Search results for "Nectar"
showing 10 items of 46 documents
Gas chromatographic evaluation of pesticide residue contents in nectarines after non-toxic washing treatments
2004
Washing with aqueous solutions of citric acid, ethanol, glycerol, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, sodium metabisulfite, sodium laurylsulfate (SLS), sodium hypochlorite, and urea is evaluated for pesticide residue reduction in nectarines and compared with simple tap water washing. Residues of pesticides commonly utilized in nectarines (chlorpyrifos, fenarimol, iprodione, malathion, methidathion, myclobutanil, parathion and pirimicarb) are extracted with ethyl acetate and anhydrous sodium sulfate, extract is concentred and analyzed by GC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. The formation of possible toxic by-products (chlorpyrifos oxon, malaoxon, methidaoxon and paraoxon methyl) is …
Dielectric Characterization of Fruit Nectars at Low RF Frequencies
2015
Dielectric properties of apple, apricot, peach, and pear nectars were studied in the frequency range from 15 kHz to 30 MHz and the temperature range from 25 to 60 degrees C. Both the relative dielectric constants and the dielectric loss factors decreased by increasing frequency and increased linearly with increasing temperature with values in the order 10(4)-10(2) and 10(5)-10(2), respectively. The power dissipation densities and the power penetration depths were found to increase linearly with temperature. Power dissipation densities remained essentially constant for all the samples while power penetration depths decreased significantly on increasing frequency. The dependence of each of th…
Byssochlamys nivea inactivation in pineapple juice and nectar using high pressure cycles
2009
The aim of this work was to assess the inactivation of Byssochlamys nivea ascospores in pineapple juice and nectar by combining pressure sequences involving high pressure cycles with relatively mild thermal processing. The effect of 550 and 600 MPa sustained pressures (holding time of 15 min), combinations of sustained pressures and pressure pulses (holding time of 10 s), and pressure cycles (two, three and five cycles of 550 and 600 MPa for 7.5, 5 and 3 min, respectively), at 20, 40, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C were compared. B. nivea ascospores were inactivated by applying sustained a pressure of 600 MPa at 90 °C for 5 min (juice) and 15 min (nectar), and three and five cycles of pressure at 600…
Nectar sugar production across floral phases in the Gynodioecious Protandrous Plant Geranium sylvaticum [corrected].
2013
Many zoophilous plants attract their pollinators by offering nectar as a reward. In gynodioecious plants (i.e. populations are composed of female and hermaphrodite individuals) nectar production has been repeatedly reported to be larger in hermaphrodite compared to female flowers even though nectar production across the different floral phases in dichogamous plants (i.e. plants with time separation of pollen dispersal and stigma receptivity) has rarely been examined. In this study, sugar production in nectar standing crop and secretion rate were investigated in Geranium sylvaticum, a gynodioecious plant species with protandry (i.e. with hermaphrodite flowers releasing their pollen before th…
Do pollinator distributions underlie the evolution of pollination ecotypes in the Cape shrub Erica plukenetii?
2013
Background and aims According to the Grant-Stebbins model of pollinator-driven divergence, plants that disperse beyond the range of their specialized pollinator may adapt to a new pollination system. Although this model provides a compelling explanation for pollination ecotype formation, few studies have directly tested its validity in nature. Here we investigate the distribution and pollination biology of several subspecies of the shrub Erica plukenetii from the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa. We analyse these data in a phylogenetic context and combine these results with information on pollinator ranges to test whether the evolution of pollination ecotypes is consistent with the Gra…
The floral nectaries in theIrvingiaceae
1992
TheIrvingiaceae generally possess large intrastaminal receptacular disc nectaries of the mesenchymatic histo-type, which receive numerous small phloematic bundles directly from the central stele. The non-glandular epidermis bears some 10 to 15 strictly localized stomata that are deeply sunken in the parenchyma. The nectar is assumed to be exposed on the disc surface. Flowers are of simple construction, lacking specialized organs to attract pollinators. A wide range of pollinators is thus expected. TheIrvingiaceae have more characters in common withSimaroubaceae thanIxonanthaceae and should therefore be retransferred as a family of their own next toSimaroubaceae.
Low fruit set in a dioecious tree: pollination ecology of Commiphora harveyi in South Africa
2005
Dioecious plant species differ in floral morphology and rewards between females and males. Pistillate flowers on female plants often lack pollen and can be less attractive to pollinators, which can have consequences for the visitation rates of the sexes. We studied the pollination ecology of the dioecious tree Commiphora harveyi in a coastal scarp forest in eastern South Africa. Floral display, visiting insect species, visitation rate and natural fruit set were recorded. Additionally, we pollinated flowers by hand to determine experimental fruit set. We found that male trees had more and larger flowers per inflorescence than female trees. Both sexes produced nectar in low amounts. During 20…
Pollination syndromes in African Marantaceae
2009
† Background and Aims The Marantaceae (550 spp.) is the most derived family in the order Zingiberales and exhibits a complex explosive pollination mechanism. To understand the evolutionary significance of this unique process of pollen transfer, comparative morphological and ecological studies were conducted in Gabon. † Methods During a total stay of 11 months, 31 species of Marantaceae were investigated at different sites in Gabon. The study included analyses of floral diversity, observations on the pollinator spectrum as well as ecological measurements (e.g. nectar sugar concentration and volume). † Key Results Analyses reveal five flower types based on flower size and pigmentation, spatia…
Bee reverse-learning behavior and intra-colony differences: Simulations based on behavioral experiments reveal benefits of diversity
2014
Abstract Foraging bees use color cues to help identify rewarding from unrewarding flowers. As environmental conditions change, bees may require behavioral flexibility to reverse their learnt preferences. Learning to discriminate perceptually similar colors takes bees a long time, and thus potentially poses a difficult task to reverse-learn. We trained free-flying honeybees to learn a fine color discrimination task that could only be resolved (with about 70% accuracy) following extended differential conditioning. The bees were then tested for their ability to reverse-learn this visual problem. Subsequent analyses potentially identified individual behavioral differences that could be broadly …
Rapid differentiation of commercial juices and blends by using sugar profiles obtained by capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect UV detection.
2015
A method for the determination of sugars in several fruit juices and nectars by capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect UV-vis detection has been developed. Under optimal conditions, commercial fruit juices and nectars from several fruits were analyzed, and the sugar and cyclamate contents were quantified in less than 6 min. A study for the detection of blends of high-value juices (orange and pineapple) with cheaper alternatives was also developed. For this purpose, different chemometric techniques, based on sugar content ratios, were applied. Linear discriminant analysis showed that fruit juices can be distinguished according to the fruit type, juice blends also being differentiated. …