Effect of post-harvest ozone treatments on the skin phenolic composition and extractability of red winegrapes cv Nebbiolo and Berbera

Mestrado Vinifera Euromaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

Atmosfera modificada e aplicação de cloreto de cálcio em caqui Giombo

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

Variations between post- and pre-harvest seasons in stunting, wasting, and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices among children 6-23 months of age in lowland and midland agro-ecological zones of rural Ethiopia

Introduction: Food availability and access are strongly affected by seasonality in Ethiopia. However, there are little data on seasonal variation in Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices and malnutrition among 6-23 months old children in different agro-ecological zones of rural Ethiopia. Methods: Socio-demographic, anthropometry and IYCF indicators were assessed in post- and pre-harvest seasons among children aged 6–23 months of age randomly selected from rural villages of lowland and midland agro-ecological zones. Results: Child stunting and underweight increased from prevalence of 39.8% and 26.9% in post-harvest to 46.0% and 31.8% in pre-harvest seasons, respectively. The biggest increase in prevalence of stunting and underweight between post- and pre-harvest seasons was noted in the midland zone. Wasting decreased from 11.6% post-harvest to 8.5% pre-harvest, with the biggest decline recorded in the lowland zone. Minimum meal frequency, minimum acceptable diet and poor dietary diversity increased considerably in pre-harvest compared to post-harvest season in the lowland zone. Feeding practices and maternal age were predictors of wasting, while women’s dietary diversity and children age was predictor of child dietary diversity in both seasons. Conclusion: There is seasonal variation in malnutrition and IYCF practices among children 6-23 months of age with more pronounced effect in midland agro-ecological zone. A major contributing factor for child malnutrition may be poor feeding practices. Health information strategies focused on both IYCF practices and dietary diversity of mothers could be a sensible approach to reduce the burden of child malnutrition in rural Ethiopia.

Avaliação de linhas de beneficiamento e impactos de queda na qualidade de caqui Rama Forte

Excessive and inadequate handling of fruits and vegetables provides high incidences of physical damage, consequently, post harvest losses. The main goal of this work was to evaluate the impact magnitude in persimmon packing lines, Rama Forte, and to determine, at the laboratory, its impact limits. For evaluating the critical points it was used an instrumented sphere of 76 mm of diameter (Technmark, Inc, Lansing, USA), which registered the impact magnitude in seven distinctive impact lines located in four packing houses. For determining physical damages, tests were carried out at the laboratory, where fruit drop was related to impact magnitude, physical damage incidence and fruit post harvest losses. At the packing lines, the values found varied from 21 to 87 G on the transfer points and the majority of registered impacts (over 94%) were down 50G. Drops from 20 cm caused an increase in weight losses after six days of storage at room temperature. Drops from 20 and 30 cm caused skin darkness (low L values), associated to a decrease in color intensity (chroma). Impact drop did not affect pulp fruit chemical features.

Qualidade pós-colheita de caqui 'fuyu' com utilização de diferentes concentrações de cobertura comestível

One of the main objectives of applying edible coatings on fruits surface is to create a protective film to reduce weight loss due to evaporation and transpiration and also to decrease the risk of fruit rot caused by environmental contamination, in order to improve the visual aspect. Therefore, it is possible to increase shelf life, and decrease post harvest losses. Persimmon is a much appreciated fruit, with high potential for export, but sensitive to handling and storage. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of applying the edible coating Megh Wax ECF-124 (18% of active composts, consisting of emulsion of carnauba wax, anionic surfactant, preservative and water) produced by Megh Industry and Commerce Ltda in three different concentrations (25, 50 and 100%) on post harvest quality of 'Fuyu' persimmon stored for 14 days. The attributes evaluated for quality were: firmness, pH, acidity, soluble solids, weight loss and color. The results showed that application of carnauba wax in different concentrations was effective on decreasing weight loss of persimmon cv. Fuyu and maintenance of color aspects. Treatment at lower concentration, 25%, showed lower rate of discharge, but high concentrations showed lower values of mass loss. Carnauba wax application showed a high potential for use on postharvest conservation, and can be applied together with other technologies, helping to maintain quality for export.

Effect of harvest date on the dormancy period of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

Tuber dormancy enables yams to survive in the ground during the dry season and post-harvest storage. Three clones of Dioscorea rotundata were harvested after five intervals and then stored in a cooler (20.6°C) or at ambient temperature (27.8°C). The time from harvest to sprouting was shorter as harvest was delayed. The period from sowing to sprouting for each clone was similar for tubers harvested from 140 days after planting, but tubers harvested earlier took longer to sprout. The cooler temperature delayed sprouting. Tubers of two clones sprouted after only 70 days of crop growth. If the dormancy period of these young tubers can be broken, the generation time of yam crop improvement programmes could be considerably reduced.

Identification and characterization of Colletotrichum spp. affecting fruit after harvest in Brazil

Colletotrichum spp. cause anthracnose in various fruits post-harvest and are a particularly important problem in tropical and subtropical fruits. The disease in fruits of avocado, guava, papaya, mango and passion fruit has been reported to be caused by C. gloeosporioides, and in banana by C. musae. In subtropical and temperate crops such apple, grape, peach and kiwi, the disease is caused by C. acutatum. The variation in pathogenic, morphological, cultural and molecular characteristics of Brazilian isolates of Colletotrichum acutatum Simmonds and isolates from post-harvest decays of avocado, banana, guava, papaya, mango and passion fruit was evaluated. The fruits were inoculated with mycelium of C. acutatum, Colletotrichum spp. and C. musae on a disc of potato dextrose agar. The morphological, cultural and molecular characteristics studied were conidia morphology, colony growth at different temperatures, colony coloration and PCR with primers CaInt2 and ITS4 for C. acutatum and CgInt and ITS4 for C. gloeosporioides. C. acutatum was pathogenic to avocado, guava, papaya, mango and passion fruit, but it was not pathogenic to banana. The morphological, cultural and molecular studies indicated that the avocado, papaya, mango and passion fruit isolates were C. gloeosporioides. The natural guava isolate was identified as C. acutatum, which had not been found previously to produce anthracnose symptoms on guava in Brazil.

Long-term decomposition of sugarcane harvest residues in Sao Paulo state, Brazil

Crop residues returned to the soil are important to preserve fertility and sustainability. This research addressed the long-term decomposition of sugarcane post-harvest residues (trash) under reduced tillage, therefore field renewal was performed with herbicide followed by subsoiling and ratoons were deprived of interrow scarification. The trial was conducted in the northern Sao Paulo State, Brazil during four consecutive crops (2005-2008) where litter bags containing N-15-labeled trash were disposed in the field attempting to simulate two distinct situations: the previous crop trash (PCT) or residues incorporated in the field after tillage, and post-harvest trash (PHT) or the remains of plant-cane harvest. Decomposition rates regarding dry matter (DM), carbon (C), root growth, plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S), lignin (LIG) cellulose (CEL) and hemicellulose (HCEL) contents were assessed for PCT (2005 ndash;2008) and for PHT (2006-2008). There were significant reductions on DM and C:N ratio due to C losses and root growth within the litter bags over time. The DM from PCT and PHT decreased 96% and 73% after four and three crops, respectively, and the higher nutrients release were found for K, Ca and N. The LIG, CEL and HCEL concentrations in PCT decreased 60%, 29%, 70% after four crops and 47%, 35%, 70% from PHT after three crops, respectively. Trash decomposition was driven mainly by residues biochemical composition, root growth within the trash blanket and the climatic conditions during the crop cycles. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expansion, harvest and cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells in a serum-free microcarrier process

Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) therapies are currently progressing through clinical development, driving the need for consistent, and cost effective manufacturing processes to meet the lot-sizes required for commercial production. The use of animal-derived serum is common in hMSC culture but has many drawbacks such as limited supply, lot-to-lot variability, increased regulatory burden, possibility of pathogen transmission, and reduced scope for process optimization. These constraints may impact the development of a consistent large-scale process and therefore must be addressed. The aim of this work was therefore to run a pilot study in the systematic development of serum-free hMSC manufacturing process. Human bone-marrow derived hMSCs were expanded on fibronectin-coated, non-porous plastic microcarriers in 100mL stirred spinner flasks at a density of 3×10⁵cells.mL^-1 in serum-free medium. The hMSCs were successfully harvested by our recently-developed technique using animal-free enzymatic cell detachment accompanied by agitation followed by filtration to separate the hMSCs from microcarriers, with a post-harvest viability of 99.63±0.03%. The hMSCs were found to be in accordance with the ISCT characterization criteria and maintained hMSC outgrowth and colony-forming potential. The hMSCs were held in suspension post-harvest to simulate a typical pooling time for a scaled expansion process and cryopreserved in a serum-free vehicle solution using a controlled-rate freezing process. Post-thaw viability was 75.8±1.4% with a similar 3h attachment efficiency also observed, indicating successful hMSC recovery, and attachment. This approach therefore demonstrates that once an hMSC line and appropriate medium have been selected for production, multiple unit operations can be integrated to generate an animal component-free hMSC production process from expansion through to cryopreservation.

Condutividade e difusividade térmica do figo (Ficus carica L.) Roxo de Valinhos

The post harvest cooling and/or freezing processes for horticultural products have been carried out with the objective of removing the heat from these products, allowing them a bigger period of conservation. Therefore, the knowledge of the physical properties that involve heat transference in the fig fruit Roxo de Valinhos is useful for calculating projects and systems of food engineering in general, as well as, for using in equations of thermodynamic mathematical models. The values of conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the whole fig fruit-rami index were determined, and from these values it was determined the value of the specific heat. For these determination it was used the transient method of the Line Heat Source. The results shown that the fig fruit has a thermal conductivity of 0.52 W m-1°C, thermal diffusivity of 1.56 x 10-7 m² s-1, pulp density of 815.6 kg m-3 and specific heat of 4.07 kJ kg-1 °C.

Qualidade da classificação do tomate de mesa em unidades de beneficiamento

Quality evaluation of classification was done in two fresh market tomatoes packing house, using electronically and mechanical equipments in two harvest periods, summer and winter seasons. The main goal of this work was to evaluate size and color grading conformity with the standards proposed by the Brazilian Program for Horticulture Modernization and size grading obtainded with the one established by the packer. The cultivar studied was Carmen. The results showed that there was no grade conformity with the fresh tomato quality standards proposed by the Brazilian Program for Horticulture Modernization. The grade conformity obtained when compared with the one programmed by the packer, was only for large sizes, in both equipments. The electronically equipment has presented better performance, over the mechanical, considering grading quality and fruits post-harvest quality. However, the electronically equipment must be constantly monitored to achieve efficiency and investment return. On the other side, for mechanical equipment it will be necessary to review the actual system of size grading, in order to follow the fresh tomato quality standards.

Determinação em tempo real da magnitude de danos físicos por impacto em linhas de beneficiamento e em condições de laboratório e seus efeitos na qualidade de tomate

Tomatoes are one of the most important vegetable crops grown in Brazil and are among the crops that have one of the highest post-harvest losses indexes in the country. The present work aimed at evaluating impact damage observed in packing lines of fresh tomatoes as well as to determine, under laboratory conditions, quality alterations of tomato fruits submitted to impact damage in different surface types. Critical points evaluation was accomplished using an instrumented sphere. Critical transference points found showed variations in acceleration levels from 30 to 129 G (m s-2). Tests carried out under laboratory conditions showed that padded surfaces reduced up to 31% impact damage. Incidence of severe internal physical damage was evaluated by a subjective scale and increased by 79% on hard surfaces for the highest fall drop. On the other hand, it was observed an effective reduction in physical damage on fruits when padded surfaces were used. When a 10-cm drop was performed, the maximum reduction measured was 10% for hard surfaces and 5% for previously padded surfaces. For quality parameters, it was observed for high drops on hard surfaces, highest values for weight loss, total acidity, lower values for vitamin C and Soluble Solids.

Infection of guava by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum acutatum under different temperatures and wetting periods

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C acutatum, is one of file main post-harvest diseases in guavas. This study aimed to determine the influence of environmental variables oil germination and appressorium formation of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C acutatum and infection of Kumagai guavas by these pathogens. The germination rate and the apressorium formation rate in vitro were determined under temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 degrees C, with wetting periods of 6, 12 and 24 hours, The infection of guavas was determined under temperatures of 15, 20, 25 and 30 degrees C and wetting period of 24 hours. There was no germination at 40 degrees C for either species. The germination and apressorium formation rate were rather high in the range of 15 to 30 degrees C for C. gloeosporioides, with a maximum at 25 degrees C. For the species C. acutatum, germination and apressorium formation rates were more sensitive to variations in temperature, with a maximum at 20 degrees C. The wetting periods tested somewhat influenced the germination of C. gloeosporioides, whereas in C acutatum the germination was significantly lower with 6 hours of wetting than 12 and 24 hours. The infection of guavas, for both fungal species, increased with the temperature, unlike conidium germination and apressorium formation. Incidences of 100% occurred with 30 degrees C, at 10 days after the inoculation.

Rheological and functional properties of flours from banana pulp and peel

Unripe banana flour can be an alternative to minimize post-harvest loss and to increase the aggregate value of banana fruit. Flour from unripe banana is rich in phytosterols and resistant starch, being proposed as health food. Flours from unripe banana peel and pulp were evaluated on their composition, phytosterols content, thermal and rheological properties, and pasting profiles. High amounts of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were found in flour from banana peel. These samples showed lower viscosity values of pasting profiles, lower energy enthalpy on gelatinization, and higher temperature of gelatinization than those ones from pulp. Anti-oxidant treatment of fruits with citric acid does not change pasting profiles of flours from pulp, but resulted in slight increase in viscosity, suggesting that structure of starch could be modified by acidification.