Search results for "characteristic"
showing 10 items of 1381 documents
Effects of 1-Methylcyclopropene on postharvest quality traits, antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content of mature-ripe mango fruits
2017
Introduction - Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a climacteric fruit, very sensitive to prolonged storage with a relatively short postharvest life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 1-MCP treatment on the pomological and sensory traits, antioxidant capacity and ascorbic acid content in late ripening mature-ripe mango fruits submitted to a simulated shelf life at 20 degrees C. Materials and methods - Mango late ripening fruits (cv. Keitt) were harvested from a commercial orchard, located at Furiano, province of Messina (Sicily, Italy; 38 degrees 3'N, 14 degrees 33'E; 5 m a.s.l.). Fruits were treated with 1-MCP (0.005 kg m(-3)) for 20 h in 1 m(3) closed containers and then …
Berry Size and Qualitative Characteristics of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Syrah
2016
The effect of variation in berry size on berry composition was studied in irrigated Syrah/R99 grapevines, located in a temperate area of South Africa. Berries from 45 clusters, sampled from both sides of the canopy (east and west), were weighed to create four categories: 1. less or equal to 1.5 g; 2. between 1.51 g and 2.00 g; 3. between 2.01 g and 2.50 g; 4. more than 2.50 g. Berry physical characteristics were determined and total anthocyanins and seed flavonoids were analysed by spectrophotometry and anthocyanin profiles by HPLC. The ratio of skin weight:berry weight did not change with increasing berry size, but the ratio of seed weight:berry weight increased. For total anthocyanins, va…
Four-Year Study on the Bio-Agronomic Response of Biotypes of Capparis spinosa L. on the Island of Linosa (Italy)
2021
The caper plant is widespread in Sicily (Italy) both wild in natural habitats and as specialized crops, showing considerable morphological variation. However, although contributing to a thriving market, innovation in caper cropping is low. The aim of the study was to evaluate agronomic and production behavior of some biotypes of Capparis spinosa L. subsp. rupestris, identified on the Island of Linosa (Italy) for growing purposes. Two years and seven biotypes of the species were tested in a randomized complete block design. The main morphological and production parameters were determined. Phenological stages were also observed. Analysis of variance showed high variability between the biotype…
Effects of irrigation treatments on the quality of table olives produced with the Greek-style process
2016
The irrigation of olive orchards is commonly applied to produce table olives with optimal size. No data have been published on the microbiological quality of drupes from irrigated olive groves during fermentation. The trials T100 and T50 (receiving a water amount equivalent to 100 % and 50 % of the required amount, respectively) and control T0 (rainfed trial) were monitored during two consecutive years. The results showed a significant increase of equatorial diameter and flesh:pit ratio of irrigated drupes. The decrease of pH and the numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) registered for the irrigated trials during the fermentation were more consistent than those displayed by control T0. Lact…
Energetic reserves, leptin and testosterone: a refinement of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis.
2007
Electronic supplementary material is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2007.0020 or via http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk.
Male health status, signalled by courtship display, reveals ejaculate quality and hatching success in a lekking species.
2010
8 pages; International audience; Summary 1. The information content of secondary sexual traits and the benefits gathered by choosy females are at the heart of sexual selection theory. Indicator models of sexual selection assume that secondary sexual traits reflect the phenotypic/genetic quality of their bearers and that females gather benefits from choosing these high-quality males. 2. Here, we tested the idea that courtship display reflects the health status in a bird species with a lek-based mating system, the houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata). A group of males was treated with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the cell wall of the bacterium Escherichia coli during the seasona…
Do carotenoid-based sexual traits signal the availability of non-pigmentary antioxidants?
2006
SUMMARY Carotenoid-based signals are thought to be indicators of male quality because they must be obtained from the diet and might thus indicate the ability of individuals to gather high-quality food. However, carotenoids are also known to have important physiological functions as immunoenhancers and antioxidants, and, as such, carotenoid-based sexual traits have also been suggested to reflect the health and antioxidant status of their bearers. This last idea is based on the hypothesis that carotenoids that are allocated to sexual signals are no longer available for the detoxification system. Recently, this hypothesis has been challenged on the grounds that the antioxidant activity is not …
Evolution of yolk androgens in birds: development, coloniality and sexual dichromatism
2007
18 pages; International audience; Current theory recognizes the adaptive value of maternal effects in shaping offspring phenotypes in response to selective pressures and vindicates the value of these traits in fostering adaptation and speciation. Yolk androgens in birds are a relatively well-known maternal effect and have been linked to adaptations related to development, coloniality life, and sexual selection. We tested whether interspecific patterns of yolk androgen levels (androstenedione and testosterone) were related to interspecific variation in development, sexual selection, and coloniality. First, we found no relationship between androgen levels and duration of development as reflec…
Negative frequency-dependent selection of sexually antagonistic alleles in Myodes glareolus.
2011
Sexually antagonistic genetic variation, where optimal values of traits are sex-dependent, is known to slow the loss of genetic variance associated with directional selection on fitness-related traits. However, sexual antagonism alone is not sufficient to maintain variation indefinitely. Selection of rare forms within the sexes can help to conserve genotypic diversity. We combined theoretical models and a field experiment with Myodes glareolus to show that negative frequency-dependent selection on male dominance maintains variation in sexually antagonistic alleles. In our experiment, high-dominance male bank voles were found to have low-fecundity sisters, and vice versa. These results show …
Sexually dimorphic tegumental gland openings in Laniatores (Arachnida, Opiliones), with new data on 23 species
2009
International audience; Sexually dimorphic glands often release sexual pheromones both in vertebrates and invertebrates. Species of Laniatores (Arachnida, Opiliones) seem to depend on chemical communication but few studies have addressed this topic. In this study, we review the literature for the Phalangida and present new data for 23 species of Laniatores. In 16 taxa, we found previously undescribed sexually dimorphic glandular openings on the femur, patella, metatarsus, and tarsus of legs I and metatarsus of legs III and IV. For the other species, we provide scanning electron micrographs of previously undescribed sexually dimorphic setae and pegs located on swollen regions of the legs. We…