State Of Ripeness Research Articles

Seed Development and Seed Physiological Maturation of Table Tomato F1 Hybrid Seeds (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

The study of Seed development and maturation of tomato F1-hybrid seeds (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was carried out at the production site at Kaneko seeds (Thailand) company, Lamphun province from December 2021-March 2022. The objective of this study is to find the suitable seed physiological maturity for table tomato for improved harvest time to increase the quantity and quality of tomato seeds. For this study, tomato KST-805F line was used as female parent and KST-805M line as male parent to produce tomato f1 hybrid seeds. When tomato plant grew into pollination stage, the sepals were cut off and tags were tied to the peduncle with every date of pollination to show the age of tomato until the first fruit were in maturity and the skin changed to dark red color and ready to harvest at about 45 days after pollination, then the pollination was stopped. Tomato fruits from 1-45 days were harvested after pollination to study fruit development. It was found that skin color of fruit started turning to orange color at 31 days after pollination which is the beginning of the ripe state for tomato KST-805F1 variety. Therefore, seed from 31-45 days after pollination were used for seed test of quality and quantity in laboratory. The result shows that the optimum of physiological maturity for tomato harvesting was 44 days after pollination. Due to high germination (97%) and cumulative dry weight of 1,000 seeds, the highest was 0.850 g., the color of fruit was changed to red color with L value is 34.60, a* value is 23.75 and b* value is 12.93 respectively.

Development of non-destructive system for estimating avocado quality parameters

México has established itself as a significant global exporter of avocados, owing to the surging demand for this highly sought-after fruit. In response to market requirements, the assurance of specific quality parameters during the harvesting and international transportation phases has become indispensable. However, the predominant techniques employed for the assessment of these critical quality attributes are often intrusive and labor-intensive, resulting in substantial economic losses. In this research, we propose a novel approach, Smart Platform for Avocado Inspection and Analysis (SPAIA), which leverages intelligent audio analysis to nondestructively estimate key avocado quality parameters. Our methodology comprises a multi-faceted process, encompassing the design and development of a specialized capture device, meticulous data collection, and the formulation of robust audio-based estimation and evaluation models. As a result, our research proposes new aFI, aFIsum indices from Audio Signal Processing (ASP) techniques, and a new spectrogram, a product of image processing techniques and Intelligent Audio Analysis (IAA). Finally, the non-destructive approach yielded remarkable results in the estimation of the avocado quality parameters Seed Weight (SW), Dry Matter Index (DMI), Ripeness State (RS) and Uniform Ripeness (UR). The best regression models achieved a Pearson’s correlation index of 0.988, while the classification models exhibited an accuracy of 0.960. These findings not only demonstrate the viability of SPAIA as an innovative tool but also highlight its potential to revolutionize the avocado industry by offering a more efficient and sustainable means of ensuring fruit quality throughout the entire production and distribution process.

Design of a Multisensory Device for Tomato Volatile Compound Detection Based on a Mixed Metal Oxide-Electrochemical Sensor Array and Optical Reader.

Insufficient control of tomato ripening before harvesting and infection by fungal pests produce large economic losses in world tomato production. Aroma is an indicative parameter of the state of maturity and quality of the tomato. This study aimed to design an electronic system (TOMATO-NOSE) consisting of an array of 12 electrochemical sensors, commercial metal oxide semiconductor sensors, an optical camera for a lateral flow reader, and a smartphone application for device control and data storage. The system was used with tomatoes in different states of ripeness and health, as well as tomatoes infected with Botrytis cinerea. The results obtained through principal component analysis of the olfactory pattern of tomatoes and the reader images show that TOMATO-NOSE is a good tool for the farmer to control tomato ripeness before harvesting and for the early detection of Botrytis cinerea.

Consumer‐oriented intelligent ripening control system for post‐ripening fruit

AbstractTo address the issues commonly encountered in traditional fruit ripening processes, which include reliance on manual experience, low efficiency, single control parameter, and significant fluctuations, a new intelligent fruit ripening control system has been designed. This system is based on a mathematical modeling algorithm, which allows for more effective and precise control over the ripening process. To ensure that the ripe fruits are transported to the fruit processing center in a low ripeness state, the proposed system adopts a strategy of precise control of temperature and ethylene, as well as range control of other environmental parameters. The RSSA‐PID model is used for ethylene and temperature control, which has high smoothness, fast response time, and high stability. Compared with the traditional PID model, the RSSA‐PID model has better dynamic performance and stability. Finally, the proposed system is applied to the ripening process of post‐ripening fruits, and the results show that the system achieves intelligent ripening, precise control, and low power consumption. The temperature and ethylene concentration are controlled within a variation of no more than 0.5%, and the humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are maintained within reasonable thresholds. Overall, this paper provides a promising solution for the ripening process of post‐ripening fruits, which can benefit the fruit industry by improving the efficiency and quality of the supply chain.Practical ApplicationThe ripening chamber environment is a dynamic equilibrium environment with non‐linear characteristics because the fruits in the ripening chamber are constantly exchanging substances and energy with the environment through respiration and transpiration. An intelligent ripening control system (IRCS) for post‐ripening fruits is proposed in this paper (Figure 1). The whole ripening process runs automatically, which significantly reduces the ripening time and saves a lot of post‐processing time. The shorter ripening time combined with the latest intelligent software and hardware means that only as much energy as is actually needed is consumed. If the sales market changes, the fruit can be stored under air conditioning (CA) until the scheduled delivery date without significant further ripening and losses and complaints can be minimized.

EFEITO DO ÓLEO DE Moringa oleífera SOBRE O PATÓGENO PISCÍCOLA Saprolegnia parasítica

Moringa oleifera is a plant with great potential for this purpose, due to its antimicrobial properties. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the action of M. oleifera seed oil on the fungus Saprolegnia parasitica, which causes the most important fungal disease in freshwater fish. For this purpose, the seeds were collected from the pods in a ripe state and submitted to a cold extraction process via mechanical press. A strain of the S. parasitica was used as test culture by the bioanalytical method "in vitro" on BDA (Potato, Dextrose and Agar) medium. The oil was emulsified by the low energy method, with surfactant and water, and poured onto the plates with medium at the concentrations of the treatments. The experiment was conducted in a randomized design with 5 treatments (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 mL/L), all with 5 repetitions, maintained at a temperature of 24°C. The plates were observed every 24 hours for 96 hours for mycelial growth measurement. By 48 hours, a reduction in growth was observed at 0.25mL/L, intensifying at levels of 0.5; 0.75, and 1.0mL/L. In 72 hours, the control treatments and the 0.25mL/Ltreatment did not differ, but were different from the other treatments. However, after 96 hours all reached full extension. Therefore, M. oleifera seed oil shows fungistatic activity on the fungus S. parasitica at concentrations higher than 0.25mL/L.

New, Low-Cost, Hand-Held Multispectral Device for In-Field Fruit-Ripening Assessment

The state of ripeness at harvest is a key piece of information for growers as it determines the market price of the yield. This has been traditionally assessed by destructive chemical methods, which lead to low-spatiotemporal resolution in the monitorization of crop development and poor responsiveness for growers. These limitations have shifted the focus to remote-sensing, spectroscopy-based approaches. However, most of the research focusing on these approaches has been accomplished with expensive equipment, which is exorbitant for most users. To combat this issue, this work presents a low-cost, hand-held, multispectral device with original hardware specially designed to face the complexity related to in-field use. The proposed device is based on a development board (AS7265x, AMS AG) that has three sensor chips with a spectral response of eighteen channels in a range from 410 to 940 nm. The proposed device was evaluated in a red-grape field experiment. Briefly, it was used to acquire the spectral signature of eighty red-grape samples in the vineyard. Subsequently, the grape samples were analysed using standard chemical methods to generate ground-truth values of ripening status indicators (soluble solid content (SSC) and titratable acidity (TA)). The eighteen pre-process reflectance measurements were used as input for training artificial neural network models to estimate the two target parameters (SSC and TA). The developed estimation models were evaluated through a leave-one-out cross-validation approach obtaining promising results (R2 = 0.70, RMSE = 1.21 for SSC; and R2 = 0.67, RMSE = 0.91 for TA).

Reprint of: In-field and non-destructive monitoring of grapes maturity by hyperspectral imaging

Monitoring the quality attributes of grapes is a practice that allows the state of ripeness to be checked and the optimal harvest time to be identified. A non-destructive method based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology was developed. Analyses were carried out directly in the field on a ‘Sangiovese’ ( Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard destined for wine production, by using a Vis/NIR (400–1000 nm) hyperspectral camera. One vineyard row was analysed on 13 different days during the pre-harvest and harvest time. The soluble solids content (SSC) expressed in terms of °Brix was measured by a portable digital refractometer . Afterwards, the grape samples were split in two classes: the first one composed by the samples characterised by a °Brix lower than 20 (not-ripe), while the second one by the samples with a °Brix higher than 20 (ripe). Grape mean spectra were extracted from each hyperspectral image and used to predict the SSC by partial least squares regression (PLS), and to classify the samples into the two classes by PLS discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). SSC was predicted with a R 2 = 0.77 (RMSECV = 0.79 °Brix), and the samples were correctly classified with a percentage from 86 to 91%. Even if the number of wavelengths was limited, the percentages of correctly classified samples were again within the above-mentioned range. The present study shows the potential of the use of HSI technology directly in the field by proximal measurements under natural light conditions for the prediction of the harvest time of the ‘Sangiovese’ red grape. • To identify the optimal ripening time the grape quality parameters were monitored. • In-field Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging was used. • Regression model to predict soluble solid content was developed. • The grape samples were classified into two classes: not-ripe and ripe. • The classification performance remained unchanged by reducing the number of wavelengths.

Aviv barley and calendar diversity among Jews in eleventh-century Palestine

One of the most salient medieval Qaraite practices was setting the calendar by observation of natural phenomena. While the Rabbanites followed arithmetical schemes, Qaraites set months by sighting the new moon and intercalated years on the basis of the state of ripeness of barley crops ( aviv ). Multiple Qaraite treatises on the aviv are preserved, but documentary evidence of empirical intercalation is scarce, making it difficult to learn how it was performed in practice. This article examines two Qaraite calendar chronicles that document barley observations and decisions regarding intercalation in a range of years in the eleventh century. They shed important light on how the Qaraite calendar operated over periods of time and attest to frequent calendar difference within the Qaraite movement and between Qaraites and Rabbanites. The chronicles make it clear that the Qaraite calendar of the period was not a monolithic system counterposed to that of the Rabbanites.

DAYA TERIMA KONSUMEN TERHADAP HIDANGAN UTAMA DI KANTIN SEHATI SEKOLAH VOKASI IPB

ABSTRACTThe main purpose of this study is to examine the consumer's acceptability to the main dish in the Sehati Canteen College of Vocational Studies IPB University, by comparing the consumer's acceptability between chicken katsu and chicken teriyaki dishes served. Main course (main course) is a staple dish of a complete menu arrangement served at lunch anddinner,the portion size is larger than the appetizer (appetizer). The main course or main course of Japan consists of a bowl of rice(gohan), a bowl of miso soup(miso shiru),pickled vegetables(tsukemono) and fish or meat. Similar to in Indonesia, rice is a staple food of the Japanese people. The most popular Japanese main course among teenagers today is Chicken katsu and Chicken teriyaki.
 Chicken katsu is a famous dish from sakura country with the basic ingredients of chicken meat wrapped in flour so that the texture is crispy outside and soft inside. Chicken teriyaki is one of the typical Japanese food made from chicken breast in fillets and then diced or elongated, cooked with teriyaki sauce. Preparation to make the main course in the Sehati Canteen College of Vocational Studies IPB University consists of preparation of tools and preparation of ingredients. The main dish processing procedure is divided into staple food processing, animal side dishes and vegetable dishes. The preparation stage is done to make chicken katsu,chicken is reported before processing while at the preparatory stage of making chicken teriyaki,chicken, rice, and salad are reported in a ripe state. The main dish favorite test was conducted organoleptic test with panelists who came from healthy canteen consumers. Based on the results of the favorite test and the results of the output of statistical analysis obtained that the panelists prefer chicken katsu dishes in terms of appearance, color, taste, texture and shape compared to chicken teriyaki.

In-field and non-destructive monitoring of grapes maturity by hyperspectral imaging

Monitoring the quality attributes of grapes is a practice that allows the state of ripeness to be checked and the optimal harvest time to be identified. A non-destructive method based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology was developed. Analyses were carried out directly in the field on a ‘Sangiovese’ (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard destined for wine production, by using a Vis/NIR (400–1000 nm) hyperspectral camera. One vineyard row was analysed on 13 different days during the pre-harvest and harvest time. The soluble solids content (SSC) expressed in terms of °Brix was measured by a portable digital refractometer. Afterwards, the grape samples were split in two classes: the first one composed by the samples characterised by a °Brix lower than 20 (not-ripe), while the second one by the samples with a °Brix higher than 20 (ripe). Grape mean spectra were extracted from each hyperspectral image and used to predict the SSC by partial least squares regression (PLS), and to classify the samples into the two classes by PLS discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). SSC was predicted with a R2 = 0.77 (RMSECV = 0.79 °Brix), and the samples were correctly classified with a percentage from 86 to 91%. Even if the number of wavelengths was limited, the percentages of correctly classified samples were again within the above-mentioned range. The present study shows the potential of the use of HSI technology directly in the field by proximal measurements under natural light conditions for the prediction of the harvest time of the ‘Sangiovese’ red grape.

Physicochemical Characterization of Unripe and Ripe Chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) Fruit Flours and Starches

AbstractThe functional applications of chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) flour and starches depend on its ripeness state. However, there are no reports of the physicochemical properties of chontaduro flours and starches nor their associated fatty acid profile. This research aimed to study the physicochemical properties of ripe/unripe chontaduro flours, isolated starches, and fats. Compared to unripe flour, ripe flour exhibited higher (p<0.05) protein (16.79%) but lower lipid content (‐25.72%). Minerals such as K, S, Ca, P, and Mg were the most abundant in the flours (0.025–0.030 g 100 g−1). Ripeness did not impact the morphology of the starch granules and its orthorhombic crystalline structure, but the cooking process partially damaged this structure, characteristic of A‐type starches. Ripe flour showed higher viscosity than unripe flour, while defatted flour did not exhibit increased peak viscosity due to fatty acid loss. There are no changes in the infrared spectra of the oil from unripe/ripe flour, but stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids were identified. The results suggested that chontaduro flour is an important source of minerals (mainly K, S, Ca, P, Mg, and Na), unsaturated fatty acids, and low‐viscosity starch, making it a suitable nutritious ingredient to supplement existing food line under functional terms.

Mechanical tests and definition of new indexes of grape berry firmness. Evolution of berry skin hardness during alcoholic fermentation

The mechanical strength or firmness of a fruit is considered an important parameter to characterise its state of ripeness or conservation, as well as other parameters such as sugar level or color. The mechanical hardness of grapes influences the integrity and sanitary quality of the harvest. In this study, the mechanical characteristics of grapevine berries were studied at harvest time in order to determine their rheological properties (firmness and hardness of the berry skin) during alcoholic fermentation. Special indexes were defined measuring the energy needed to crush the berries to 50 % of their initial diameter, and applied successively to two different varieties. The entire berry firmness and the skin hardness were both different. Mechanical indexes linked to grape firmness were defined. Using these indexes, a significant effect on the firmness behavior due to variety was recorded: the skin of 'Grenache Noir' was found firmer and harder than 'Carignan Noir'. Furthermore, during the alcoholic fermentation, no change in skin hardness was observed for both varieties, despite changes in the composition of the must. These results give new information on mechanical properties of berries and could be used as an aid in the winemaking process. Indeed, they would probably help the winemaker to better choose the type of fermentation and maceration adapted to his grapes according to the type of wine he wishes to produce.

Elemental Composition and Some Nutritional Parameters of Sweet Pepper from Organic and Conventional Agriculture.

The increasing demand of organic agriculture (OA) is based on the consumer’s belief that organic agricultural products are healthier, tastier and more nutritious. The effect of OA and conventional agriculture (CA) methods on the elemental compositions of green and red sweet peppers were studied. The highest concentrations of Ca, Cu, K and P occur in peppers from OA in both states of ripeness, with emphasis on Ca and K contents. Furthermore, the principal component analysis (PCA), points out to a clear separation, regarding concentrations, between peppers from OA and CA. The average fruit weight is higher in OA, 141 g versus 112 g in CA. Regarding productivity, CA reaches a value of 30.1 t/ha, 7% higher than the value observed for OA, i.e., 28 t/ha. Peppers from CA, exhibited greater protein content than those which originated from OA, regardless of the ripening stage, but not more ashes. Regarding nutritional ratios, the ripening stage and the production mode, can be important for an adequate choice regarding a more balanced Ca/P ratio, and the studied variety contained high Ca values ranging between 1009 and 1930 mg.kg−1. The PCA analysis also revealed that Mn and Fe are inversely correlated, confirming the importance of the Mn/Fe ratio evaluation in nutritional studies.

Pulpa de camu camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K.) Mc Vaugh) en tres estados de madurez: efecto de la concentración al vacío, congelamiento y del tratamiento con ultrasonido en sus propiedades funcionales

El camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K.) Mc Vaugh) es ampliamente cultivado en la región amazónica peruana. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la pulpa de la fruta en tres estados de madurez, sometidos a ultrasonido, concentración al vacío, empacados al vacío, congelado a -20ºC, y estudiar los efectos sobre sus componentes bioactivos, los mohos y levaduras. La pulpa de camu camu, que presentó el mayor contenido de componentes bioactivos (estado maduro) fue sometida al tratamiento ultrasónico a 40 KHz con tiempo 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 y 10 minutos. Los valores fueron de ácido ascórbico (2151 ± 16 mg x 100 g-1), polifenoles totales (739 ± 24 mg x 100 g-1) y capacidad antioxidante como ABTS (IC50 = 2.94 ± 0.11 μg x mL-1) y DPPH (IC50 = 7.43 ± 0.12 μg x mL-1). El método de concentración al vacío y congelado a -20ºC durante 90 días incrementó el nivel de ácido ascórbico en 207,17 % debido a su concentración de 50%, llegando a una pérdida total de polifenoles en el tercer mes de almacenamiento de tan sólo 6,6 % de su contenido inicial tiempo cero. Se escogió el tratamiento donde se trató la pulpa fresca con ultrasonido durante 5 minutos, para su almacenamiento por 120 días a -20ºC y se observó un aumento de su capacidad antioxidante en 20,5% para polifenoles totales, 2% para ABTS y 23% para DPPH con respecto a la pulpa no tratada. Concluimos que el tratamiento con ultrasonido, la concentración al vacío y el congelamiento, aumentan el tiempo de conservación, poca perdida de su capacidad antioxidante aumenta su capacidad reductora.

EVALUASI PROSES PENGOLAHAN DAGING RAJUNGAN PADA PT KML LOBUK KECAMATAN BLUTO KABUPATEN SUMENEP

One of crab meat preservation process is used pasteurization. Based on the field observation, there is a problem in the crab meat pasteurized at crab harvest season, so that there are some crab meat hoarding in mini plant which cause of imbalance between amount of crab meat peeler and amount of crab meat. It needs good strategy or technique to make the quality of crab meat stay awake. At this process time, the crab meat is kept by using ice for raw state crab meat and ripe state crab meat to waiting the stripping process. The aim of this research is to assess the different storage of crab meat in the raw state and ripe state by using ice in mini plant which affect the quality of crab meat that have produced before pasteurization process in crab meat organoleptic (appearance, smell, taste, and texture), microbiology (content of TPC, Coliform, and E. coli), and chemically (proximate). The result of this research inform organoleptic ally that quality, microbiology, and proximate result of raw state crab meat and ripe state crab meat.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ БИОХИМИЧЕСКОГО СОСТАВА ЗЕРНА ТЕТРАПЛОИДНОЙ КУКУРУЗЫ

Tetraploid maize attracts breeders because of its large kernel and cob sizes, high nutrient content, and higher yield of herbage mass than diploid maize. Hence, it is important to study its biochemical composition and nutritional value in order to develop original source material for breeding. Accessions of tetraploid sweet corn from VIR’s genebank were used to analyze biochemical composition of the grain. The main task of the work was to identify differences among the accessions at the level of the metabolite spectra. A comparison of the values in the content of total sugars in kernels homozygous for the su2 gene did not reveal significant differences between diploid and tetraploid genotypes, while the fractions of sugars revealed some differences. Studies have shown that in diploid grains deviations from the reference for the total sugars content are -8.2 mg/100g, and in tetraploid ones, -2.9 mg/100g, although the overall ratio of dominant and recessive alleles (1AA:2AA) remains the same in both genotypes. Tetraploid sweet corn showed greater variability of the coefficient of variation (CV) in the grain protein content (CV = 6.80%), starch (CV = 8.27%) and oil (CV = 13.3%) compared with the diploid one. Potential donors of high protein, starch and oil contents in the kernel of tetraploid sweet corn were identified. A new cultivar of tetraploid sweet corn, ‘Baksanskaya Sakharnaya’, was developed, with a yield up to 16 t/ha of cobs in a marketable milky ripeness state and representing predominantly the double-cob type. This cultivar has high flavor qualities due to the fact that its kernels contain 16.3% of protein, 63.2% of starch, and 7.5% of oil. Moreover, the cultivar is resistant to biotic environmental factors. The tetraploid genome provides greater variability of the kernel’s biochemical composition and other economically valuable traits due to its greater genetic capacity, compared with the diploid genome. Development of new high-yielding hybrids of sweet corn based on VIR’s holdings will allow breeders to significantly broaden the genetic polymorphism and assortment of modern breeding achievements, and contribute to providing high-quality raw materials for food and canning industry.

Spectrophotometric Determination of Oxalic Acid in Dietary Sources Through Catalytic Titration with Hexavalent Chromium

Excess oxalic acid is thought to be a key factor of kidney stone formation in humans. Thus its level in food stuffs should be monitored. In this study, a new spectrophotometric titration method was developed for the determination of oxalic acid (OA) in dietary sources through reaction with hexavalent chromium in presence of Mn (II) as a catalyst. Cr (VI) was used as UV-active material and the determination of OA was based on the decrease in absorbance of the Cr (VI) solution as a result of its reaction with OA. Factors influencing the reduction of Cr (VI), including incubation time, solution pH and background concentration ratio have been optimized. The results showed that the amount of oxalic acid (mg/g) in vegetable samples of Ethiopian collared green (raw and cooked), cabbage (raw and cooked), lettuce (raw),beetroot (raw), pineapple (before ripe and fully ripe) and mango (before ripe and fully ripe) were 24.15 ± 0.565 and 12.05 ± 0.183, 16.72 ± 0.388 and 9.50 ± 0.424, 14.44 ± 0.183, 15.77 ± 0.175, 23.08 ± 0.212 and 18.31 ± 0.424, 6.75 ± 0.212 and 1.18 ± 0.169 respectively. Ethiopian collared green (Brassica oleraceavar. acephala) contained highest concentration of oxalate, but it was reduced by 50 % after boiling for ten minute. The level of oxalate content in the analyzed fruit samples was found to decrease with increasing growing stage or state of ripeness. All studied food samples contained relatively moderate amounts of total oxalate (< 25 mg/g dry weight) and are safe for human consumption especially when cooked or fully ripe. A very good correlation was observed when the results from the current method and standard method (HPLC) were compared. In conclusion, the current method can successfully be used for determination of OA in fruit and vegetable samples. Keywords: Spectrophotometric titration, Hexavalent Chromium, Oxalic acid, HPLC. DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/83-04

Evaluation of different ripening inducers on the quality, proximate composition and mineral residue in plantain (MusaAAB) fruits

The indiscriminate use of ripening inducers to ripen fruits for domestic markets threatens food safety. Consequently, there is a need to determine the efficacy of inducers used in the industry. Four ripening inducers from plant sources namely; yellow pawpaw leaf, apple, avocado and African bush mango fruits were used to ripen plantain fruits stored in perforated wooden boxes (28-29°C and 77-78% RH). Their effects were compared with those ripened with ethylene glycol or those without ripening inducers (control). The treatment was applied following a completely randomized design replicated four times. Data were collected on fruit colour change, firmness, physiological fresh weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity, proximate contents, vitamins A and C and mineral deposit on the ripened plantain fruits. Plantain fruits attained full ripe state on the 4th day when induced with yellow pawpaw leaf, ethylene glycol, avocado and apple fruits compared to 9 days in the control. Ripening with yellow pawpaw leaves significantly (p<0.05) enhanced vitamin C, TSS, crude protein, fat and fiber contents in plantain fruits at full ripe stage (40.54 mg 100 g(-1), 8.70%, 3.51 g 100 g(-1), 1.67 g 100 g-1, 6.26 g 100 g(-1), respectively) while least values for these parameters were recorded in plantain ripened with ethylene glycol (38.75 mg 100 g(-1), 7.96%, 3.11 g 100 g(-1), 1.42 g 100 g(-1), 5.43 g 100 g(-1), respectively). Significant residues of heavy metal residue (cadmium - 0.01 µg 100 g(-1), chromium - 0.04 µg 100 g(-1), mercury - 0.13 µg 100 g(-1)) were observed in ethylene glycol ripened plantain fruits, while none was observed in fruits ripened with plant materials and control. Yellow pawpaw leaves could serve as cost-effective and safe ripeners for plantain fruits.

Application of an Energy Efficient Hot Air Recirculation Controlled Closed System Environment for Parchment Coffee Dehydration in Puerto Rico

The high and increasing costs associated with propane gas, diesel and electricity used by mechanical dryers have negatively affected the coffee processors in Puerto Rico. In 1991 the cost to process one hundred pounds of parchment coffee was $14.13, while in 2011 was over $35.00. From all the sectors within the coffee industry in Puerto Rico, the processors are the ones that have experience the largest increases in operational cost, over 145% in the past years, mainly due to post harvesting drying. To address this specific challenge, the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico (DAPR) assigned funds to research coffee dehydration energy efficient alternatives that would reduce the costs to the coffee processors of the island. As part of this effort, a hot air recirculation controlled closed-system (HARC2S) was designed and constructed at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagez. The basic concept of the HARC2S is to condition the hot air that has already passed through the coffee bean mass and direct it back to the mechanical dryer. The hot air conditioning consist in removing part of the moisture from the recirculation air with a heat exchanger that uses water at ambient temperature, to increase the moisture absorbing capacity of the air before it re-enters the mechanical dryer. Experimental results of the HARC2S, under various operational configurations, provided substantial drying energy savings ranging from 12% to 59%. The range variation in energy savings is due to the system operational configurations and possible variations of the parchment coffee bean ripeness state from the various batch experiments. Investing in the development and implementation of this technology will provide not only sustainable operation of the coffee processors facilities, but will also sustain close to 20,000 jobs with potential employment growth representing over a $41 million annual income to the local economy.

Volatile compounds in different parts of the fruit Psidium guajava L. cv. "Media China" identified at distinct phenological stages using HS-SPME-GC-QTOF/MS.

Determination of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by immature fruits furthers our understanding of plant-pest interactions and by fruits in a ripe state concerns food quality. To apply headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-QTOF/MS) to compare the volatiles emitted by different parts of guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. "Media China") at different maturation stages. HS-SPME combined with GC-QTOF/MS was used to characterise the VOCs of entire guavas in the orchard and under laboratory conditions. For chemical analysis X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, refractometry, titration, complexometry, diode array detector high-performance liquid chromatography (DAD-HPLC) and refractive index detector (RI)-HPLC were used. The guava variety was rich in potassium and poor in sodium. A total of 44 VOCs were identified in different phenological stages and parts of the fruits. Release of VOCs was influenced by the temperature in the plantation, and transformation of innate fruit VOCs started immediately after cutting. The most abundant VOC released by the immature fruit in the plantation overnight was (S)-limonene, and it concentrated in the outer skin (pericarp). The esters ethyl benzoate, ethyl octanoate, butyl-2-methylbutanoate, ethyl hexanoate, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, and ethyl butanoate were emitted by ripe whole fruits. During ripening ethyl benzoate reached a maximum production after three to five days, while the formation of the aldehydes benzaldehyde, hexanal and trans-2-hexen-1-al started thereafter.