvest treatments preserved the overall quality parameters and enhanced the shelf life of guava fruit even after two weeks of storage at ambient temperature and three weeks after cold storage. Otherwise, 1-MCP could be an alternative to cold storage, as it is more economical than cold storage, especially in developing countries.

Development of Clinically Optimized Sitagliptin and Dapagliflozin Complex Tablets: Pre-Formulation, Formulation, and Human Bioequivalence Studies.

The purpose of this study is to derive an optimal drug release formulation with human clinical bioequivalence in developing a sitagliptin phosphate monohydrate-dapagliflozin propanediol hydrate fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus. As a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus, the combined prescription of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors is common. Therefore, this study simplified the number of individual drugs taken and improved drug compliance by developing FDC tablets containing sitagliptin phosphate monohydrate as a DPP-4 inhibitor and dapagliflozin propanediol hydrate as an SGLT-2 inhibitor. To derive the optimal dosage form, we prepared single-layer tablets, double-layer tablets, and dry-coated tablets and evaluated the drug control release ability, tableting manufacturability, quality, and stability. Single-layer tablets caused problems with stability and drug dissolution patterns. When the dissolution test was performed on the dry-coated tablets, a corning effect occurred, and the core tablet did not completely disintegrate. However, in the quality evaluation of the double-layer tablets, the hardness was 12-14 kilopond, the friability was 0.2%, and the disintegration was within 3 min. In addition, the stability test revealed that the double-layer tablet was stable for 9 months under room temperature storage conditions and 6 months under accelerated storage conditions. In the drug release test, only the FDC double-layer tablet showed the optimal drug release pattern that satisfied each drug release rate. In addition, the FDC double-layer tablet showed a high dissolution rate of over 80% in the form of immediate-release tablets within 30 min in a pH 6.8 dissolution solution. In the human clinical trial, we co-administered a single dose of a sitagliptin phosphate monohydrate-dapagliflozin propanediol hydrate FDC double-layered tablet and the reference drug (Forxiga®, Januvia®) in healthy adult volunteers. This study showed clinically equivalent results in the stability and pharmacodynamic characteristics between the two groups.

Validating the Use of Amputated Limbs Used as Cadaver Detection Dog Training Aids

Cadaver detection dogs (CDDs) are trained to locate human remains and/or objects associated with human remains. This is possible due to their extraordinary olfactory capabilities compared to those of humans. To reinforce this capability, CDDs must be trained and regularly exposed to the target odor in the form of training aids which include—chemical formulations, animal remains, and/or human remains. Currently, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) use amputated limbs/feet from consented surgeries performed on diabetic patients as cadaver detection dog training aids. There is limited knowledge about the volatile organic compound (VOC) composition of these training aids and their appropriateness as an alternative to human remains for CDD training purposes, which formed the aim of the current study. VOCs were collected from amputated lower limbs/feet repeatedly using thermal desorption (TD) tubes and analyzed with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography—time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). The response of cadaver detection dogs to these training aids was also recorded to understand their alert in the context of the detected VOCs. VOC classes including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ester and analogues, ethers, aliphatic, cyclics, sulfur-containing, nitrogen-containing, and halogen-containing VOCs were identified. Of these classes, cyclic VOCs were most abundant followed by nitrogen-containing VOCs while ethers were the least abundant. The most prominent VOCs identified in amputated limbs/feet were decomposition related however, one VOC—sevoflurane, originated from anaesthesia during the surgeries. It was determined that the VOC profile of aged and relatively recent training aids were variable. The aged training aids sampled over time had less variability (compared to more recent training aids). Additionally, the VOC profiles of samples was not found variable owing to the storage conditions—room temperature, refrigerator or freezer. Overall, a 98.4% detection rate was observed for amputated limbs/feet used as CDD training aids and the presence of non-decomposition related VOCs such as sevoflurane did not appear to impact the CDDs’ detection capability. This study highlights that the presence of decomposition VOCs in amputated limbs/feet and their high detection rate by CDDs validates their use as alternative CDD training aids.

Comparative metabolome analysis unravels a close association between dormancy release and metabolic alteration induced by low temperature in lily bulbs.

The correlation between dormancy release and metabolic metabolic changes in lily bulbs during low temperature storage was investigated. Low temperature is a major environmental factor required for dormancy release in lily bulbs. Although great advances in plant metabolomics have been achieved, knowledge about the molecular basis of lily bulb metabolomes at different developmental stages in response to low temperature is still limited. In this work, the dormancy release, vegetative growth, flowering, metabolic profile and gene expression in the less dormant cultivar Lilium longiforum × Oriental hybrid 'Triumphator' (T) and the more dormant cultivar Lilium Asiatic hybrid 'Honesty' (H) were compared. Exposure to low temperature (LT) successfully promoted stem elongation, floral transition and flowering of both T and H bulbs. However, exposure to room temperature (RT) restricted stalk elongation of both T and H bulbs, and prohibited floral transition and flowering of H bulbs. Correspondingly, higher antioxidant enzyme activity and total primary metabolite contents were observed in the apical bud of T bulbs. Gene expression analysis revealed that expressions of LiFT, LiFLK, LiSOC1 and LiCBF were decreased, whereas the expression of LiSVP and LiFLC were increased, in the apical bud of H bulbs under RT storage condition. Our findings reveal that the growth and dormancy breaking of lily bulbs are closely associated with the metabolic changes in the apical buds during postharvest storage.

Prediction of bruise in peach with impact energy

AbstractThe aim of this study is to find out the factors affecting mechanical bruising of peach and to develop a model for the prediction of the bruise that occurs in peach in harvest and post‐harvest processes. For this purpose, experiments were carried out with Redhaven, Glohaven, and Dixired peach varieties. The peaches were harvested in three different periods. Researches on experiment materials were carried out after storing in two different environments, room temperature and cold storage conditions. In the study, pendulum impact test setup was used to create different degrees of bruise on peaches. Regression models were created with “Multiple Linear Regression” analysis to prediction the amount of bruise volume by using impact energy, maximum contact force, radius of curvature, and Magness–Taylor force factors obtained based on the measurement and calculation results. As a result, it was found that all of the multiple linear regression models created for the prediction of bruising in peach fruit were statistically significant (p ≤.01).Practical ApplicationsDamages in fruits cause quality loss in the product. Mechanical damage can occur at many different stages, such as during the harvesting and postharvest processing of the material, or during manual handling. Peach fruit is sensitive to different types of damage that may occur during and after harvest. In this study, models were developed for the prediction of fruit damage by working on some peach cultivars. With the study, suggestions were made for the prevention of damage to the peach during harvest and postharvest processes. In addition, in the light of the information obtained, it will provide a reference for the improvement of systems and designs used or to be installed for harvest and postharvest processing of peach fruit.

Preharvest Spray Hexanal Formulation Enhances Postharvest Quality in 'Honeycrisp' Apples by Regulating Phospholipase D and Calcium Sensor Proteins Genes.

‘Honeycrisp’ (Malus domestica Borkh.), a premium applecultivar, is highly susceptible to bitter pit and decline in quality during long-term storage. In order to enhance the quality, an aqueous composition containing hexanal was applied as a preharvest spray. The effects of hexanal were assessed on the treated fruit and compared with HarvistaTM (a sprayable 1-Methylcyclopropene based commercial formulation) applied and control fruit under both cold (2.5 °C; four months) and cold after room temperature storage (20 °C; 14 days) conditions. Color, firmness, and total soluble solids (TSS) did not show a significant change in response to any treatment at harvest, while abscisic acid (ABA) significantly reduced and tryptophan increased in response to hexanal, compared to HarvistaTM and control. The treatment effects on quality traits were observed during storage. Both hexanal and HarvistaTM sprayed apples had higher TSS under both cold and room temperature storage. In addition, both sprays enhanced firmness at room temperature storage. However, the effects of sprays on other quality traits showed a different pattern. Apples sprayed with hexanal had lower phospholipase D enzyme (PLD) activity, lower incidence of bitter pit, and decreased expression of MdPLDα1 compared to HarvistaTM and control. On the other hand, HarvistaTM treated fruit produced lower ethylene. Both sprays decreased the expression of MdPLDα4, MdCaM2, MdCaM4 and MdCML18 genes. Generally, PLD alpha has a direct role in promoting fruit senescence, whereas the calcium senor proteins (CaM/CMLs) may involve in fruit ripening process via calcium and ethylene interactions. Therefore, improved postharvest qualities, including the lower incidence of bitter pit in hexanal treated ‘Honeycrisp’, may be associated with lower membrane damage due to lower PLD enzyme activity and decreased expression of MdPLDα1 and MdPLDα4 genes throughout the storage period.

Feasibility of Volatile Biomarker-Based Detection of Pythium Leak in Postharvest Stored Potato Tubers Using Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

The study evaluates the suitability of a field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) system for early detection of the Pythium leak disease in potato tubers simulating bulk storage conditions. Tubers of Ranger Russet (RR) and Russet Burbank (RB) cultivars were inoculated with Pythium ultimum, the causal agent of Pythium leak (with negative control samples as well) and placed in glass jars. The headspace in sampling jars was scanned using the FAIMS system at regular intervals (in days up to 14 and 31 days for the tubers stored at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively) to acquire ion mobility current profiles representing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Principal component analysis plots revealed that VOCs ion peak profiles specific to Pythium ultimum were detected for the cultivars as early as one day after inoculation (DAI) at room temperature storage condition, while delayed detection was observed for tubers stored at 4 °C (RR: 5th DAI and RB: 10th DAI), possibly due to a slower disease progression at a lower temperature. There was also some overlap between control and inoculated samples at a lower temperature, which could be because of the limited volatile release. Additionally, data suggested that the RB cultivar might be less susceptible to Pythium ultimum under reduced temperature storage conditions. Disease symptom-specific critical compensation voltage (CV) and dispersion field (DF) from FAIMS responses were in the ranges of −0.58 to −2.97 V and 30–84% for the tubers stored at room temperature, and −0.31 to −2.97 V and 28–90% for reduced temperature, respectively. The ion current intensities at −1.31 V CV and 74% DF showed distinctive temporal progression associated with healthy control and infected tuber samples.

Variable characteristics of microbial communities on the surface of sweet cherries under different storage conditions

Abstract Ripe fruit is susceptible to postharvest rotting induced by microbial pathogens. The development of fruit storage technologies requires a comprehensive understanding of the overall microbial community involved in fruit storage. In this study, we investigated the microbiota of bacteria and fungi on cherry surfaces under room-temperature storage condition (25 ℃) and low-temperature storage condition (0 ℃) using high-throughput sequencing. The results demonstrated that Enterobacter, Erwinia, Botrytis, and unidentified Pleosporales were significantly enriched in the rotten samples, while Bacillus and Aureobasidium were enriched in the unrotten samples. After the fruit rotted, more dramatic changes were observed in fungal microbiota than in bacterial microbiota. Rotting significantly reduced fungal α-diversity without noticeably altering bacterial α-diversity, under both room-temperature storage and low-temperature storage conditions. Furthermore, temperature condition significantly impacted the composition of the surface microbiota of cherries, and the microbiota changed more significant when rotting under room-temperature storage condition than under low-temperature storage condition. Low-temperature storage reduced the α-diversity and network complexity. Significant correlations among potential pathogens, beneficial microorganisms, and other microbiota members indicated that in addition to pathogens, microbiota along with pathogens also influences fruit rot. This study provides new insight into the dynamics of the microbiome in cherries during storage.

Extended Stability Evaluation of Selected Cathinones.

Understanding the stability of drugs in a forensic toxicology setting is critical for the evaluation of drug concentrations. Synthetic cathinones are new psychoactive substances structurally derived from cathinone, the psychoactive component of Catha edulis (“khat”), a shrub that is indigenous to the Middle East and East Africa. Previous research has evaluated the stability of synthetic cathinones in biological matrices, including blood preserved with the combination of NaF and K2C2O4 used in gray-top tubes. However, it does not assess their stability in blood preserved with Na2EDTA, used for some clinical samples. Further, stability in unpreserved urine samples was only studied for two weeks. This research evaluates the stabilities of four Schedule I synthetic cathinones: mephedrone, MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone), naphyrone, and α-PVP (alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone) at 20°C (room temperature), 4°C (refrigerator), and −20°C (freezer). Stability was assessed in methanolic and acetonitrile solutions, as well as in Na2EDTA-preserved blood and unpreserved urine. Solutions (1 mg/L) of each drug in each matrix stored in aliquots (100 μL, solvents; 1.2 mL, biological samples; n = 12) at each of the three temperatures for triplicate analysis on days 3, 7, 14, and 30. On day 0 of each study, three additional aliquots of each solution were analyzed. Biological samples underwent solid-phase extraction before analysis. All samples were analyzed in full-scan by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results of this study show that under room temperature and refrigerator storage conditions, mephedrone, naphyrone, and MDPV will degrade in methanol. This degradation starts are early as day 3. Additionally, all four drugs will degrade in Na2EDTA-preserved human whole blood samples in at least one evaluated storage environment. However, when in acetonitrile-based working solutions and unpreserved urine samples, they proved to be more stable. Methanolic working solutions and samples of Na2EDTA-preserved blood containing these cathinones should be stored in the freezer and used or tested with urgency to ensure that quantitative sample analysis is as accurate as possible in forensic casework.

Study of genetic variability of tuber yield and storage related traits in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications at Potato Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Deesa during rabi 2017-18. The crop was harvested at 90 days after planting. The analysis of variance revealed that mean sum of squares due to genotypes were found highly significant for all the traits. This is proved that the existence of tremendous variability in the experimental material for different traits. However, from tuber yield point of view, MS/9-2196, J/7-37, K. Ganga and K. Anand were elite genotypes based on per se performance. The genotypes, K. Lauvkar, K. Sindhuri and DSP-7 exhibited low physiological weight loss, while genotypes, K. Surya, MS/12-655 and K. Ganga had low loss due to rottage on weight basis. Thus, these genotypes may be considered as good for storage ability at room temperature storage condition. The high heritability along with high genetic advance in plant height, leaf area, fresh weight of tops per plant, number of tuber per plant, tuber yield per plant, average tuber weight, physiological weight loss, loss due to rottage on weight basis, loss due to rottage on number basis and total weight loss, suggested that genotypic variation for the characters is probably attributed to high additive genetic effect and selection would be rewarding based on phenotypic performance.

Quality Detection of Postharvest Litchi Based on Electronic Nose: A Feasible Way for Litchi Fruit Supervision during Circulation Process

Susceptibility to mechanical injury and fast decay rates are currently two main problems of litchi fruit after harvesting. To achieve better postharvest management of litchi fruit, this study aimed to find an effective method of litchi fruit supervision during the circulation process that included mechanical injury detection and storage quality detection. For mechanical injury detection, injury-free litchis without any treatment and litchis with mild and severe mechanical injuries were dropped from 80 and 110 cm high, respectively. The electronic nose (E-nose) response, total soluble solid (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA) of samples were tested on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 after injury at room temperature. For storage quality detection, normal litchis were stored in a cold environment. The E-nose response, TSS, and TA of samples were tested on storage days 0, 3, 6, 10, 15, 19, and 24. The experimental results showed that mechanical injury not only accelerated pericarp browning but also accelerated flavor (TA and TSS) loss. The browning index quickly increased during storage, and the TSS and TA of defect-free litchis changed only barely at room temperature and during cold environment storage. After feature extraction, mechanical injury of litchi can be well-detected by E-nose from day 1 to day 4 after injury. The best mechanical injury detection time of litchi fruit is at day 4 after injury under room temperature storage conditions. After singular sensor elimination and comprehensive feature extraction, the storage time and browning degree, but not TSS and TA, of litchi fruit can be detected by E-nose. E-nose data preprocessing should differ according to the litchi variety and detection target.