Packaging to Preserve 'Aurora-1' Peaches from Two Maturity Stages

The main objective of this research was to evaluate chemical and physical changes in 'Aurora-1' peach harvested at two maturity stages, packed in different types of packaging and kept under refrigeration. Fruit were harvested at the mature green and ripe stages, packed in four different types of packaging (control, PD-900 (TM), PVC and PET) and stored at 6 degrees C. The following variables were evaluated every eight days: coloration, accumulated fresh mass loss, firmness, appearance, acidity, total soluble solids contents, soluble sugars, and percentage of pectin solubilization. We observed that the postharvest life was influenced by packaging and the mature green fruits showed lower disease occurrence. Fresh mass loss was lower in packed fruits. The peel of mature green fruits developed a characteristic ripe peach color at the end of storage, but PD-900 (TM) provided a delay in color change. Packaging also influenced the firmness, allowing for more firmness retention than for the control fruits at both harvest stages. The organic acid content decreased in the packaged fruits and increased in the control fruits. In the packaged fruit, the amount of sugar increased until the eighth day and then decreased until the end of the storage period. The 'Aurora-1' peaches did not show compromised quality by packaging use and exhibited an increase in harvest life to 24 days (compared to 16 days for the control).

Organic and conventional fertilisation procedures on the nitrate, antioxidants and pesticide content in parts of vegetables

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Persistence and metabolism of fenthion in orange fruit

The persistence and metabolism of fenthion in orange fruit were studied in field conditions. The fenthion was transformed to fenthion sulfoxide and fenthion sulfone. Sunlight photodegradation experiments showed that this transformation is due to the action of sunlight. Residues were found only in the fruit peel. Fenthion showed a rapid degradation rate with a half-life of ca. 6 days. Fenthion sulfoxide was degraded more slowly with a half-life of ca. 14 days and represented the major residue. Fenthion sulfone was present in low quantities.

A simple and rapid extraction for gas chromatographic determination of thiabendazole and imazalil residues in lemons

A rapid and efficient method is described for the determination of thiabendazole and imazalil residues in lemons (peel and pulp). The procedure is based on the extraction with an hexane:ethyl acetate mixture (1:1, v/v) and gas chromatographic analysis using thermionic specific detection (TSD). The possibility of matrix effect was also studied. Mean recoveries from 8 replicates of fortified samples ranged from 79% to 109%, with relative standard deviation values between 2.4% to 12.8%. The detection and quantification limits of the method were 0.2 mg kg-1 and 0.5 mg kg-1, respectively.

Effect of substrata on the development of stem cuttings of Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. BR. - Limonene-carvone chemotype

Studies were conducted to show the effect of different substrata on the development of stem cuttings of Lippia alba made of limonene-carvone chemotype. The experiment was done in the College of Agronomical Sciences, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil in 2000. The cuttings were planted in polystyrene trays consisting of 72 cells. The cuttings had about 0.20 m of length and were put in the following substrata: Fine sand (T1), commercial substratum (T2), carbonised rice peel and local soil (T3), local soil, cow manure and carbonised rice peel (T4), vermiculite (T5), and carbonised rice peel (T6). After 40 days the development of stem cuttings were evaluated. High rate of rooting of stem cuttings was verified, with average of 95% and no significant difference between the treatments. In relation to dry mass of aerial parts and dry mass of roots, significant differences were found. For dry mass production of aerial parts the commercial substratum (T2) and the local soil, cow manure, carbonised rice peel (T4) were optimal. For mass of roots the local soil, cow manure, carbonised rice peel (T4) proved to be the best.

Use of carambola (Averrhoa carambola L. 'Fwang Tung') fruit at two stages of maturity for fresh-cut products

Carambola fruit ('Fwang Tung') were picked at two stages of maturity: mature-green (50% yellow) and mature (100% yellow). Fruit were washed with water, dipped in NaOCl solution (200 mg.L-1 for 5 minutes), and stored over night at 10°C. Fruit were sliced manually in to pieces of approximately 1 cm thickness. Slices were rinsed with NaOCl solution at 20 mg.L-1, drained for 3 minutes, and packaged in polyethylene tereftalate (PET) trays provided with a fit cover (Neoform® N94). Packages were stored at 6.5°C and 85% RH for 9 days, and samples taken every 3 days for physical, chemical and biochemical analysis, respiration, and internal atmosphere composition. Immediately after cutting, slices at both stages of maturity showed a wounding response with a 5-fold increase in respiration rate. Polygalacturonase (PG) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity did not differ between stages of maturity. Despite the less mature stage being less preferred at the sensory evaluation owing to its greenish peel, the best stage of maturity for carambola fresh-cut production was mature-green, due to a higher resistance to cutting, and presenting a better colour and appearance maintenance for up to 9 days.

Physical and chemical characterization of dovyalis fruits

The objective of this work was to establish physical and chemical characterizations of dovyalis hybrid fruits (Dovyalis abyssinica and D. hebecarpa). Samples of 25 fruits were characterized by evaluation of length and width, weight, percentage and number of seeds per fruit, peel percentage, pulp percentage, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), vitamin C and TSS/TA ratio. Dovyalis fruit has good physical quality for market with an average of 75% pulp. Vitamin C content averaged 120.3 mg/100 g of fresh fruit, characterizing dovyalis as a good source of vitamin C. © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling thermodynamic properties of banana waste by analytical derivation of desorption isotherms

Banana is an agricultural product of great economic importance for various developing countries. The relationship between moisture content and water activity provides useful information for the processing and storage of banana waste. The water activity and moisture content of three banana (Mussa spp. Haploid AAB cv. Nanica) waste items were analyzed to determine the desorption isotherms at six different temperatures (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70°C). The desorption isotherms of the peel, pedicel and pulp of overripe bananas were determined in wide ranges of moisture content (0.001-6.360 kg kg-1 d.b.) and water activity (0.02-0.907). The theoretical GAB model was used for modelling the desorption isotherms. An analytical solution of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation was proposed to compute the isosteric heat of sorption, the differential entropy and Gibbs' free energy by way of the GAB model when the effect of temperature on the hygroscopic equilibrium was considered. © 2012 de Gruyter. All rights reserved.

Pulp fruit added to culture medium for in vitro orchid development

As an additive in in vitro culture media, fruits have a great potential for facilitating economical orchid production because of lower technology requirements and the ease of obtaining raw materials to formulate culture media. We studied the in vitro growth of Cattleya bicolor Lindl. grown in a simplified culture medium supplemented with different kinds of fruit pulp. The experimental design was completely randomised, with eight seedlings per replication and ten replications per treatment, for a total of 80 seedlings per treatment. The culture medium was made using 150 g L -1 of pulp (without peel or seed) from the following fruits: ripe Santa Cruz tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), dwarf bananas (Musa cavendishii L.) of intermediate ripeness, light green chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw), ripe papaya (Carica papaya L.) or green coconut (Cocos nucifera L.).The treatment control was MS 50 %. The treatments and the control were kept in a growth chamber for seven months before evaluating seedling survival percentage, shoot height, number of leaves, rooting percentage, root number, root length and dry masses of shoot and roots. The highest percentages of seedling survival were obtained using MS 50 %, banana and coconut medium. The seedling survival and rooting percentages illustrate that it is possible to emphasise the culture medium MS 50% and the culture medium supplemented with coconut on the most traditional culture medium with banana or tomato pulp. For the in vitro development of Cattleya bicolor Lindl., a simplified culture medium supplemented with coconut pulp is the most suitable for use as an alternative to MS 50%. A simplified culture medium supplemented with papaya pulp is not recommended for the in vitro development of Cattleya bicolor Lindl.

Estádios de maturação de pêssegos 'Aurora-1' para o processamento mínimo

The experiment aimed to verify the effect of maturation stage on the quality of minimally processed peaches. Fruits were used in two stages of maturity, on time corresponding to the background color yellow-green, and mature, which corresponds completely to the background color yellow. The minimum process consisted of washing, sanitizing, enzyme peel, cut lengthwise and removed the stone fruits. Halves obtained were immersed in water chlorinated to 10 mg L-1 of water and left on standing to drain the excess liquid. Afterwards, it was proceeded the packaging of the halves in containers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and with transparent lid, and the storage at 3 ± 2 ° C and RH = 65% for 12 days, with assessments every three days. The variables evaluated were appearance, weight loss, firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, soluble and reduced sugars, ascorbic acid, total and soluble pectin, coloring and activity of polyphenoloxidase. The storage of minimally processed peaches 'Aurora-1' mature harvested was limited mainly by the loss of freshness and firmness, and because they have darker appearance, and lower levels of reduced sugars and ascorbic acid. Peaches 'Aurora-1', harvested at the maturity stage on time, had better quality and longer duration of their minimally processed products.

Qualidade de mangas cv. palmer após armazenamento sob baixas temperaturas

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of 'Palmer' mangoes previously stored at low temperatures, after their transference to the environmental condition. Fruits harvested at physiological maturity were carefully transported to the Laboratory where they were selected, standardized as the color, size and absence of injuries and treated with fungicide before they were stored at 2°C (75.7% RH), 5°C (73.8% RH) e 12°C (82% RH) for 7, 14 and 21 days. At the end of each period, the fruits were transferred to environmental condition (22.9°C; 62.3% RH), where they were kept for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days, simulating the trading period, and evaluated for the occurrence of injuries and rottenness; peel and pulp color; firmness; contents of soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid, as well as, the activities of the enzymes peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. The results indicated that 'Palmer' mangoes can be stored at 12°C for 21 days without damage to ripening, but with limitations due to the occurrence of decay. The storage at 2°C and 5°C was limited by the occurrence of injuries in the peel, but at the temperature of 2°C these symptoms were more severe and compromised the development of the characteristic color of the peel. However, the ripening of the pulp was not harmed, but this process occurred with less intensity than in mangoes maintained at 12°C.

Atividade antimicrobiana in vitro de extrato de Punica granatum L. sobre staphylococcus aureus isolado em leite bovino

Bovine mastitis is considered important disease causing major economic losses in dairy herds. Antimicrobial drug can promote resistance, chemical residues in food and environmental contamination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity in vitro of pomegranate extract on Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine milk, evaluate its antioxidant activity, and quantify levels of total phenols and fravonoides of the different extracts used. Aqueous extracts were used in nature and dry, from the peel of the fruit (EAC) and leaves (EAF). Additionally, it was evaluated the antioxidant activity (AA%), total phenols and flavonoids. Milk samples were inoculated, incubated, and the colonies were characterized as Staphylococcus aureus were adjusted to 1.0x106 UFC/mL in the 6 standard of the MacFarland scale. The sensitivity of the microbial isolates were determined in quintuplicate, in disk diffusion test. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by visible inhibition zone greater than 15mm. The results were evaluated by ANOVA, Tukey 5%, using the program SISVAR 5.3 - DEX/UFLA. Results implied that the aqueous extract from the bark of dried fruit was capable of inhibiting bacterial growth at concentrations of 3%. The other treatments only showed this activity, from the concentrations of 15%, 20% and 30% for dry EAF, in nature EAC and in nature EAF, respectively. Regarding the action antioxidant of dry EAC, was not correlated with total phenols and flavonoids. Probably other alkaloids substances present in the extract studied, may have been responsible for this activity. It is concluded that extracts of Punica granatum L., especially those obtained by the shell of the fruit, showed inhibitory activity against S. aureus, indicating your use potential for the control of bovine mastitis.

Stagnant effective thermal conductivity of agro-industrial residues for solid-state fermentation

The stagnant effective thermal conductivities (K0) of sugar cane bagasse (SCB), wheat bran (WB), orange pulp and peel (OPP) and their combination (weight proportion 1:2:2 SCB/OPP/WB) were obtained using the line heat source method. These solid materials were applied to pectinase production via solid-state fermentation. The moisture content ranged from 4 to 80% (w.b.). A conduction mechanism through the porous media was observed, along with conduction through a liquid film and contact thermal resistance between the samples and the probe. K0 was low for intermediate moisture contents and approached the molecular conductivity of water for high moisture contents. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Contribuição ao estudo bioquímico de frutas tropicais e exóticas produzidas no Brasil: pectina, açúcar e proteína

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influência do estádio de maturação e do cultivo na composição de voláteis do maracujá (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)