Sugar-acid Ratio Research Articles

Chemical Characterisation of Tamarind Plum Squash

Tamarind plum containing red flesh when peeled is very intriguing fruit due to its high content of bioactive compounds, such as the anthocyanins and other polyphenolic compounds with a high antioxidant capacity. These natural substances found in plum acts to prevent diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Objective: In this study squash was prepared with tamarind plum to evaluate the quality and shelf-life extension of the fruit at different concentrations. Methods: The tamarind plum was used to prepare squash with different percentages of tamarind juice and plum juice but at same percentages of sugar, water, and sodium benzoic acid. Prepared squash was filled in polyethylene terephthalate bottles and analysed after 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days of storage. The tamarind plum squash was subjected to total phenolic compounds, pH, TSS, Titratable acidity, reducing and non-reducing sugar, and sugar acid ratio. Result: Maximum TSS (49.54), ascorbic acid (33.46), pH (2.29), titratable acidity (2.11), reducing sugar (24.29), and non-reducing sugar (37.64) was observed in squash prepared using tamarind juice (350ml), plum juice (400), sodium benzoic acid, sugar and water (2g, 1kg and 250ml). Storage showed significant effect on reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar, ascorbic acid, pH and titratable acidity during nineteen-day storage. Conclusion: On the basis of above results it was concluded that sample TPS3 show best in keeping quality during storage time intervals. Hence, the results of sample TPS3 of tamarind plum blended squash is more recommended in terms of commercial use and for large scale industrial production. Squash prepared from tamarind and plum are more acceptable to consumers because of sour test, need commercialisation.

Adverse Effects of Long-Term Continuous Girdling of Jujube Tree on the Quality of Jujube Fruit and Tree Health

In order to improve fruit yield, girdling technology is widely used in fruit production. However, in the practice of Hui jujube planting in Southern Xinjiang, it was found that the jujube fruit quality declined and the health problems and death rate of jujube trees increased after jujube trees have been girdled continuously for many years, which seriously affected the economic benefits of jujube planting. So, this study was carried out to explore the specific influence law of continuously jujube-tree girdling for many years on the main nutrients (soluble solid, protein, total acid, vitamin C, total sugar, fat and so on), physical quality attributes (single-fruit weight, hardness and geometric-mean diameter) of jujube fruit and tree health. Through the detection of the nutrients of jujube fruit, it was found that the long-term girdling of jujube trees significantly reduced the main nutrients of jujube fruit. The total sugar and reducing sugar content of jujube-fruit samples from the trees without girdling were 134.23% and 109.62% of the corresponding indexes of jujube-fruit samples from girdled ones, respectively; furthermore, the sugar–acid ratio of jujube samples from the girdled trees was 149.95, while the sugar–acid ratio of fruit from non-girdled trees reached 183.78. Moreover, the protein content of fruit from non-girdled trees was 5.91% higher than that of fruit from girdled ones. In addition, the single-fruit weight, hardness and geometric-average diameter of jujube from non-girdled jujube trees were 20.25%, 13.31% and 20.21% higher than those of jujube from girdled ones, respectively. Moreover, microstructural analysis of the callus and the newly formed phloem showed that the adverse effects of girdling on the phloem function were persistent and permanent. It was also found that jujube-tree girdling can also cause damage, to a certain extent, to the xylem around the girdling wound. The above research results further explained the internal cause of jujube-tree death caused by long-term continuously jujube-tree girdling. The results of this study can provide some scientific basis for the effective application of fruit-tree-girdling technology in fruit production.

Differences in Microbial Communities Stimulated by Malic Acid Have the Potential to Improve Nutrient Absorption and Fruit Quality of Grapes.

Malic acid is a component of the rhizosphere exudate and is vital for crop growth. However, little information is available about the effects of external applications of malic acid on the nutrient absorption and quality of grape fruit, and few studies have been performed on the relationship between the changes in the rhizosphere microbial community and nutrient absorption and fruit quality of grapes after adding malic acid. Here, the LM (low concentration of malic acid) and HM (high concentration of malic acid) treatments comprised 5% and 10% malic acid (the ratio of acid to the total weight of the fertilizer) combined with NPK fertilizer, respectively. Applying malic acid changed the grape rhizosphere microbial community structure and community-level physiological profile (CLPP) significantly, and HM had a positive effect on the utilization of substrates. The microbial community structure in the rhizosphere of the grapes with added malic acid was closely related to the CLPP. The N and P content in the leaves and fruits increased after applying malic acid compared to the control, while K content in the fruits increased significantly. In addition, malic acid significantly reduced the weight per fruit, significantly increased soluble sugar content (SSC) and vitamin C content of the fruit, and significantly improved the fruit sugar-acid ratio and grape tasting score. Moreover, the principal component analysis and grape nutrient and fruit quality scores showed that grape nutrients and fruit quality were significantly affected by malic acid and ranked as 5% malic acid > 10% malic acid > control. Pearson’s correlation heatmap of microbial composition, nutrient absorption and fruit quality of the grapes showed that the grape microbial community was closely related to grape nutrients and fruit quality. Adding malic acid was positively correlated to Planococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Woeseiaceae and Rhodobacteraceae. Furthermore, Planococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Woeseiaceae and Rhodobacteraceae were closely related to grape nutrient absorption and fruit quality. Bacillaceae and Woeseiaceae were positively correlated with total soluble sugar, while Planococcaceae and Rhodobacteraceae were positively correlated with titratable acid. Hence, Bacillaceae and Woeseiaceae were the key bacteria that played a major role in grape fruit quality and nutrient absorption after applying malic acid water-soluble fertilizer.

Comparative Metabolomics Analysis Reveals the Taste Variations among Three Selected Wampee Cultivars.

Sugars and acids of wampee predominantly influence consumer taste preference and its commercial value. The molecular basis of taste variations is currently unknown due to the lack of a large-scale investigation of metabolites in wampee. Here, three tastes cultivars, including YF1 (sweet), YF2 (sweet-sour) and YF3 (sour) wampees with sugar-acid ratios ranging from 1.74 to 26.32, were selected. Then, UPLC-MS/MS based widely targeted metabolome analysis was performed to uncover the molecular mechanism underlying these taste variations, followed by the analysis of KEGG pathways. Results showed that 449, 470, 147 metabolites differed between YF1 vs YF2, YF1 vs YF3, and YF2 vs YF3. Fifty of them were screened as common differential metabolites (DMs) by Venn diagram, including 9 phenolic acids. Among them, the abundance level of methyl 3-O-methyl gallate (M3MG) showed a positive correlation with the titratable acids (R2 = 0.9009) and negative correlation with sugar-acid ratio (R2 = 0.9802) in three cultivars. Therefore, M3MG could be a taste biomarker for wampees. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis also verified that M3MG played a crucial role in the "biosynthesis of amino acids" pathway. These results above provide important insights into the taste-forming mechanism of wampee and will be beneficial for superior eating quality wampee breeding.

Design of a high-tech system to evaluate fresh strawberry quality-based on the principal component analysis

This study was designed to investigate the differences in the physicochemical properties among twelve strawberry cultivars by using pattern recognition tools, to provide a theoretical basis for quality variation among samples. The data of 14 indicators were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis, to filter core evaluation factors. Quality evaluation index weights and quality comprehensive evaluation were determined by an analytic hierarchy process. Of the 14 indicators selected as indices of fresh strawberry quality evaluation index, including a value, sugar-acid ratio, firmness, vitamin C, TAC, and TPC. The data were deployed to adjust the multivariate kinetics using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the results were compared to those sensory score using sensory personnel. Results showed that the correlation coefficient of sensory scores and AHP comprehensive score is 0.9239. This high correlation coefficient indicates that the use of our mathematical model for strawberry quality evaluation is feasible. The information herein provides a practical strategy for the evaluation of strawberry quality.

Effects of Fruit Bagging Treatment with Different Types of Bags on the Contents of Phenolics and Monoterpenes in Muscat-Flavored Table Grapes

The effects of fruit bagging treatments with seven different types of bags on the physicochemical characteristics of three table grape cultivars: RuiduZaohong (RDZH), RuiduHongyu (RDHY), and RuiduHongmei (RDHM) were investigated. Headspace-solid-phase micro-extraction combined with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to determine the compositions of monoterpenes in the fruit. The results showed that the total soluble solids in RDZH and RDHY fruits treated with the transparent, mesh, yellow, white, and blue bags were significantly higher than the control. The sugar–acid ratio of RDZH was optimized under the transparent bag and yellow bag treatments, and both significantly increased the sugar-acid ratio of RDHY and RDHM. Additionally, mesh bag, transparent bag, and white bag improved the contents of phenolics to a certain extent. The most abundant volatiles were linalool, geraniol, β-myrcene, β-cis-ocimene, and β-trans-ocimene, of which linalool was the main aroma component. The least squares discriminant analysis results showed that linalool, 4-terpineol, and terpinolen could be used to distinguish the main contribution of different bagging treatments for RDZH. Trans-isogeraniol, α-terpineol, and terpinolen could be used for RDHY. Trans-isogeraniol, β-myrcene, and terpinolen could be used for RDHM. In conclusion, transparent and white bags promoted the accumulation of phenolics and monoterpenes while pink and blue bags showed inhibitory effects.

Exploration of Water-Saving and High-Yield Irrigation Model for Tomato under Microsprinkler Irrigation with Plastic Film in a Greenhouse Based on Spatial Analysis

The purpose of this study was to analyse the suitability of the frequency and amount of microsprinkler irrigation under plastic film technology (MSPF) in a greenhouse. This study was aimed at determining the effects of different irrigation frequency and irrigation amount of the MSPF on the quality, yield (Y), and water use efficiency (WUE) of tomato, and the optimal irrigation period and irrigation amount of tomato with MSPF were determined by spatial analysis method. Irrigation frequency was set 3 levels, 3 d (F1), 5 d (F3), and 7 d (F3), respectively. Irrigation amount was set 3 levels, 0.7 E pan (I1), 1.0 E pan (I2), and 1.2 E pan (I3) ( E pan is the diameter of 20 cm standard pan evaporation, mm), respectively. The results show that increase in the single fruit weight (SFW), transverse diameter (TD), vertical diameter (VD), total soluble solids (TSS), total soluble sugar (TSU), soluble solid content (SSC), sugar-acid ratio (SAR), soluble protein (SP), vitamin C (VC), lycopene (L), Y, and WUE of spring and autumn tomatoes was observed initially with decreasing irrigation frequency; however, decrease in all these variables was observed thereafter. Similarly, SFW, TD, VD, and SAR of spring and autumn tomatoes first added and then reduced with increasing irrigation amount, whereas TSS, SP, TSU, VC, L, and WUE exhibited an overall decreasing trend. On the basis of spatial analysis, the comprehensive score, Y, and WUE of F2I2 tomato were predicted to simultaneously reach more than 95% of the maximum, which is consistent with the earlier studies on comprehensive evaluation of yield and WUE.

Study on the Application of Electronic Nose Technology in the Detection for the Artificial Ripening of Crab Apples

Ripening agents can accelerate the ripening of fruits and maintain a similar appearance to naturally ripe fruits, but the fruit flavor and quality will be changed compared to naturally ripe fruits. To find an efficient detection method to distinguish whether crab apples were artificial ripened, the naturally ripe and artificially ripe fruits were detected and analyzed using the electronic nose (e-nose) technique in this study. The fruit quality indexes of samples were determined by the traditional method as a reference. Significant differences were found between naturally ripe and artificially ripe fruits based on the analysis of soluble sugar content, titratable acidity content, sugar–acid ratio, soluble protein content, and soluble solids content. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) analyses were performed on the electrical signals generated by the electronic nose sensor, respectively. The results showed that the RF is the best recognition algorithm for distinguishing which crab apples were naturally ripe or artificially ripe; the average recognition accuracy is 98.3%. On the other hand, the prediction models between the e-nose response data and fruit quality indexes were constructed by partial least squares regression (PLSR), which showed that the feature value of e-nose response curves extracted by wavelet transform was highly correlated with the quality indexes of fruits, the determination coefficients (R2) of regression models were higher than 0.91. The results demonstrated that the detection technology with an electronic nose could be used to test whether the fruit of the crab apple was artificially ripe, which is an economical and efficient method.

Detection of Cherry Quality Using YOLOV5 Model Based on Flood Filling Algorithm.

Presently, the quality of cherries in the market is uneven, because human senses are used to distinguish cherry quality, which consumes a lot of time and energy and does not achieve good results in terms of accuracy. If the internal quality indices, such as the PH value, sugar–acid ratio, and vitamin C content, of cherries are extracted using chemical methods, the detection speed will decrease. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI), image processing by AI algorithms has attracted broad attention. The YOLOv5 model in the YOLO series has many advantages, such as high detection accuracy, fast speed, small size, and so on, and has been used in face recognition, image recognition and other fields. However, owing to the influence of seasonal weather, the environment and other factors, the dataset used in the training model decreases the accuracy of image recognition. To improve the accuracy, a large amount of data must be used for model training, but this will decrease the model training speed. Because it is impossible to use all data in training, there will inevitably be recognition errors in the detection process. In this study, the cherry images in a dataset were extracted by the flooding filling algorithm. The extracted cherry images were used as a new dataset for training and recognition, and the results were compared to those obtained with non-extracted images. The dataset generated by the flooding filling algorithm was used for model training. After 20 training epochs, the accuracy rate reached 99.6%. Without using the algorithm to extract images, the accuracy rate was only 78.6% after 300 training epochs.

Effects of selenomethionine on the antioxidative enzymes, water physiology and fruit quality of strawberry plants under drought stress

o investigate the role of selenomethionine (SeMet) in regulating the drought tolerance of strawberry plants, we explored the effects of SeMet on the antioxidative enzymes, water physiology and fruit quality of the strawberry plants under drought stress (DS). In this study, we used the strawberry variety ‘Sweet Charlie’ as the material and investigated the effects of SeMet on the drought tolerance of the strawberry plants through foliar spraying and pot experiments. The results showed that the DS obviously enhanced the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase) and increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents in the leaves of the strawberry plants, compared with the control. Meanwhile, the DS markedly improved the fruit quality parameters of the soluble solids (SS), soluble sugar, vitamin C (Vc) and sugar-acid ratio. Compared with the DS alone, SeMet obviously enhanced the activities of the above antioxidant enzymes in the leaves and fruit quality parameters of SS, sugar-acid ratio and the soluble sugar and Vc contents, but decreased the MDA and H2O2 levels in the strawberry leaves under the DS. However, the DS markedly decreased the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoid (Car) contents, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), relative water content (RWC), fruit weight and plant height and biomass. Compared with the DS alone, SeMet significantly increased the Chl and Car contents, Pn, Tr, Gs, RWC, fruit weight and plant height and biomass. Meanwhile, SeMet al.ne decreased the MDA and H2O2 levels and improved the other indicators except for the RWC compared with the control. Our present results concluded that SeMet relieved the adverse impacts of DS on the strawberry growth by enhancing the antioxidant enzymes, photosynthesis and water conditions of the leaves, which promoted the fruit weight and quality. Thus, SeMet can be considered as a regulator to improve the drought tolerance and fruit weight and quality of strawberries.

Improved tomato yield and quality by altering soil physicochemical properties and nitrification processes in the combined use of organic-inorganic fertilizers

Fertilization is an effective measure to improve crop yield and quality. The combined use of cow manures and inorganic fertilizers is a suggested fertilization method to achieve high tomato yield and maintain soil fertility, but its impacts on soil physicochemical properties and microbial nitrification process in tomato rhizosphere are still unclear. In this study, cherry tomato was cultivated with different fertilizers to explore the relationships between rhizosphere soil physicochemical variables, nitrification process and tomato quality. Our work found that the optimal organic-inorganic fertilizer treatment was 25% cow manure and 75% inorganic fertilizer, which significantly increased tomato yield by 245% (2.35 ± 0.22 kg·pot−1), and enhanced vitamin C, lycopene, total soluble solids concentration, total soluble sugar concentration, sugar-acid ratio by 11.6%, 75.2%, 9.2%, 9.4% and 96.7%, respectively. Application of 100% cow manure significantly increased soil pH, nitrogen and carbon from the full fruiting period to the end-fruiting period, but did not achieve good tomato quality and yield. 100% inorganic fertilizer application could increase tomato yield by 72.9% (1.17 ± 0.31 kg·pot−1), but the soil quality was remarkably degraded. Similar evidence was found from soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen (MBC/MBN) and enzyme activities. Application of cow manure changed soil ammonia oxidizing bacterial communities, increasing Nitrosovibrio and Nitrosomonas but decreasing Nitrosospira. These results suggested that the combined use of 25% cow manure and 75% inorganic fertilizer was the best condition for tomato production, explained by a balanced soil physicochemical variables and microbial nitrification process. Our findings offered suggestions to reasonably optimize fertilization strategies.

Evaluation of Some Quality Attributes of Pineapple, Golden Melon and Watermelon Juice Spiced with Ginger

Fruits and vegetables are among the most important foods of mankind because of their nutritive and indispensable effect in the management of health. A wide range of drinks can be made using extracted fruit juice or fruit pulp as the base material. This research aimed at determining some quality attributes of pineapple-watermelon-golden melon juice spiced with ginger using optimization technique. Ginger, watermelon, golden melon and pineapple juice was extracted using standard methods. A D-optimal design was used to generate 13 juice blends. Different methods were used to analyse the blends. The blends were analysed for ascorbic acid, pH, total soluble sugar, sugar acid ratio, titratable acidity and sensory properties. The results shown that vitamin C content of the blend increased with increase in inclusion of pineapple The ascorbic acid, pH, total soluble solids, sugar acid ratio and titratable acidity ranged from 12.24-19.72 mg/100, 4.09-4.20, 11-12.00%, 26.04-42.92 and 0.2624-0.4160. The blends were rated between 6 (like slightly) and 7 (like moderately). The inclusion of pineapple created an increase in the ascorbic acid and total solids of the juice blend increased but addition of the watermelon and golden melon fruit decreased the total soluble solids of the fruit juice while the pH properties observed decrease. The inclusion of golden melon also decreases the sugar acid ratio. An optimized sample was obtained from 50% pineapple, 30% watermelon and 20% golden melon with a desirability of 0.70. Total phenolic values observed was 333.68mg GAE/100 ml but the total phenol content of GAE/100ml for golden melon increased to GAE/150ml with the addition of water melon. The sensory analysis of the products review that 100% pineapple juice used in the blend was the most acceptable. Conclusion, blend of different types of fruits contains high content of micronutrients.

Effects and evaluation of biogas slurry/water integrated irrigation technology on the growth, yield and quality of tomatoes

Reasonable techniques and methods in biogas slurry application are significant for the promotion of biogas slurry and the improvement of crop quality in agricultural production. To investigate the impacts of different biogas slurry application techniques on the water use efficiency, growth, yield, and quality of tomatoes, three irrigation techniques, and two application methods were considered in this study. The three irrigation techniques are alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI), fixed partial root-zone irrigation (FPRI), and two sides root-zone irrigation (TSRI). Two application methods refer to applying the biogas slurry with hole irrigation and surface irrigation. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods were adopted to evaluate the comprehensive quality and comprehensive indicators of tomatoes among different treatments. There are three hole irrigation treatments, T1 (APRI), T2 (TSRI), T3 (FPRI), and three surface irrigation treatments, T4 (APRI), T5 (TSRI), and T6 (FPRI) were set in two-season pot experiments. The results show that the plant height, dry matter accumulation, fruit yield, and water use efficiency present a similar descending trend for APRI, TSRI, and FPRI under the same methane irrigation method, yet show that the hole irrigation treatment was higher than the surface irrigation treatment for the same irrigation technique. These indicate that the coupling of APRI technique and hole irrigation is more conducive to the increase of plant production and water use efficiency. Meanwhile, T1 treatment can significantly improve the soluble sugar, sugar-acid ratio, VC content, soluble protein, soluble solid content, and firmness of tomato fruits, which are better for the taste, storage, and transportation of tomato fruit. The titratable acid content in tomato fruit is the highest in T2 treatment, followed by T5 treatment, indicating that TSRI technique may result in an accumulation of titratable acid and is not conducive to the taste of the tomato. The comprehensive nutritional quality and index evaluation results show that T1 treatment ranks the highest among all treatments, and can be used as an optimal irrigation method for the implementation of integrated water/biogas slurry. Keywords: biogas slurry, irrigation technique, coupling, quality evaluation, comprehensive index evaluation DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221505.6901 Citation: Zheng J, Qi X Y, Yang S H, Shi C, Feng Z J. Effects and evaluation of biogas slurry/water integrated irrigation technology on the growth, yield and quality of tomatoes. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(5): 123–131.

Effects of foliar iron spraying on Cabernet Sauvignon phenolic acids and proanthocyanidins

In order to explore the effect of different irons on the fruit quality of wine grapes, as well as the phenolic acids and proanthocyanidins of the peel, “Cabernet Sauvignon” was taken as the research object. Ferrous sulfate, EDTA-Fe, ferric citrate, ferric gluconate and ferric sugar alcohol were sprayed between the coloring periods, and the foliar sprayed water was used as the control. The results showed that foliar spraying of iron would increase the fruit sugar-acid ratio and 100-grain weight; iron spraying would up-regulate the content of phenolic acid monomers, among which EDTA-Fe and ferric citrate had significant up-regulating effects, but all iron treatments had a significant effect on the increase. The content of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid was down-regulated; the content of proanthocyanidin monomer was up-regulated by iron spraying, and the content of proanthocyanidin monomer was significantly up-regulated by ferric citrate treatment. Foliar spraying of ferric citrate not only balanced the sugar-acid ratio of the fruit, but also increased the content of phenolic acid and proanthocyanidin in the grape peel, which further improved the quality of the grapes and helped to increase the flavor of the wine.

Response of Tomato Sugar and Acid Metabolism and Fruit Quality under Different High Temperature and Relative Humidity Conditions

The combined stress of high temperature and high relative air humidity is one of the most serious agrometeorological disasters that restricts the production capacity of protected agriculture. However, there is little information about the precise interaction between them on tomato fruit quality. The objectives of this study were to explore the effects of the combined stress of high temperature and relative humidity on the sugar and acid metabolism and fruit quality of tomato fruits, and to determine the best relative air humidity for fruit quality under high temperature environments. Four temperature treatments (32°C, 35°C, 38°C, 41°C), three relative air humidity (50%, 70%, 90%) and four duration (3, 6, 9, 12 d) orthogonal experiments were conducted, with 28°C, 50% as control. The results showed that under high temperature and relative air humidity, the activity of sucrose metabolizing enzymes in young tomato fruits changed, which reduced fruits soluble sugar content; in addition, enzyme activities involved phosphopyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), mitochondria aconitase (MDH) and citrate synthetase (CS) increased which increased the content of organic acids (especially malic acid). Eventually, vitamin C, total sugar and sugar-acid ratio decreased significantly, while the titratable acid increased, resulting in a decrease in fruit flavor quality and nutritional quality in ripe fruit. Specifically, a temperature of 32°C and a relative air humidity of 70% were the best cultivation conditions for tomato reproductive growth period under high temperature. Our results indicating that fruit quality reduced under high temperature at the flowering stage, while increasing the relative air humidity to 70% could alleviate this negative effect. Our results are benefit to better understand the interaction between microclimate parameters under specific climatic conditions in the greenhouse environment and their impact on tomato flavor quality.

Analysis of Nutritional Components and Flavor Substances of Different Varieties of Mangoes

In this thesis, four varieties of mangoes (Dahuang mango, Daqing mango, eagle-mouth mango, Tai mango), which were all out put in Panzhihua, were investigated as the research objects. The comprehensive evaluation of the four varieties of mangoes was carried out by measuring their various nutritional components combined with their volatile aroma components. In the meantime, the principal component analysis (PCA) was established on the nutritional components. The results showed that there were obvious differences in the quality of the four varieties of mangoes. The highest sugar-acid ratio and β-carotene content belonged to Dahuang mango, which were 16.47 and 4.06 mg/100 g, respectively. The highest water content, content of soluble sugar, titratable acid and total phenols belonged to eagle-mouth mango, which were 82.96%, 21.22%, 2.03% and 0.73 mg/g, respectively. The highest soluble protein content belonged to Tai mango, which was 7.83 mg/g, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) results showed that the mango evaluation system can be characterized by two principal components. The highest comprehensive score was eagle-mouth mango, the second was Tai mango, the third was Dahuang mango, and the fourth was Daqing mango. The proportions of terpenoids in the four varieties of mangoes from high to low were Dahuang mango, eagle-mouth mango, Tai mango and Daqing mango. This research provided a theoretical basis for the development of Panzhihua mango industry.

Preharvest application of hydrogen nanobubble water enhances strawberry flavor and consumer preferences

The improvement of fruit flavor is a challenge for producers and breeders. This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of preharvest hydrogen nanobubble water (HNW) application on the flavor of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Benihoppe’). Compared with surface water, HNW enhanced the volatile profiles, sugar-acid ratio, and sensory attributes (e.g., aroma, flavor, and overall liking) with/without fertilizer application. Meanwhile, flavor components such as esters (e.g., ethyl hexanoate), acids (e.g., hexanoic acid), and soluble sugars (including glucose, fructose, and sucrose) significantly contributed to increased strawberry flavor achieved with HNW. Importantly, HNW may alleviate the negative effects of fertilizers on strawberry fruit aroma. Further study elucidated that the aroma-related genes (including FaLOX, FaADH, FaAAT, FaQR, FaOMT, and FaNES1) were involved in the accumulation of specific volatiles after HNW treatment. This study provided evidence that the practical application of H2 can improve horticultural product quality at a lower carbon cost.

Comparison of phenolic composition, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, and aromatic components in apricots from Xinjiang.

As a famous table fruit in Xinjiang, apricot has gained an increasing number of consumers because of its rich nutritional value and seductive flavor. The aim of this study was to assess the sensory qualities, the nutritional value, antioxidant properties, and flavor of Xinjiang apricots, which were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace-solid phase micro-extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). The results revealed that while there were similarities in the components contributing to nutrition and flavor, the Xinjiang apricots had distinct features. The "Luopuhongdaike" cultivar was superior in taste based on the comprehensive evaluation of the sugar, and acid contents and the sugar-acid ratio. The "Suogejianali" and "Luopuhongdaike" cultivars were the best in terms of nutrients and antioxidant activity. All Xinjiang apricots possessed similar volatile compounds, including linalool, nonanal, decanal, (E)-2-nonenal, and octanal, which provided fatty, green, lemon, floral, and orange aromatic notes. In conclusion, Xinjiang apricots have high nutritional and aromatic value. These results will provide a complete chemical characterization of the taste, nutritional ingredients, and aroma of Xinjiang apricots, and help breeders better develop polyphenol-rich varieties with superior antioxidant activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study investigated the sensory characteristics, nutritional value, antioxidant activity, and flavor of fresh apricots in Xinjiang. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for the development of the sensory characteristics, aroma, nutritional value, and medicinal value of fresh apricots in Xinjiang.

Prediksi Indeks Panen Jambu “Kristal” secara Non Destruktif Menggunakan Portable Near Infrared Spectrometer

“Crystal” guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a climacteric fruit that is generally harvested by farmers based on cultivation experience. In this study, portable 740-1070 nm of near-infrared spectrometer was employed to rapidly predict harvest indices of “crystal” guava, by means of non-contact and non-destructive approach. Samples of guava fruit were collected at days after anthesis (DAS) of 91, 94, 97, and 100. The total number of each sample were 30 fruits. The firmness, soluble solid content, acidity and sugar acid ration were evaluated as quality parameters. Partial least square (PLS) method was utilized for data processing. It was found that Standard Normal Variate (SNV) resulted the best pre-processing for all quality parameters. Performances of best models were demonstrated by coefficient of corraltion (R), standard error of calibration (SEC) and standard error of prediction (SEP), which were respectively 0.88, 6.21, 5.92 for firmness prediction, 0.74, 0.84, 0.79 for soluble solid content prediction, 0.59, 0.19, 0.26 for acidity prediction, and 0.71, 1.21, 1.58 for sugar acid ratio prediction model.

Effect of Paper and Aluminum Bagging on Fruit Quality of Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.).

Bagging regulates the fruit microenvironment and improves the quality and market value of fruits. It is a safe and ecofriendly technique to protect fruits from insect/pest infestation and multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. In the current study, the influence of fruit bagging was evaluated on the development and quality of loquat fruits. Fruits from a healthy loquat orchard (Cv. Zaozhong No.6), located in Fujian, China, were enveloped in paper (T1), aluminum (T2), and aluminum–polyethylene bags (T3), while unbagged fruits were maintained as control (T0). In general, fruit bagging improved fruit quality in terms of fruit physiological and biochemical attributes and protected fruits from physical damage. In particular, aluminum–polyethylene bagging enhanced fruit weight, length, and width by 1.37-, 1.18-, and 1.13-fold, respectively. Loquat fruits bagged with paper bags exhibited the maximum soluble sugar and lowest titratable acid content. Fruits treated with paper and aluminum–ethylene bags showed twofold higher sugar–acid ratio as compared to control. Aluminum–polyethylene bagging caused 66.67%, 55.56%, and 33.33% reductions in skin burn, fruit rotting, and black spot of loquat. The fruits bagged in aluminum and aluminum–polyethylene did not show insect or bird damage, while unbagged fruits had 14.70% and 17.65% insect and bird damage, respectively. Overall, the results suggest that paper, aluminum, and aluminum–polyethylene bagging improved fruit health by 75%, 131%, and 144%, respectively, as compared to control. To delineate bagging type-dependent effects, principal component analysis was performed. Paper bagging was positively correlated with fruit firmness, rotting, soluble sugars, sugar–acid ratio, and proline content. Aluminum bagging was highly associated with improvements in titratable acids, cystine, and methionine. Aluminum–polyethylene bags were correlated with fruit weight, size, peel thickness, edible rate, and certain amino acids.