Total Anthocyanin Research Articles

Effects of an inoculation dose of Issatchenkia terricola WJL-G4 on physicochemical properties, active substances, and antioxidant capacity of black, red, and white currant juice.

Due to the high level of organic acids - primarily citric acid - black, red, and white currants have an excessively sour taste, making taste adjustment during processing challenging. This study investigated and evaluated the effects of an inoculation dose of the acid-reducing yeast Issatchenkia terricola WJL-G4 on several aspect such as physicochemical properties, chromaticity, active substances, and antioxidant capacity. A sensory evaluation was also conducted. The results indicated that, when the inoculation dose increased from 2% to 12%, the total phenol, total flavonoid, and total anthocyanin content, and antioxidant capacity in currant juice decreased. A low inoculation dose (2-4%) was beneficial for preserving the total phenol and total flavonoid content. Although the levels of most phenolic compounds decreased, the concentrations of caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin, and epicatechin were significantly higher than the control after fermentation. Overall acceptability and taste scores of fermented currants improved compared with those of the control group. This experiment provided an effective solution, with a theoretical basis, to the problems of the sour taste and harsh flavor of currant juice. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Association between dietary flavonoid intake and hypertension among U.S. adults.

Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Dietary flavonoids have been reported to reduce inflammation, protect against oxidative stress, protect the vascular endothelium, and improve vascular health. However, the relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and the prevalence of hypertension remains controversial. This study included 8010 adults from the 2007-2010 and 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). The relationship between dietary flavonoid intake and the prevalence of hypertension was explored by weighted logistic regression and weighted restricted cubic spline. We found an inverse relationship between total anthocyanin intake and the prevalence of hypertension in the fourth quartile compared with the first quartile [0.81(0.66,0.99), p = 0.04]. Moreover, the prevalence of hypertension tended to decrease with increasing total anthocyanin intake in participants over 60 years of age. In addition, we found a U-shaped relationship between the prevalence of hypertension and total flavan-3-ol intake. Total flavan-3-ol intake was inversely associated with hypertension prevalence in the third quartile compared with the first quartile [0.79 (0.63,0.99), p = 0.04]. Moreover, there was a significant negative association between the prevalence of hypertension and total flavan-3-ol intake when total flavan-3-ol intake was below 48.26 mg/day. Our study found a negative association between the prevalence of hypertension and moderate total anthocyanins intake and total flavan-3-ols intake. Our study provides evidence from a population-based study for a negative association between dietary flavonoid intake and the prevalence of hypertension.

Antiobesity and antidyslipidemic properties of Clitoria ternatea petals aqueous extract against rats induced by high-fat diet.

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease involving dysregulation of fat metabolism that affects 13% of the world's population. Obesity has been linked to dyslipidemia with a lot of complication, including stroke, chronic kidney disease, fatty liver disease, and so on. One of the natural resources that have several potential effects including anticholesterol, antiobesity, and antidyslipidemia is the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea/CT). CT's petal has been found to contain high levels of anthocyanins and tannins that can inhibit the biosynthesis of cholesterol and lipid. This study aims to investigate the antiobesity and antidyslipidemic effects of Clitoria ternatea extract (CTE). The CTE was obtained through the aqueous extract method and then was investigated using spectrophotometry to determine anthocyanin and tannin content. The effect of CTE against a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced rat model was measured by weight and obesity index, lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and HDL-C), and histopathology analysis. CTE showed total anthocyanin and tannin content of 78.0943 mg/100 g and 1424.90 mg/100 g, respectively. The data analysis also showed significantly different within groups (p < 0,05), especially between HFD and HFD + CT750 groups on the cholesterol (MD 111.12 mg/dL; 95% CI (99.57 to 122.67); p < 0.001), LDL (MD; 76.38 mg/dL; 95% CI (56.77 to 96.00); p < 0.001), VLDL (MD 0.37 mg/dL; 95% CI (0.18 to 0.57); p < 0.001), body weight (MD: 56.20 g; 95% CI (13.89 to 98.51); p = 0.012); and thickening of tunica layer in the thoracic aorta (MD 22.76 μm; 95% CI (20.11 to 24.4); p < 0.001). This study shows that Clitoria ternatea petals aqueous extract promotes amelioration of the lipid profile, body weight, and tunica thickness in rats with the high-fat diet.

The potent effect of selenium nanoparticles: insight into the antifungal activity and preservation of postharvest strawberries from gray mold diseases.

Most microorganisms that cause food decay and the lower the shelf life of foods are fungi. Nanotechnologies can combat various diseases and deal with the application of nanomaterial to target cells or tissues. In this study selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) were synthesized using ascorbic acid and characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction and zeta potential. The different concentrations of As/Se-NPs were tested against various fungi, including Alternaria linicola, Alternaria padwickii, Botrytis cinerea, Bipolaris sp., Cephalosporium acremonium, Fusarium moniliform and Fusarium semitectum. This study tested the influence of coated As/Se-NPs on healthy strawberry fruits and those infected with Botrytis cinerea during 16 days of storage, with regard to shelf life, decay percentage, weight loss, total titratable acidity percentage, total soluble solids content (TSS) and anthocyanin content. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis showed only two elements: selenium and oxygen. TEM images showed that the nanoparticles ranged in size between 26 to 39 nm and were rhombohedral in shape. Se-NPs showed antifungal activity against all tested fungi, the most effective being against Botrytis cinerea, Cephalosporium acremonium and Fusarium semitectum. During storage periods of strawberries fruits coated with As/Se-NPs, the shelf life was increased, and the number of decaying fruits was less than in control (uncoated) and coated infected fruits. The decline in weight loss was lower in coated fruits than in control fruits. These findings demonstrated that As/Se-NPs could effectively maintain the postharvest quality of strawberries, even when the fruit was infected with B. cinerea. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Physical Traits and Phenolic Compound Diversity in Maize Accessions with Blue-Purple Grain (Zea mays L.) of Mexican Races

Consumer interest in foods enriched with phytochemical compounds for health benefits has prompted plant breeders to focus on developing new cultivars with an enhanced content of specific compounds. Studies regarding the exploration of germplasms of species of great economic importance, such as maize, could be useful in this task. This study aimed to assess the physical grain traits and phenolic compound variations (including anthocyanins, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins) in blue-purple maize accessions from various Mexican races. We examined 207 accessions from 21 Mexican maize races, evaluating physical grain traits such as weight of one hundred grains (W100G), endosperm type (ET), pigment location, and grain color. Phenolic composition analysis encompassed total soluble phenolics (TSP), total anthocyanin content (TAC), flavonoids (FLAV), and proanthocyanidins (PAs). The predominant endosperm type was floury, with W100G values indicating a large grain size and the pigment primarily located in the aleurone layer. Among phenolic composition variables, only TSP exhibited a normal distribution, while others skewed towards the left side. A hierarchical analysis of phenolic composition data revealed three distinct groups comprising different numbers of Mexican varieties, with TAC proving the most effective for grouping. Our comprehensive exploration of maize diversity featuring blue-purple grain coloration has led to the identification of novel maize varieties with outstanding phenolic contents.

The degradation and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins from eggplant peels in the context of complex food system under thermal processing

A model of complex food system composed of dietary fiber, protein, starch (3/2/2), added with anthocyanins extracted from purple eggplant peels was constructed to investigate impacts of thermal treatments (including steaming, boiling, microwave and frying) on the degradation and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins. The content of anthocyanins was reduced by 84.48% under frying treatment (185 ± 5 °C), and the degradation of anthocyanins was in line with second-order kinetics as with microwave treatment (700 W). Under boiling and steaming conditions, the degradation of anthocyanins followed first-order kinetics. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity was positively correlated with the contents of total anthocyanins and polyphenols. During thermal treatments, anthocyanins were mainly decomposed into gallic acid, phloroglucinaldehyde, and 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (frying), in which phloroglucinaldehyde could be further isomerized into phloroglucinic acid. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) also supported that frying showed the most robust effect on influencing the structure of anthocyanins during these four thermal treatments.

Use of AirMixing M.I.® resonance waves to produce aroma richer Sangiovese wine without sulphites addition in a sustainable way

In recent years, wine without sulphite addition has grown increasingly popular. In this work, resonance waves (AirMixing M.I.®) were applied to Sangiovese must in fermentation to produce wine without sulphite addition, monitoring the fermentation kinetics and analyzing polyphenols and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) extraction. Resonance waves were created by injecting compressed air into a 10 hL stainless steel tank filled with Sangiovese must, without pumping-over/delestage, and no sulphites in all the process (AM). Control wine was produced using pumping-over/delestage and adding sulphur dioxide. After 4 months in bottles, simulating the commercial habit used to sell in spring the last year wine, volatile acidity was significantly lower in AM wine, while total anthocyanins, trans-resveratrol and free quercetin were significantly higher. Among free (VOCs), the classes of terpenes and benzenoids were significantly higher in the Control wine while the classes of aldehydes, alcohols, volatile phenols, lactones and pyrazine were in the AM wine. Unlike free VOCs, in glycosylated VOCs, terpenes and benzenoids were significantly higher in AM wine. In conclusion, resonance waves permit to speed up the fermentation increasing phenols extraction and producing wines with excellent maintenance of VOCs, requiring less energy and labor, and thus being more economically and environmentally sustainable.

Postbiotics-enriched flaxseed mucilage coating: A solution to improving postharvest quality and shelf life of strawberry

This research aimed to assess the effects of flaxseed mucilage (Mu) coatings supplemented with postbiotics (P) obtained from Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 on various physical, biochemical, and microbial characteristics of strawberry fruits. Strawberry fruits were immersed for 2 min in Mu2.5 (2.5 % mucilage in distilled water), Mu5 (5 % mucilage in distilled water), P-Mu2.5 (2.5 % mucilage in undiluted postbiotics) and P-Mu5 (5 % mucilage in undiluted postbiotics) solutions and were stored at 4 °C and 85 RH for 12 days. All coatings were effective in reducing fungal count compared to the uncoated control fruits. Mu5 coating exhibited the highest efficacy, reducing fungal count by 2.85 log10 CFU/g, followed by Mu2.5 (1.47 log10 CFU/g reduction) and P-Mu2.5 groups (0.90 log10 CFU/g reduction). The fruits coated with edible coatings showed significant delays in the change of weight loss, pH, and total soluble solids as compared to the uncoated fruits. The coating containing postbiotics i.e., P-Mu5 also showed a significant increase in the total phenolic contents, total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and total anthocyanin content at the end of storage relative to the uncoated fruits. Thus, Mu and P-Mu coatings may be a useful approach to maintaining the postharvest quality of strawberry fruits during cold storage.

Pengembangan smart edible film packaging berbahan konjac dengan ekstrak bunga rosella dan cangkang telur ayam sebagai bahan aktif

Edible film is a thin sheet plastic-like biodegradable film that can be used for food packaging material. Edible film can be developed into smart edible film packaging by combining it with smart packaging principles by adding active ingredients. This research aimed to determine the effect of different concentrations of rosella flower extract and chicken eggshell powder on the physicochemical characteristics of smart edible film and its capability to act as smart packaging in a model system. The research design used was a Randomized Block Design with two factors, namely three levels of rosella flower extract concentration and three levels of eggshell powder concentration, all with three replications. The concentration of rosella flower extract used as a treatment in this study was 0 (without rosella flower extract) as a control, 1:15 (w/v of water as solvent), and 1:30 (w/v), while the concentration of eggshell powder used as a treatment in this study was 0 (without eggshell powder) as control; 0.15% (w/v); and 0.30% (w/v). The results showed that the higher the extract concentration added to the formulation, the more the total phenols, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity would increase. In contrast, the difference in eggshell concentration did not have a significant effect. The tensile strength will increase as the eggshell concentration increases, while the percent elongation will decrease. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) decreased with increasing eggshell concentration. There is an increase in color intensity in smart edible packaging used to store steamed chicken meat. Meanwhile, smart edible packaging can prevent damage to steamed chicken meat in terms of color, aroma, and taste.

Effects of Simulated Digestion on the Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Dehydrated Bignay [Antidesma bunius (L.) Spreng

Bigna y is a Philippine indigenous berry rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. This can be dehydrated and used as a functional ingredient, but dehydration followed by digestion results to changes in the bioactive compounds modifying their bioaccessibility. Most bioaccessibility studies are on different fresh berries and fruits while very limited on dried or processed fruits. Thus, this study investigated the effect of simulated digestion on the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of freeze dried, oven dried, and spray dried bignay as well as cookies with added dehydrated bignay. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), and antioxidant activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays were determined. The TPC, TFC, TAC, and antioxidant activity of the dehydrated bignay and cookies showed significant differences (p≤ 0.05) at the end of each digestion stage. Among the dehydrated samples, the freeze dried bignay had the highest TPC, TFC, TAC and antioxidant activity after the gastric and intestinal stages resulting in a bioaccessibility of 66.39 % for TPC, 78.93 % for TFC, and 70.43 % for TAC along with a bioaccessibility of 81.45 % for DPPH, 82.28 % for FRAP, and 75.64 % for ABTS. Furthermore, the cookies with the added freeze dried bignay had the highest TPC, TFC, TAC and antioxidant activity at the end of both gastric and intestinal stages. This resulted in a bioaccessibility of 48.85 % for TPC, 47.26 % for TFC, 33.16 % for TAC, 62.60 % for DPPH, 64.39 % for FRAP, and 36.39 % for ABTS. Simulated digestion favored the release of phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity, although the contents were lower than that obtained before the simulated digestion. The total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity were better preserved by freeze drying followed by oven drying and least by spray drying.

Sustainable Valorization of Industrial Cherry Pomace: A Novel Cascade Approach Using Pulsed Electric Fields and Ultrasound Assisted-Extraction.

In this study, a two-stage cascade extraction process utilizing pulsed electric fields (PEF) (3 kV/cm, 10 kJ/kg) for initial extraction, followed by ultrasound (US) (200 W, 20 min)-assisted extraction (UAE) in a 50% (v/v) ethanol-water mixture (T = 50 °C, t = 60 min), was designed for the efficient release of valuable intracellular compounds from industrial cherry pomace. The extracted compounds were evaluated for total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (FC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), and antioxidant activity (FRAP), and were compared with conventional solid-liquid extraction (SLE). Results showed that the highest release of bioactive compounds occurred in the first stage, which was attributed to the impact of PEF pre-treatment, resulting in significant increases in TPC (79%), FC (79%), TAC (83%), and FRAP values (80%) of the total content observed in the post-cascade PEF-UAE process. The integration of UAE into the cascade process further augmented the extraction efficiency, yielding 21%, 49%, 56%, and 26% increases for TPC, FC, TAC, and FRAP, respectively, as compared to extracts obtained through a second-stage conventional SLE. HPLC analysis identified neochlorogenic acid, 4-p-coumaroylquinic, and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside as the predominant phenolic compounds in both untreated and cascade-treated cherry pomace extracts, and no degradation of the specific compounds occurred upon PEF and US application. SEM analysis revealed microstructural changes in cherry pomace induced by PEF and UAE treatments, enhancing the porosity and facilitating the extraction process. The study suggests the efficiency of the proposed cascade PEF-UAE extraction approach for phenolic compounds from industrial cherry pomace with potential applications to other plant-based biomasses.

Assessment of Sequential Yeast Inoculation for Blackcurrant Wine Fermentation

Blackcurrant is well known for its health benefits, but its wine products are understudied. In this research, studies were conducted after non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces yeast strain inoculation in less than 20% (w/v) fruit must for blackcurrant fermentation. Three inoculations were carried out on blackcurrant musts, as follows: (1) sequential inoculation with Torulaspora delbrueckii (strain Biodiva) followed by Saccharomyces EC1118 strain; (2) sequential inoculation with Metschnikowia pulcherimma (strain Flavia) followed by EC1118; (3) single-strain inoculation with EC1118 as the control treatment. None of these treatments did alter sugar consumption dynamics. Biodiva inoculation had impacts on both color dynamic parameter changes and final wine color profiles compared to EC1118. The final wine compositions indicate that Biodiva treatment had a significant impact on wine pH and acidity, whereas EC1118 single-strain largely influenced wine ethanol and glycerol contents. Although the total antioxidant capabilities were close among the three produced wines, the monophenol profiles indicate that Biodiva enhanced the total anthocyanin and hydroxycinnamates content but reduced the total flavanol contents in the final wine. EC1118 and Flavia wines contained more total flavanols compared to Biodiva treatment. The nonflavonoid profiles indicate that there were no significant differences among the three treatments. Our findings provide useful information for the application of yeast strains in blackcurrant wine fermentation.

Enzymatic extraction of anthocyanins from the pomace of aronia (Aronia melanocarpa).

Efficient extraction of natural pigments is a key focus in enhancing the utilization of by-products for applications in the food industry. In this study, an enzymatic extraction method using Pectinex Ultra SP-L, Pectinex XXL, Novoshape, and Celluclast was used to investigate natural pigment production from the pomace of aronia, a commercially important plant. The method's performance was monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection by measuring total and individual anthocyanin levels. Pectinex XXL (0.5%) yielded the highest total anthocyanin extraction (2082.41±85.69mg/100g) in the single enzyme treatment, followed by Pectinex Ultra SP-L (0.05%), Celluclast (0.01%), and Novoshape (0.1%). Combining Pectinex XXL (0.25%) with Celluclast (0.01%) increased the extraction ratio of total anthocyanins (2 323.04±61.32mg/100g) by ∼50.7% compared with that obtained using the solvent extraction method. This study demonstrated an effective enzymatic extraction method for application in the food industry.

Essential oil composition, morphological characterization, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Iranian populations of Hymenocrater longiflorus Benth. (Lamiaceae)

The study focused on the morphological and chemical characteristics of 200 Hymenocrater longiflorus Benth. genotypes found in natural habitats of eight regions in west of Iran. The primary objective of the study was to assess the morphological and phytochemical variability within populations grown in their natural habitats, with the aim of identifying their potential for domestication and utilization in pre-breeding programs. The plant height (PH) ranged from 50.32 to 69.65 cm, with the highest observed in population P8. The internode distances ranged from 4.7 to 6.47 cm, with the maximum distance found in P4. Flower lengths varied from 1.95 to 2.45 cm, with the minimum and maximum values observed in P4 and P3, respectively. The highest leaf length (5.20 cm) and width (3.87 cm) were recorded in P2. The aerial parts of the plant were utilized to extraction and determine the essential oil (EO) content and composition, which ranged from 0.40 to 0.78% (v/w). The analysis of EO by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) identified 26 compounds, constituting 99–99.5% of the EOs. The main compounds in the EO and their percentage range (v/w DW) were tau-cadinol (0.62–55.56), mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (8.10–94.70), elemol (0.21–19.11), β-spathulenol (0.08–14.39), 4-terpineol (0.23–10.19), and β-eudesmol (0.21–9.94). The main chemical groups found in EOs included oxygenated sesquiterpenes (1.12–68.43), and phthalates (9.73–94.72). Cluster analysis revealed three distinct chemotypes: chemotype I (populations 1 and 2) with major components of mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, tau-cadinol, and α-elemol; chemotype II (population 5) rich in mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; and chemotype III (populations 3, 4, 6–8) containing tau-cadinol, β-eudesmol, and 4-terpineol. The study also evaluated total phenolic, total flavonoid, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity in the fifty percent inhibitory concentration (IC50) in leaf and flower samples of the genotypes, along with estimating total anthocyanin content in the flower samples. The total phenolic content (TPC) in leaf and flower samples ranged from 7.89 to 107.18 mg GAE/g DW and 39.98 to 86.62 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g DW, respectively. Total flavonoid content (TFC) ranged from 81.04 to 143.46 mg QUE/g DW in leaf samples and from 94.82 to 133.26 mg quercetin equivalent (QUE)/g DW in flower samples. DPPHsc IC50 (µg/mL) ranged from 0.65 to 78.74 in leaf samples and from 4.38 to 7.71 in flower samples. Anthocyanin content ranged from 1.89 to 3.75 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent (C3GE)/g DW among populations. Canonical correspondence analysis and simple correlation demonstrated a strong association and correlations among the studied attributes. The negative correlations between leaf DPPH (DPPH L) IC50 and TFC (− 0.73), TPC (− 0.63), Elemol (− 0.90), and EO (− 0.85) indicate that these compounds have a significant impact on the antioxidant activity of the leaves. Furthermore, Fruit DPPH (DPPH F) IC50 showed a negative correlation with TPC (− 0.79) and TFC (− 0.78), but a positive correlation with flower anthocyanins (0.51), (Z)-β-Farnesene (0.66), and 4-Terpineol (0.57). Circular cluster analysis categorized the genotypes of all individuals in the eight studied populations into three main categories based on all the studied traits, indicating significant variation in phytochemical and morphological traits among populations, surpassing the within-populations variation.

Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant Effect and Sperm Quality of the Bomba ceiba Stamen Extracts on Charolais Cattle Sperm Induced by Ferrous Sulfate.

Orange Bombax ceiba (B. ceiba) is an indigenous plant, and its stamen is an important ingredient in traditional Lanna food. There are limitations in scientific reports on the effects of the biological activities of B. ceiba stamens on the male reproductive system. This study aims to investigate the phytochemical compounds of the orange B. ceiba stamen and its potential effect on the antioxidant properties and quality of cattle sperm treated with Fe. The orange BUE had the highest total phenolics, total tannins, total monomeric anthocyanins, and maximal antioxidant potential. The orange BAE had the highest concentration of total flavonoids. LC-QTOF/MS showed that the orange BUE contained the highest number of phytochemical compounds related to male reproductive enhancement. The orange BUE enhanced sperm motility, and both the orange BUE and the BAE enhanced sperm viability and normal sperm morphology via free radical scavenging. It might be suggested that B. ceiba stamens have benefits for sperm preservation, sperm quality, and increasing the economic value of local plants, and that they may be developed and used to guard against oxidative stress from cryodamage induced by frozen semen technology.

Transcriptome analysis provides insights into preservation mechanism of postharvest Muscat Hamburg grapes treated with SO2

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is the most frequently used preservative for table grapes, yet the preservation mechanism remains unclear. To ascertain the specific genes and pathways involved in SO2 preservation, RNA-seq technology was employed to characterize the transcriptome profile of grapes during postharvest storage. A total of 22,288 genes were identified, of which 377 genes were differentially expressed (≥ 2-fold change) between SO2 and control groups, mainly enriched in secondary metabolism, plant-pathogen interactions, plant hormone signaling, etc. Numerous genes encoding pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins exhibited higher expression levels in SO2 group, while the activities of disease-resistant enzymes, such as β-1,3-glucanase (PR2) and chitinase (PR3) significantly increased by 28.9 % and 29.3 % (P < 0.05), indicating SO2-induced plant resistance. Exposure to SO2 also enhanced the expression of genes encoding essential enzymes of secondary metabolism, and significantly increased both the activities of critical enzymes for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), and the contents of secondary metabolites such as total phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and lignin, demonstrating an enhanced chemical and physical barriers in SO2-fumigated grapes. Meanwhile, the genes associated with ethylene signaling and cell wall degradation were down-regulated by SO2 preservative, and some ethylene-responsive elements were identified in the promoter regions of cell wall hydrolase genes, suggesting that SO2-inhibited ethylene signaling might contribute to maintaining cell wall integrity. Altogether, gene expression patterns and cellular physiological processes were altered in grapes exposed to SO2, which helped maintain fruit quality and prolong postharvest life by regulating the defense responses and fruit ageing.

Analysis of Genetic Variability and Heritability in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) Genotypes

Analysis on “Study of genetic variability and heritability in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes” was carried out at the experimental field of Division of Vegetable Science, FOH, SKUAST, Kashmir Shalimar during kharif season 2021 in Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications. The experimental material comprised of forty genotypes. Analysis of variance revealed that mean sum of squares due to genotypes for all the characters were highly significant, revealing significant variation among all the genotypes for all the traits under study. The phenotypic coefficients of variation were found to be higher than the corresponding genotypic coefficients of variation. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) in present experienment were high for the traits; average fruit weight (43.69% and 43.69%), total anthocyanin content (39.10 % and 39.10%), ascorbic acid (31.73 % and 31.73) and dry matter (42.31% and 42.29). Heritability in broad sense was found to be high for all traits under study (greater than 70 per cent). Highest genetic advance as percentage of mean was recorded in average fruit weight (90) followed by dry matter (87.11) and total anthocyanin content (80.55).

Bioactive compounds of mulberry fruit and assessment of the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains on the quality of mulberry wine products

In the winemaking process, yeast strain plays a crucial role in the quality of the wine products. Therefore, this study aimed to screen the phytochemical compounds from mulberry fruits and assess the effect of three commercial yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. burgundy, kyokai and montrachet) on the quality of mulberry wines. The results showed that mulberry juice was a rich source of phytochemicals compounds (tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids). Yeast strains had a significant effect on oenological parameters, total anthocyanins, phenolics and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP assay) of mulberry wines (p0.05). The total soluble solids contents continually reduced while the percentage of alcohol contents consistently increased after 24 days of fermentation. The total soluble solids, pH values and titratable acidity of three mulberry wines were in the range of 5.80±0.06 – 6.00±0.06°Brix, 3.23±0.01 – 3.35±0.01 and 1.06±0.01 – 1.12±0.040% CAE, respectively. Mulberry wine fermented by S. cerevisiae var. burgundy (MWB) had the highest alcohol content (7.80±0.17% (v/v)) and acceptance scores (4.27±0.45 points). Moreover, MWB had the highest antioxidant activities due to the presence of the total anthocyanins, phenolics and flavonoid contents in mulberry wine. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (C3R) were two major anthocyanins in mulberry wines. The C3G contents ranged from 0.14±0.01 – 0.38±0.01 mg/100 mL, while C3R ranged from 0.15±0.01 – 0.49±0.01 mg/100 mL. Therefore, this could be considered that S. cerevisiae var. burgundy had the potential yeast to produce quality mulberry wine as a healthy alternative product. Mulberry exhibited good antioxidant activity of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds.

Enhancing mangosteen peel drying: Impact of ethanol pre-treatment, vacuum pulsing, and blaching on process efficiency and bioactive compound levels

The processing of mangosteen yields a substantial volume of waste material. One efficient method for harnessing the potential of mangosteen peels is through their exposure to a drying process. This study investigated pre-treatment methods, ethanol (E), blanching (B), and vacuum pulsing (V), individually and in combination, to mitigate the effects of temperature during the drying of mangosteen peel. The mangosteen peels were dryied, three different models were employed to fit the experimental data: the empirical models of Page and Midilli, and a diffusive model with type I boundary conditions. The combination of pre-treatments (BE, BV, and BEV) at 80 °C significantly reduced drying time to 95 min. Furthermore, the pre-treatments led to reductions in the activation energy (Ea), enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy compared to the control sample (C), while entropy increased. The pre-treated samples exhibited a lighter reddish hue compared to the C sample. The pretreatments had significant effects on the levels of total phenolic compounds (TPC), anthocyanins (A), and flavonoids (F). The BEV sample exhibited notable increases, reaching up to 101% for TPC, 47% for A, and 97% for F at a drying temperature of 80 °C. The combination of pre-treatments B, E, and V resulted in the production of high-quality flour.

Argentinian Rose Petals as a Source of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Compounds.

The total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents were evaluated in 11 cultivars of Argentinian roses of different colors. HPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS was used to identify the components where ellagic and quinic acids, quercetin, and kaempferol glycosylated derivatives were found. The phenolic contents ranged from 78.8 ± 3.2 to 203.4 ± 3.1 mg GAE/g dw, the flavonoid content ranged from 19.1 ± 3.8 to 125.9 ± 6.5 mg QE/g dw, and the anthocyanin content ranged from less than 0.01 to 5.8 ± 0.1 mg CE/g dw. The dark red cultivars exhibited the greatest levels of the analyzed compounds and of the antioxidant activities, even higher than those of certain plants known for their high phenolic contents and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the addition of these extracts decreased the population of L. innocua and P. aeruginosa to undetectable levels 24 h after inoculation. Rose petal extracts, mainly those with a dark red color, can be used as natural additives in food, feed, and cosmetics, as they contain a high proportion of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.