0000000000065400

AUTHOR

Agata Mazzaglia

Chemical-physical and nutritional characteristics of mature-green and mature-ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango fruit cultivated in Mediterranean area during cold storage

Introduction - Mango is a very short postharvest life climacteric fruit. Mangoes are usually harvested firm and green because they are often assigned to long transportation before reaching the market, or they are collected after color break for local markets. In both cases, temperature control is the most critical factor in fruit ripening management. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality evolution of mature-green and mature-ripe mango fruit submitted to 8°C and 90 ± 5% of relative humidity to assess the possibility to prolong its postharvest life. Materials and methods - The fruit of mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Kensington Pride) grown in a Mediterranean environment was s…

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FRUIT QUALITY EVALUATION OF FOUR LOQUAT CULTIVARS GROWN IN SICILY

Chemical (soluble solids content, titratable acidity, pH), morphological (weight, longitudinal and transversal diameter, thickness of the flesh, number of seeds, peel colour), and sensorial characteristics of four loquat cultivars (‘Algerie’, ‘Claudia’, ‘Nespolone di Trabia’ and ‘Sanfilippara’) from mature, organically-grown trees in Sicily, were analysed. The determinations were carried out by traditional instrumental techniques, by a panel test and by an electronic olfactory system. A panel of 10 trained judges was used to determine intensity of some attributes in the sensory profile of the different cultivars, while the electronic olfactory system was used to identify possible difference…

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Fruit quality evaluation of affirmed and local loquat (Eriobotrya japonicaLindl) cultivars using instrumental and sensory analyses

Introduction. Fruit quality can be evaluated by combining instrumental and sensory analyses. These methodologies have been affirmed and tested on different fruit tree species, but loquat is still little known from this point of view. Materials and methods. In this trial, conducted in Palermo and Catania (Sicily, Italy), both instrumental and sensory analyses were carried out on fruit of 8 loquat affirmed cultivars (‘Golden Nugget’, ‘Peluche’) and local cultivars (‘Marceno’, ‘Sanfilippara’, ‘Nespolone di Trabia’, ‘Virticchiara’, ‘Bianco Dolce’ and ‘BRT20’) with the aim of assessing their quality traits. Results and discussion. The sensory results agreed quite well with the physicochemical da…

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Effect of Supplementation with Wheat Bran Aqueous Extracts Obtained by Ultrasound-Assisted Technologies on the Sensory Properties and the Antioxidant Activity of Dry Pasta

Phenolic compounds have antioxidant properties and activate endogenous detoxification defense systems able to scavenge the reactive species of oxygen. The external layers of wheat caryopsis, largely constituting by-products of the milling industry such as bran and various middlings, contain relevant amounts of phenolic compounds. The aim of the research has been to evaluate the effect of supplementation with wheat bran aqueous extracts, obtained by ultrasound-assisted technologies, on the sensory properties and antioxidant activity of dry pasta. The HPLC-DAD characterization of the extract evidenced the presence of ferulic and p-coumaric acids. The supplemented pasta showed significantly h…

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Evaluation of Late-Maturing Peach and Nectarine Fruit Quality by Chemical, Physical, and Sensory Determinations

In this work, both analytical and sensory determinations were carried out to evaluate the quality of yellow (&lsquo

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Giarraffa and Grossa di Spagna naturally fermented table olives: Effect of starter and probiotic cultures on chemical, microbiological and sensory traits

Abstract This work investigated on the effects of selected starters and of probiotic strains on the evolution of microbiota, on trend of volatile compounds and on the final sensorial traits of green table olives. The olives, belonging to Giarraffa and Grossa di Spagna cultivars, were processed according to Sicilian traditional method and the following samples were obtained: (1) un-inoculated spontaneous olives, control; (2) olives inoculated with probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus H25; (3) olives inoculated with commercial probiotic L. rhamnosus GG; (4) olives inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum GC3 plus Lactobacillus paracasei BS21; and (5) olives inoculated with L. plantarum GC3 plus L…

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Influence of Harvest Stage and Rootstock Genotype on Compositional and Sensory Profile of the Elongated Tomato cv. “Sir Elyan”

The present experiment addressed the effects of two harvest stages, namely breaker (S1) and turning (S2), on compositional and sensory profile of grafted, greenhouse elongated tomatoes cv. &ldquo

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FRUIT QUALITY EVALUATION OF FOUR LOQUAT CULTIVARS GROWN IN SICILY

Chemical (soluble solids content, titratable acidity, pH), morphological (weight, longitudinal and transversal diameter, thickness of the flesh, number of seeds, peel colour), and sensorial characteristics of four loquat cultivars (‘Algerie’, ‘Claudia’, ‘Nespolone di Trabia’ and ‘Sanfilippara’) from mature, organically-grown trees in Sicily, were analysed. The determinations were carried out by traditional instrumental techniques, by a panel test and by an electronic olfactory system. A panel of 10 trained judges was used to determine intensity of some attributes in the sensory profile of the different cultivars, while the electronic olfactory system was used to identify possible difference…

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Pomegranate Cultivation in Mediterranean Climate: Plant Adaptation and Fruit Quality of ‘Mollar de Elche’ and ‘Wonderful’ Cultivars

Two pomegranate cultivars, Mollar de Elche, native to Spain, and Wonderful, the most widely cultivated pomegranate variety in the world, were studied in a commercial orchard in Sicily, and their phenological behavior was compared. During the development of the fruit, their dimensional growth was monitored, and after harvest, physicochemical and sensory analyses were carried out to highlight the differences between fruit of the two cultivars. Results showed that Mollar de Elche fruit require less time from flowering to fruit maturity, resulting in an earlier harvest, which was due also to a higher relative growth rate of the fruit&rsquo

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POMOLOGICAL TRAITS, SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS, AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN FRUITS OF NINE LOQUAT CULTIVARS GROWN IN SICILY

Loquat cultivation in Italy currently aims at offering a wider choice of cultivars to growers. The present study determined commercial quality, characterized the antioxidant capacity, and quantified the major bioactive compounds of some local ('BRT 20', 'Claudia', 'Nespolone di Trabia', 'Sanfilippara') and international ('Algerie', 'El Buenet', 'Bueno', 'Golden Nugget' and 'Peluche') cultivars. Fruit was harvested at commercial ripening and chemical-physical determinations of weight, diameters, skin and flesh color, soluble solid content, tritable acidity, antioxidant activity and polyphenol content, and sensory analyses were carried out. Data showed a large variability among genotypes and …

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Polyphasic approach to study physico-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics of artisanal Nicastrese goat's cheese

Abstract Nicastrese goat's cheese is produced in the South of Italy under traditional procedures, from raw goat milk without any starter cultures addition. Samples from milk to ripened cheese provided by 4 different farms were subjected to a polyphasic approach to study their physico-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics. In addition, volatile organic compounds formation in the final products was studied. Overall, gross composition and microbiological data revealed a significant variability among samples, which was confirmed by both the volatile organic compounds generated in the final products and by the sensorial data. Conventional technique allowed us to identify 720 is…

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Pomological Traits, Sensory Profile and Nutraceutical Properties of Nine Cultivars of Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) Fruits Grown in Mediterranean Area

In this paper the diversity of fruit quality within nine loquat cultivars, including five international affirmed cultivars (Algerie, Golden Nugget, Peluche, Bueno, El Buenet) and four local cultivars (Sanfilippara, Nespolone di Trabia, BRT20 and Claudia), were investigated in order to discriminate the variation in pomological characteristics, sensory profile, and antioxidant properties. Finally, to evaluate potential bioactivity, antiproliferative activity of hydrophilic extracts from loquat fruits was assessed, at dietary relevant concentrations, against three human epithelial cell lines. Even though the international cultivars confirmed an appropriate level of commercial qualities in asso…

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Fruit production and quality evaluation of four litchi cultivars (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) grown in Mediterranean climate

Introduction - The agronomic and qualitative responses of the litchi fruit (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) grown in Mediterranean climate are not yet studied. In this study, yield components, physico-chemical and sensory traits of four commercial litchi cultivars were recorded over two productive seasons. Materials and methods - Fruits of the cvs Tai So, Wai Chee, Brewster and Kwai Mai were collected at commercial maturity stage and subjected to productive (yield, efficiency, number of fruits, crop load), analytical (fruit weight, transversal diameter, longitudinal diameter, moisture, total soluble solid content (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, seed weight, peel weight, percentage of …

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Development of Durum Wheat Breads Low in Sodium Using a Natural Low-Sodium Sea Salt

Durum wheat is widespread in the Mediterranean area, mainly in southern Italy, where traditional durum wheat breadmaking is consolidated. Bread is often prepared by adding a lot of salt to the dough. However, evidence suggests that excessive salt in a diet is a disease risk factor. The aim of this work is to study the effect of a natural low-sodium sea salt (Saltwell&reg

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Use of selected autochthonous lactic acid bacteria for Spanish-style table olive fermentation

The present work presents a successful attempt to achieve an enhanced and more predictable fermentation process in Spanish-style green olive technology by selection and use of autochthonous starter cultures. During the first phase of this work, two Spanish-like fermentations of green table olives of cultivar (cv) “Nocellara del Belice”, coming from irrigated and not irrigated fields, were monitored, in order to highlight the best agricultural conditions for drupe production and to isolate lactic acid bacteria strains with relevant technological properties. Among 88 identified isolates, one Lactobacillus pentosus strain showed remarkable biochemical features and high acidification rate in sy…

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EVALUATION OF FRUIT QUALITY IN LOQUAT USING BOTH CHEMICAL AND SENSORY ANALYSES

The use of scientific methodologies on fruit quality perception by using both instrumental and sensory analyses has been affirmed and tested on many fruit tree species. Loquat is still little known from a sensory analysis point of view. The aim of this work is to evaluate fruit quality characteristics of some loquat cultivars using both physico-chemical and sensory analyses. The trial was conducted in Palermo, Sicily on 4 cultivars: ‘Bianco Dolce’, ‘BRT20’, ‘Peluche’ and ‘Nespolone di Trabia’. Fruits were analyzed for weight, transversal and longitudinal diameter, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, peel colour and sensory profile by a trained panel. The sensory attributes were corre…

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Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene on postharvest quality of white- and yellow-flesh loquat (Eriobotrya japonicaLindl.) fruit

Introduction. The effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) were evaluated on white-flesh cv. Claudia and yellow-flesh cv. Nespolone di Trabia loquat fruit. Materials and methods. Application of 1-MCP ((0.5 to 1) µL⋅L -1 for 20 h)) was monitored at 20 °C (7 days) and 0 °C (7 days at 0 °C and then 7 days at 20 °C). Results. Treatments with 1-MCP slowed fruit softening, depending on the concentration. Softening inhibition was greatest in fruit treated and held at 20 °C. The optimum concentration for softening inhibition at 20 °C was 1µ L ⋅L -1 of 1-MCP, while 0.5 µL⋅L -1 of 1-MCP was more effective at 0 °C. Conclusion. Treatments with 1-MCP inhibited titratable acidity loss in both cultivars. 1…

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CHEMICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF FIVE LOQUAT CULTIVARS

Fruit quality can be evaluated by combining chemical-physical and sensory analyses. In this trial, both instrumental and sensory analyses were carried out on fruit of 5 loquat cultivars (‘Nespolone di Trabia’, ‘Sanfilippara’, ‘Virticchiara’, ‘MarcenA²â€™ and ‘Golden Nugget’), with the aim of assessing their commercial quality. Fruit weight, transversal and longitudinal diameter, total soluble solid content (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA) were measured. In addition, a sensory profile of each cultivar was defined by a trained panel, which generated 16 attributes. The highest fruit weight was found in ‘Golden Nugget’ and ‘Sanfilippara’; the latter exhibited also th…

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Fruit Quality Traits of Six Ancient Apple (Malus domesticaBorkh) Cultivars Grown in the Mediterranean Area

ABSTRACTToday, ancient cultivars have been considered obsolete and replaced, leading to a dramatic loss of genetic diversity. In this trial we examined the quality of the six ancient apple cultivars: Bommino, Gelato, Miliadeci, Rotolari, Turco, and Virchiata. Fruit was submitted to the determination of physicochemical traits and a sensory profile was defined by a trained panel using 20 attributes. We also detected biometric data using a specific descriptor list. Obtained data showed interesting physicochemical and sensory traits among the observed cultivars. ‘Rotolari’, ‘Bommino’, and ‘Gelato’ should be used in breeding programs and revaluated for a placement on specific local markets.

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Fruit Quality Traits of Two Apricot Cultivars

In this trial we evaluated physical and chemical fruit quality traits and sensory profile of two late-ripening apricot cultivars ‘Vitillo’ and ‘Pellecchiella’. Fruits were harvested at full maturation in three different pickings, at 4 day intervals, to ensure the same fruit quality. To verify quality among different pickings, weight, diameter, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, pH, colour were recorded. To describe and quantify the sensory characteristics of apricot fruits a panel of 10 judges generated 16 descriptors. For each of these attributes judges assigned a score from 1 to 9. Qualitative and sensory data for each attribute were submitted to one way Analysis of Variance (ANOV…

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Tree-Ripe Mango Fruit: Physicochemical Characterization, Antioxidant Properties and Sensory Profile of Six Mediterranean-Grown Cultivars

Some of the key components that contribute to the acceptance of high-quality fresh mangoes by consumers are its flavour, odour, texture and chemical constituents that depend mainly on level of maturity. In the European market, the demand for tree-ripened fruit has increased in recent decades. Nevertheless, the qualitative response and the marketable characteristics of tree-ripened mango fruit grown in the Mediterranean area are not yet studied. Tree-ripened fruits of cv Keitt, Glenn, Osteen, Maya, Kensington Pride and Tommy Atkins were submitted to analytical (fruit weight, transversal diameter, longitudinal diameter, flesh firmness, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, seed wei…

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