Search results for " CAROTENOIDS"

Evaluation of carotenoids and furosine content in air dried carrots and parsnips pre-treated with pulsed electric field (PEF)

2019

Carrot and parsnip slices were subjected to hot drying at 50, 60 and 70 °C with or without pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment at 0.9 kV/cm and 1000 and 10,000 pulses. The effect of drying on processed samples was assessed by analysis of carotenoids, the furosine value, total phenols and the Whiteness Index (WI). PEF pre-treatment is effective in reducing drying times, but the degree of cellular breakdown makes the compounds more susceptible to chemical and enzymatic reactions. In our condition PEF pre-treatment increased the carotenoid degradation and promoted the Maillard reaction above all at the highest temperature of 70 °C. The assessment of carotenoid stability, together with th…

Non Invasive RAMAN spectroscopic detection of skin carotenoids in healthy Sicilian subjects.

2011

The use of MAP for maintaining quality of ‘Bifara’ fig fruits

2021

Bifara is an old cultivar of Sicilians breba fig (Ficus carica L.). Several studies on market trends and consumer preferences show that fresh fruit is required to have a good visual appearance and to be without defects on the skin in order to be considered fresh and healthy. Breba fig is a climacteric fruit that ripens very rapidly, and therefore, once harvested, it must be kept under low temperature. To reduce the respiration rate of this fruit and increase its postharvest life, effectiveness of low temperature storage was studied on ‘Bifara’ fig fruit, either placed in Modified Atmosphere Packaging MAP (20 kPa O2 and 15 kPa CO2) bags and stored for 3, 5, 7, and 10 days at 5°C and 90% RH. …

Effects of combinational use of controlled atmosphere, cold storage and edible coating applications on shelf life and quality attributes of fresh-cut…

2022

Abstract Background Persimmon fruits are cherished for their unique flavor and high nutrient content. In the present study, the effects of Aloe vera-based edible coatings (EC) added with 1% ascorbic acid, 1% citric acid and 5% calcium chloride in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and their impact on shelf-life quality of fresh-cut persimmon fruit, were investigated. The experimental design consisted of four treatments 1) Aloe vera edible coating + modified atmosphere packaging (EC + MAP), 2) untreated fruit packaged with MAP (CTR + MAP); 3) Aloe vera-based edible coating in passive atmosphere (EC PASSIVE); 4) untreated fruit in passive atmosphere (CTR PASSIVE). Persimmon fruit were stored…

INFLUENCE OF BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS ON QUALITY AND SECONDARY METABOLITES OF ‘VALENCIA’ ORANGE FRUITS

2014

Utilisation of natural carotenoids from Momordica cochinchinensis (gac) as health compounds : extraction and bioactvity depending on the origin and o…

2014

The aril of Momordica cochinchinensis (gac), plant from the Cucurbitaceae family, is the richest source of lycopene and β-carotene, which are a strong antioxidant and a pro-vitamin A, respectively, interesting for health-complements. First, a process of soft extraction-fractionation was developed for extracting effectively the natural carotenoids from gac without loss of their original quality. Then, the lycopene and β-carotene extracted from gac were analyzed and characterized. At least 95% of the extracts were composed of the all-trans isomer. They were not degraded during the heat-treatment mimicking formulation processing. Their thermal stereo-mutation was evaluated. Lycopene is more an…

Physicochemical, Nutraceutical and Sensory Traits of Six Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Cultivars Grown in Greenhouse Conditions in the Mediterranean Clim…

2020

Six papaya (Carica papaya L.) cultivars, grown in a Mediterranean climate under greenhouse conditions, were screened for physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, nutritional and sensory characteristics. The fruits, harvested with more than 50% of yellow surface (between 60% and 77%) were tested for carotenoids content, phenolic content, reducing activity (ABTS) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA50). The physicochemical traits were measured in terms of the titratable acidity and soluble content whereas proximal composition along with moisture, fats, total sugar, ash, vitamin A, C and E content. Moreover, the sensory profile was analyzed by a semi-trained panel. Although the six …

Mixotrophy in a Local Strain of Nannochloropsis granulata for Renewable High-Value Biomass Production on the West Coast of Sweden

2022

A local strain of Nannochloropsis granulata (Ng) has been reported as the most productive microalgal strain in terms of both biomass yield and lipid content when cultivated in photobioreactors that simulate the light and temperature conditions during the summer on the west coast of Sweden. To further increase the biomass and the biotechnological potential of this strain in these conditions, mixotrophic growth (i.e., the simultaneous use of photosynthesis and respiration) with glycerol as an external carbon source was investigated in this study and compared with phototrophic growth that made use of air enriched with 1–2% CO2. The addition of either glycerol or CO2-enriched air stimulated the…

Regulatory changes in pterin and carotenoid genes underlie balanced color polymorphisms in the wall lizard

2019

Significance Reptiles show an amazing color diversity based on variation in melanins, carotenoids, and pterins. This study reveals genes controlling differences between three color morphs (white, orange, and yellow) in the common wall lizard. Orange pigmentation, due to high levels of orange/red pterins in skin, is caused by genetic changes in the sepiapterin reductase gene. Yellow skin, showing high levels of yellow carotenoids, is controlled by the beta-carotene oxygenase 2 locus. Thus, the color polymorphism in the common wall lizard is associated with changes in two small regions of the genome containing genes with crucial roles in pterin and carotenoid metabolism. These genes are likel…

Cultivation and biochemical characterization of isolated Sicilian microalgal species in salt and temperature stress conditions

2021

Abstract In the last years, the possibility to exploit autochthone microalgae in regional applications has been explored. The regional-based microalgal industry may bring several benefits, as autochthone microalgae are already adapted to the biotic and abiotic stresses of their environment. In this work, this concept was applied to Sicily, in which three microalgal strains were collected from the coastline. Monoalgal strains were then isolated and molecular characterization was performed for the species determination. Three of them, two strains of Chlorella and one of Dunaliella, were cultivated in lab-scale in four different conditions: Low Temperature-Low Salt (LT-LS), High-Temperature-Lo…