Fruit Types Research Articles

Quercetin, the Potential Powerful Flavonoid for Human and Food: A Review

Flavonoids occur naturally in different types of fruits and vegetables, including tea, cabbage, cauliflower, elderberries, cranberries, red apples, lettuce, pears, spinach, green hot peppers, white and red onions, kale, blueberries, and nuts. Among these flavonoids is quercetin, a potent natural antioxidant and cytotoxic substance with a number of therapeutic functions. Nowadays, quercetin is a common ingredient in many nutraceutical and cosmeceutical products due to its antioxidant properties. Its antibacterial effects and possible action mechanisms have been explored in many studies. From these, it has been established that quercetin stops the activity of numerous Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review clarifies the plant sources and extraction methods of quercetin, as well as its medicinal applications as an antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antioxidant agent, with a particular emphasis on the underlying mechanisms of its biological activity. The mechanism of its antimicrobial effect involves damaging the cell membrane—e.g., by changing its permeability, preventing biofilm formation, reducing the mitochondrial expression of virulence factors, and inhibiting protein and nucleic-acid synthesis. Moreover, quercetin has been shown to impede the activity of a variety of drug-resistant bacterial strains, pointing to the possibility of using it as a strong antimicrobial substance against such strains. In addition, it has occasionally been demonstrated that specific structural alterations to quercetin can increase its antibacterial action in comparison to the parent molecule. Overall, this review synthesizes our understanding of the mode of action of quercetin and its prospects for use as a therapeutic material.

Extraction of Natural Dye using Peels of Citrus Fruits for Enhancing Color Fastness of Fabrics

The current study investigates the extraction of dyestuff using citrus fruits and assesses its color, light, rubbing, and perspiration fastness. For the experimental study, three types of citrus fruits—orange, lemon, and grapefruit—were chosen to extract dye from their peels. The dye was applied to two types of fabrics (100% cotton and a blended fabric made of polyester-cotton (PC) with a ratio of 50:50) using the conventional aqueous method. The results revealed the remarkable efficacy of orange dye on both fabric types, demonstrating excellent color fastness attributes, with a minor preference for PC fabric in washing fastness. In contrast, lemon dye displayed better washing fastness properties on the tested materials as well as considerable staining potential. Grapefruit dye performed exceptionally well in terms of water and perspiration fastness. Future research could focus on improving dye extraction techniques for citrus fruits to increase color absorption and penetration. Determining various solvents, time duration for dyeing, and temperature settings could enhance the dyeing performance and effectiveness of natural dyes in different industrial applications. Further studies could also conduct life cycle assessments to measure the environmental impact of using citrus peels as a natural dye source compared to synthetic dyes in the textile industry.

Untargeted authentication of fruit juices based on electrochemical fingerprints combined with chemometrics. Adulteration of orange juice as case of study

This work presents a novel strategy for authentication of fruit juices. The methodology is based on an electrochemical method combined with chemometrics. In addition, the case of orange juice adulteration with grapefruit juices was studied using this methodology. The electrochemical fingerprint of different juices showed the influence from different polyphenols according to the type of fruit. First, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was able to differentiate clusters of different juices, being the higher group distance within apple, orange, and grape juices samples. On the other hand, partial least-squares – discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and PCA-linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used as classification methods, obtaining better results for orange and apple models. Furthermore, good results were obtained for the authentication of orange juices, compared to other juices, with an error rate of 0.04 for cross-validation. In the case of adulteration of orange juice was detected using PLS-DA at an adulteration level as low as 1%. Regression vectors for all models highlighted identifiable potential values that could be related to the main polyphenols in each type of fruit. This electrochemical method is rapid, low-cost, and compatible with on-site analysis compared to other laborious analysis described in the literature.

SARS-CoV-2 surrogate bacteriophage φ6 cross-contamination between fruits and gloves, survival on discarded gloves and inactivation by photodynamic treatment

This study assessed the SARS-CoV-2 surrogate bacteriophage φ6 cross-contamination between high-density polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride gloves and fruits (tomato and cucumber) using different inoculum levels (6.0 and 4.0 log PFU/sample). Bacteriophage φ6 survival on contaminated gloves was assessed over 9 days at 25 °C. The effectiveness of photodynamic treatment using curcumin as a photosensitizer to inactivate φ6 on fruits was determined. The fruit type and the glove material influenced the φ6 transfer. Longer contact times resulted in greater φ6 transfer. The highest φ6 transfer occurred from tomato to HDPE glove (0.8% or −1.1 log % transfer) after 30 s of contact at the higher inoculum level. Bacteriophage φ6 was detected on cross-contaminated HDPE gloves for up to 6 days. Bacteriophage φ6 survived better on vinyl gloves cross-contaminated by cucumber vs. tomato (detected up to 6 vs 3 days). Photodynamic inactivation of φ6 was time-dependent and varied with the tested fruit but was not influenced by viral starting concentration. Photodynamic treatment decreased the φ6 titer by 3.0 and 2.2 log PFU/sample in tomato and cucumber, respectively. Transmission electronic microscopy showed that photodynamic treatment changed the structure of the φ6 capsid. These findings may help in the management of SARS-CoV-2 contamination risks in fruit handling. They may also help in the establishment of effective measures to manage cross-contamination risk.

ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN APPLES AND PEARS FROM THE SUBURBS OF MITROVICA, KOSOVO

Intake of heavy metals through the food is a food safety problem that seriously affects consumer health. Therefore, information is needed on the intake of food contaminated with heavy metals and their concentrations, to assess the potential risk for human health. This paper aims to determine the accumulation of metals in apples and pears grown in the surroundings of Kosovska Mitrovica (Republic of Kosovo) and the bioconcentration factor (BF). With the help of the ICP-MS technique, were determined the amounts of Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, Ni, and Cr in apples and pears grown in three regions - Zvečan , Frashër, and Polski. From the conducted tests, the highest concentrations in apples and pears were determined for iron (on average 100.67 mg/kg for apples and 107.4 mg/kg for pears) and the lowest concentrations for cobalt (on average 0.13 mg/kg for apples and 0.18 mg/kg for pears). The lowest bioconcentration factor in apples is 0.01 (for Fe, Co, and Mn in all three regions), and the highest is 0.32 (for Cr in Zvečan). When determining the bioconcentration factor in pears, the lowest (0.01) was determined for iron (in all three regions) and manganese (in Zvečan and Frashër regions), and the highest bioconcentration factor was determined for copper – 0.46 (Polski region). There is a very high correlation between the values obtained for the analyzed metals in apples and pears. According to BF values, pears extract twice as much Cu and Co from the soil compared to apples, and the extraction of other metals from the soil is the same for both types of fruit.

Effects of Retention Time, pH, Temperature and Type of Fruit Wastes on the Bioelectricity Generation Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell during the Biotreatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater: Experimental Study, Optimization and Modelling

Effects of Retention Time, pH, Temperature and Type of Fruit Wastes on the Bioelectricity Generation Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell during the Biotreatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater: Experimental Study, Optimization and Modelling

Pesticide residues and associated health effects in marketed fruits in Saudi Arabia

AimThis study evaluated the pesticide residues in some fruits collected from different markets in Saudi Arabia (SA) and determined potential health risks associated with them. MethodsConcentrations of pesticide residues in 12 types of fruits from local markets in SA from 2020 to 2022 were collected and evaluated. Multiple residue extraction method QuEChERS followed by LC-MS/MS and GC–MS/MS, were used to analyze 161 samples. ResultsOnly 10 out of 161 samples (6.2 %) were free of pesticides. A total of 132 (87.4 %) pesticide residues were below MRLs, with 19 (12 %) of samples exceeding MRLs. Detected pesticide residues belonged to different chemical classes of pesticides including organophosphates, pyrethroids, organochlorines, neonicotinoids and fungicides. Risk assessment of human exposure to pesticides via the intake of the fruit types was performed. Hazard index (HI) for most fruit types were found to be less than 1. Oranges, grapes and pomegranates were the most consumed fruit types (31.6 g/day,15.8 g/day,10.8 g/day) and were contaminated with pesticide residues. Fluopyram, imazalil, chlorpyrifos, finamiphos and indoxacarb had HIs (1.32, 2.76,3.6,3.6,1.5) showed high risk index suggesting risk for systemic toxicity in consumers dependent on the amount of consumption. ConclusionIn summary, high detection rate of pesticide residues was found in different fruits sold in local markets in SA. Regular biomonitoring programs for food crops in SA markets should be enforced, particularly in identified crops with His >1 to increase food safety within the SA community.

Modelling time-temperature-dependent mortality of pest flies in cold storage to support the management of trade-related biosecurity risks

AbstractCold treatment with rigorous regulatory oversight is often mandated to manage horticultural trade-related biosecurity threats, such as invasive, cold-sensitive fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). Cold treatment schedules, developed through rigorous laboratory experiments, require a set temperature and duration to ensure at least a probit 8.7 (99.99%) mortality rate, regardless of infestation likelihood. This threshold is costly to demonstrate for each pest and commodity combination and the resultant treatment may be harmful to fruit quality. Moreover, these stringent schedules do not account for cold-induced mortality already occurring in commercial supply chains. We developed a predictive temperature-dependent mortality function using 28 published cold treatment studies of pest fly species to support more flexible and proportionate use of cold treatment. The daily mortality rate was unaffected by the duration of cold exposure (0–20 days). The mortality rate varied primarily by pest species (10 species) and developmental stage (eggs and larval stages), and to a lesser extent by temperature (0–7 °C) and host (13 fruit types). Our model mostly predicted fewer days to meet probit 9.0 mortality compared to empirical results from large-scale studies, suggesting these studies can be overly conservative. By leveraging previous empirical studies, our model enables estimation of temperature-dependent daily mortality for unstudied pest developmental stage host–temperature combinations, which can then be empirically validated through targeted studies. It is hoped these results will shift cold treatment usage from highly regulated, fixed temperature treatments with a target mortality rate requirement to a more flexible approach that accounts for existing commercial supply chain practices and infestation likelihood in produce.

Association of Quantity and Diversity of Different Types of Fruit Intake with New-Onset Kidney Stones.

This study aims to assess the association between intake of different types of fruit (citrus, pomes, tropical fruits, berries, gourds, drupes, dried fruits, and other fruits), the intake diversity of fruit types, and risk of new-onset kidney stones in general population. A total of 205896 participants with at least one completed 24-h dietary recall from the UK Biobank are included. During a median follow-up of 11.6 years, 2074 cases of kidney stones are documented. Compared with nonconsumers, participants with higher intake of citrus (50-<100gday-1; hazards ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.91; ≥100gday-1; HR = 0.75; 95%CI, 0.63-0.89), pomes (≥100gday-1; HR = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.77-0.96), or tropical fruits (50-<100gday-1; HR = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.75-0.99; ≥100gday-1; HR = 0.88; 95%CI, 0.79-0.99) have a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones. However, there is no significant association of intake of berries, gourds, drupes, dried fruits, and other fruits with kidney stones. A higher fruit variety score is significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones (per 1-score increment, HR = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.81-0.91). Higher intake of citruses (≥50gday-1), pomes (≥100gday-1), and tropical fruits (≥50gday-1), as well as increasing diversity of intake of these three fruits, are associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones.

Barcode-less Fruits Classification Using Deep Learning

&lt;p&gt;Barcode-less fruit recognition technology has revolutionized the checkout process by eliminating manual barcode scanning. This technology automatically identifies and adds fruit items to the purchase list, significantly reducing waiting times at the cash register. Faster checkouts enhance customer convenience and optimize operational efficiency for retailers. Adding barcode to fruits require using adhesives on the fruit surface that may cause health hazards. Leveraging deep learning techniques for barcode-less fruit recognition brings valuable advantages to industries, including advanced automation, enhanced accuracy, and increased efficiency. These benefits translate into improved productivity, cost reduction, and superior quality control. This study introduces a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) designed explicitly for automatic fruit recognition, even in challenging real-world scenarios. The proposed method assists fruit sellers in accurately identifying and distinguishing between different types of fruit that may exhibit similarities. A dataset that includes 44,406 images of different fruit types is used to train and test our technique. Employing a CNN, the developed model achieves an impressive classification accuracy of 97.4% during the training phase and 88.6% during the testing phase respectively, showcasing its effectiveness in precise fruit recognition.&lt;/p&gt;

Apple fruits categorizing based on deep convolutional neural network techniques

&lt;p&gt;For a variety of reasons, including the high degree of similarity between varieties of the same type of fruit, the requirement to train the technique on a large amount of data, and the type and number of features suitable for application, the use of computer vision techniques in the classification of fruits still faces many challenges. Additionally, the technique's effectiveness and speed both need to be improved. Deep conventional neural network (DCNN) approaches were required for all of these reasons. A proposed CNN model is described in this work. The suggested methodology is intended to quickly and accurately categorize thirteen groups of apple fruits. The proposed technique was based on training and testing the model on a maximum number of images of apple fruits, by increasing the number of database images tenfold, after augmentation was performed on the images. The technology also relied on good tuning of the hyperparameters. To further ensure the efficiency of training, validation was performed on 20% of the database. All results that demonstrate the high efficiency of the proposed model were reviewed. The results of the proposal were compared with the results of four related techniques. The results showed the great advantage of the proposed technology at all levels.&lt;/p&gt;

Systems Approach to Investigate the Role of Fruit and Vegetable Types on Vascular Function in Pre-Hypertensive Participants: Protocol and Baseline Characteristics of a Randomised Crossover Dietary Intervention.

The evidence on the impact of fruits and vegetable types on cardiovascular risk factors remains limited. Specifically, the utilisation of biomarkers to objectively measure dietary compliance and metabolic responses is emerging. This protocol and baseline characteristics of a pilot randomised controlled, crossover, dietary intervention study aimed to examine the effects of citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, or common fruits and vegetables on cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 39 volunteers with untreated prehypertension was recruited and consumed a standardised, provided diet with eight daily portions of citrus fruits and cruciferous vegetables, common fruits and vegetables, or a low fruit and vegetable diet (two portions/d, control diet) in a random order for 2 weeks each, separated by a wash-out week. A targeted cohort-based recruitment strategy was utilised and resulted in 74% of participants recruited by re-contacting preselected individuals from two cohort studies with a 15% average enrolment rate. Participants had an average age of 54.4 years (±6.1 years), BMI of 27.9 kg/m2, and BP of 135/81 mmHg and were mainly male (67%). The primary outcome was office blood pressure; secondary outcomes included arterial stiffness, lipid profiles, inflammation, cognitive function, and subjective mood. Biofluids, i.e., 24 h urine, stool, and blood samples, were collected for biomarker measurements with multiple metabolomic platforms and the gut microbial composition, together with traditional dietary biomarkers.

Detection of Parasites in Locally Sourced Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Using Various Diagnostic Techniques

A prospective study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023 to examine the occurrence and contamination rates of different parasitic stages on fresh edible fruits and vegetables in local markets of Erbil city. Eight different types of fruits and vegetables were selected from eight markets, and 144 samples were analyzed for parasites using direct sedimentation, indirect floatation (ZnSO4), Kinyoun, and trichrome staining methods. The highest total frequencies of parasites were detected using the direct sedimentation method (18.75%), followed by the indirect floatation method (6.25%), Kinyoun technique (5.55%), and modified trichrome staining (4.16%). A. lumbricoides (Ova) was detected with 4.16% using direct sedimentation, while no positive detections were observed with other techniques. Kinyoun technique identified Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. For E. histolytica 1.3% were positive using the direct sedimentation method, while the other three methods showed no positive detections. Similar results were observed for G. lamblia where only the modified trichrome staining technique detected 0.69% with trophozoites and 1.3% with cysts. Additionally, the direct sedimentation method revealed the presence of nematodes at 2.77%, but no positive detections were made with other methods. Concerning Taeniid eggs, the indirect floatation identified 0.69% with ova, while other methods showed no positive detections. Lastly, the direct sedimentation method yielded 6.25% with unidentified flagellate protozoa, but no positive detections were found using the indirect floatation method, Kinyoun technique, or modified trichrome staining technique. The study concluded that Kinyoun and trichrome techniques are the gold standard for detecting different parasite stages.

Effect of fertilization and flower bud dormancy breaker on yield and fruit quality of crystal guava (Psidium guajava L.)

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) crystal variety or often called crystal guava is a type of fruit that has recently become increasingly popular in the community and is highly favored by consumers. The advantages of this guava compared to other guavas are fast fruiting (8 months after planting has started production), small habitus so that the population per hectare is high, the fruit is large with thick pulp, tastes good, fresh, and crunchy, very few seeds only 4-6 per fruit, even many are seedless (seddless), and the appearance of the fruit is attractive. With its various advantages, the crystal guava population in Bali has grown very rapidly since the last 5 years, but farmers complain that although certified superior seeds are used, the production, quality and continuity of the fruit produced are not as expected. The continuity of fruit harvest is not sustainable because many naturally induced flower buds do not develop into flowers due to dormancy. The aim of this study was to increase the production and quality of crystal guava fruit through fertilization and the application of flower bud dormancy breakers. The research was conducted in Semanik Village, Petang District, Badung from January to July 2024. The experiment was arranged in a 2-factor factorial with 9 replications, using a group randomized design. The first factor was fertilization consisting of 3 levels; fertilization as the farmer's way/control (P1), fertilization with N, P, K, and Ca (P2), and fertilization with N, P, K, Ca and microfertilizers Zn, and Cu (P3), while the second factor was the application of flower bud dormancy breaker type consisting of 3 levels; without dormancy breaker/control (Dt), Ethreel dormancy breaker (De), and KNO3 dormancy breaker (Dk). The results showed that fertilization level P2, namely the provision of urea, TSP, KCl and calcium fertilizer in the form of gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) at a dose of 250 g, 300 g, 300 g, and 1,250 g/plant respectively and fertilization level P3, namely the provision of urea, TSP, KCl and gypsum at a dose of 250 g, 300 g, 300 g, and 1,250 g/plant coupled with the provision of micro-fertilizers ZnSO4 and CuSO4 tend to increase the growth, production and quality of crystal guava fruit. Similarly, the application of Ethreel and KNO3 flower bud dormancy breakers tended to increase the number of new buds per plant, number of fruits per plant, weight of fruits per plant and percentage of grade A fruits.

Effect of glycosylation, acylation and pyranylation at cyanidin C-ring on its interaction with vitamin C in apple juice beverage matrix.

Synchronous degradation between anthocyanin and vitamin C was found in fruit and vegetable juice matrices. To investigate whether the C-ring of anthocyanin is the key site of this interaction, cyanidin with four different C-ring modifications (3-glucosylation, 3,5-diglucosylation, 6″-malonylation, pyranylation) was added to vitamin C-containing apple juice, and the changes of anthocyanin retention, vitamin C retention, color, antioxidative activity and differential metabolites were analyzed. The anthocyanin retention was in the order of pyranylation >6″-malonylation >3,5-diglucosylation >3-glucosylation. The vitamin C retention was in the order of 6″-malonylation > pyranylation >3,5-diglucosylation >3-glucosylation. The order of color stability was the same as that of anthocyanin retention, and the order of antioxidative activity was opposite to that of vitamin C retention. The results showed that modification at the C-ring limited the activity of anthocyanin, and suggested that the C-ring was one of the key sites for anthocyanin and vitamin C interaction. The shared differential metabolite of all apple juice matrices added with different anthocyanins was trans-hinokiresinol, which was likely generated from anthocyanin skeleton reacted with certain compounds in apple juice. This study showed that modification of the anthocyanin C-ring could affect the anthocyanin and vitamin C interaction to some extent, which provided valuable insights for the application of anthocyanin C-ring modification in shelf-life quality control of typical fruit and vegetable beverages with the coexistence of anthocyanin and vitamin C. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Various Fruit Types: A Comparative Analysis

The exposure of humans to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through fruits is a scarcely investigated topic. The atmospheric deposition of PAHs could contribute to such an issue. The present paper would like to propose an easy, fast, and routinary analytical method to extract and quantify PAHs in apples, pears, and grapes. Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction allowed us to recover PAHs ranging between 68.0 ± 1.2 and 96.2 ± 0.8% from fruit. Gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector analysis showed satisfactory analytical parameters, with details like R2 &gt; 0.9912 in a concentration range of 0.5–500 µg mL−1, with a variability ranging within 0.7–2.3%. Rural fruit samples were found to be more contaminated by PAHs compared to urban samples, likely due to the use of non-green fuels in rural areas considered in this study. Further in-depth research on this topic is strongly recommended due to the relevance of fruits in the Mediterranean diet.

Study on the Metabolic Basis of the Color Formation of Two Color-Presenting Types of Jujube Fruits.

Jujube is a plant of the genus Ziziphus in the family Rhamnaceae; its fruit has high nutritional value, and it is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and other secondary metabolites. The color of its peel is an important indicator for evaluating the appearance of the fruit. However, the mechanism of the difference in color presentation between the seedling offspring of the 'Red Fruit' (TLHH) and the 'Green Fruit' (TLHL) of the fresh jujube cultivar 'Tailihong' is not clear. Therefore, this study used targeted metabolomics techniques to accurately and quantitatively analyze the metabolic pathways of carotenoid and anthocyanin metabolites during the ripening process of two color-presenting types of jujube fruits. Through the analysis of the dynamic changes in the pigment content of the jujube peel, it was found that 30 DAP (days after pollination), 80 DAP, and 110 DAP were the key periods for the development of the color of the peel of 'TLHL' and 'TLHH' jujube and that the substances responsible for the main differences were chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Furthermore, we used an LC-MS/MS metabolic analysis to compare the differences in the carotenoids and anthocyanin metabolites between the two color-presenting types of jujube peels at the key periods of 30 DAP, 80 DAP, and 110 DAP. We detected 32 carotene metabolites and 75 anthocyanin metabolites, respectively, among which lutein had the highest content of carotenoids; it reached the maximum value (93.05 µg/g) and was higher than that of 'TLHH' (74.14 µg/g) at 30 DAP of 'TLHL'. Both showed a decreasing trend with fruit ripening. The anthocyanin with the highest content was cyanidin-3-O-(tartaryl)rhamnoside-5-O-glucoside, which reached the maximum value (258.32 µg/g) at 30 DAP of 'TLHH' and was 51.6 times that of 'TLHL'; similarly, both showed a decreasing trend with fruit ripening. These results elucidate the main metabolites of carotenoids and anthocyanins in the two types of jujube peel and their accumulation characteristics, suggesting that the key metabolites of the difference in color between 'TLHL' and 'TLHH' jujube fruits were lutein and cyanidin-3-O-(tartaryl)rhamnoside-5-O-glucoside, increasing the understanding of the color mechanism of jujube peel and providing a reference for targeted genetic breeding of jujube peel color.

Gene Duplication and Functional Diversification of MADS-Box Genes in Malus × domestica following WGD: Implications for Fruit Type and Floral Organ Evolution.

The evolution of the MADS-box gene family is essential for the rapid differentiation of floral organs and fruit types in angiosperms. Two key processes drive the evolution of gene families: gene duplication and functional differentiation. Duplicated copies provide the material for variation, while advantageous mutations can confer new functions on gene copies. In this study, we selected the Rosaceae family, which includes a variety of fruit types and flower organs, as well as species that existed before and after whole-genome duplication (WGD). The results indicate that different fruit types are associated with different copies of MADS-box gene family duplications and WGD events. While most gene copies derived from WGD have been lost, MADS-box genes not only retain copies derived from WGD but also undergo further gene duplication. The sequences, protein structures, and expression patterns of these gene copies have undergone significant differentiation. This work provides a clear example of MADS-box genes in the context of gene duplication and functional differentiation, offering new insights into the evolution of fruit types and floral organs.

Melon ripeness detection by an improved object detection algorithm for resource constrained environments

BackgroundRipeness is a phenotype that significantly impacts the quality of fruits, constituting a crucial factor in the cultivation and harvesting processes. Manual detection methods and experimental analysis, however, are inefficient and costly.ResultsIn this study, we propose a lightweight and efficient melon ripeness detection method, MRD-YOLO, based on an improved object detection algorithm. The method combines a lightweight backbone network, MobileNetV3, a design paradigm Slim-neck, and a Coordinate Attention mechanism. Additionally, we have created a large-scale melon dataset sourced from a greenhouse based on ripeness. This dataset contains common complexities encountered in the field environment, such as occlusions, overlapping, and varying light intensities. MRD-YOLO achieves a mean Average Precision of 97.4% on this dataset, achieving accurate and reliable melon ripeness detection. Moreover, the method demands only 4.8 G FLOPs and 2.06 M parameters, representing 58.5% and 68.4% of the baseline YOLOv8n model, respectively. It comprehensively outperforms existing methods in terms of balanced accuracy and computational efficiency. Furthermore, it maintains real-time inference capability in GPU environments and demonstrates exceptional inference speed in CPU environments. The lightweight design of MRD-YOLO is anticipated to be deployed in various resource constrained mobile and edge devices, such as picking robots. Particularly noteworthy is its performance when tested on two melon datasets obtained from the Roboflow platform, achieving a mean Average Precision of 85.9%. This underscores its excellent generalization ability on untrained data.ConclusionsThis study presents an efficient method for melon ripeness detection, and the dataset utilized in this study, alongside the detection method, will provide a valuable reference for ripeness detection across various types of fruits.

Comparative Analysis of the Characteristics of Two Hardy Kiwifruit Cultivars (Actinidia arguta cv. Cheongsan and Daebo) Stored at Low Temperatures.

A cold storage system is useful for maintaining the quality of hardy kiwifruit. However, extended cold storage periods inevitably result in cold stress, leading to lower fruit marketability; the severity of chilling injury depends on fruit types and cultivars. In this study, the impact of cold storage conditions on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of two phenotypically different hardy kiwifruit cultivars-'Cheongsan' (large type) and 'Daebo' (small type)-stored at low (L; 3 °C, relative humidity [RH]; 85-90%) and moderate-low (ML; 5 °C, RH; 85-90%) temperatures was determined. Significant differences in fruit firmness and titratable acidity between treatments L and ML were observed in both cultivars during the experimental storage period. Meanwhile, the browning and pitting rates of the 'Cheongsan' fruits in treatment L increased for 8 weeks compared with those of the 'Daebo' fruits in treatments L and ML; nonetheless, fruit decay was observed in the 'Daebo' fruits in treatment ML after 6 weeks. The total chlorophyll, carotenoid, flavonoid, and ascorbic acid concentrations as well as the antioxidant activities of both the cultivars significantly differed between treatments L and ML. After 2 weeks of storage, the 'Cheongsan' fruits in treatment L had lower antioxidant activities and ascorbic acid content than those in treatment ML. These results demonstrate that the quality attributes and antioxidant activity of hardy kiwifruit are influenced by the low-temperature storage conditions and the specific kiwifruit cultivars. Our findings suggest that optimal cold storage conditions, specific to each hardy kiwifruit cultivar, promise to maintain fruit quality, including their health-promoting compounds, during long-term storage.