Search results for "fruit quality"
showing 10 items of 65 documents
Metabolic profiling and post-harvest behavior of “dottato” fig (Ficus carica L.) fruit covered with an edible coating from O. ficus-indica
2018
Fig fruits are usually highly sensitive to some physiopathological disorders during post-harvest life, such as softening and skin cracking. Indeed, the use of edible coating (EC) has been evaluated in several fruit crops to reduce fruit post-harvest transpiration and to maintain fruit visual quality. The aim of this study was to determine the post-harvest metabolic response of breba figs treated with mucilage extract from O. ficus-indica cladodes, using an untargeted metabolomic approach. Coated and non coated (control) fruit were sealed in plastic bags, and stored at 4 °C for 7 days. The effect of the edible coatings on their quality fruit during cold storage and qualitative attributes wer…
Genetic diversity in a collection of Italian long storage tomato landraces as revealed by SNP markers array
2019
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide. In this study, we used 7720 genome-wide SNPs to characterize the genetic diversity within a tomato germplasm collection enriched with 64 accessions from southern Italy of the so called "da serbo" type i.e. drought-tolerant and long storage landraces. Notwithstanding the relatively small collection area, 1575 (20.4%) polymorphic SNPs, mostly on Chr11, detected considerable levels of genetic variation. Maximum parsimony analysis of genetic distance revealed four main clusters and clearly separated most "da serbo" landraces from the outgroups. One of the clusters grouped the landraces from the Mount Vesuvius area, t…
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 …
The Application of a Plant Biostimulant Based on Seaweed and Yeast Extract Improved Tomato Fruit Development and Quality
2020
Plant biostimulants are under investigation as innovative products to improve plant production and fruit quality, without resulting in environmental and food contaminations. Here, the effects of the application of Expando, a biostimulant based on seaweed and yeast extracts, on plant productivity, fruit ripening times, and fruit quality of Solanum lycopersicum var. Micro-Tom were evaluated. After biostimulant treatment, a two-week reduction of ripening times and a concomitant enhancement of the production percentage during the earliest ripening times, in terms of both fruit yield (+110%) and size (+85%), were observed. Concerning fruit quality, proximate analysis showed that tomatoes treated…
Anthocyanins: Biosynthesis, Distribution, Ecological Role, and Use of Biostimulants to Increase Their Content in Plant Foods—A Review
2021
In the past century, plant biostimulants have been increasingly used in agriculture as innovative and sustainable practice. Plant biostimulants have been mainly investigated as potential agents able to mitigate abiotic stress. However, few information is available about their ability to influence fruit quality or change fruit phytochemical composition. In particular, very little is known about their effects on anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation. Due to the increasing demand of consumers for healthier foods with high nutraceutical values, this review tries to fill the gap between anthocyanin content and biostimulant application. Here, we elucidate the chemical structure, biosynthetic pat…
Consumer acceptance and primary drivers of liking for small fruits
2018
Small fruit grow naturally in northern Italy, but also in the Sicilian region (southern Italy) there are some areas with the essential climatic conditions for the development of this crop. Nevertheless, according to official statistics, the quantities of fresh small fruits placed on the Italian market are lower than in other European countries. The objective of this study was to assess consumer acceptance for sensory attributes and other intrinsic and extrinsic quality parameters of fresh small fruit, in order to know the primary drivers of liking and have a first understanding of reasons for the poor domestic consumption. Six focus groups with sensory test were carried out to assess consum…
Instrumental and sensory evaluation of seven apple (Malus domestica borkh.) cultivars under organic cultivation in Sicily
2017
Article In this trial we examined the quality of 7 clones belonging to more diffused apple polyclonal varietal groups, using chemical/physical and sensory analyses during two consecutive years. Galaxy, and their ameliorative clones Gala Annaglò® and Dalitoga (Gala clones) that ripen in summer, Erovan* Early Red One® and Scarlet Spur*-Evasni® (Red Delicious clone), Corail Pinova and its ameliorative clone RoHo 3615 * Evelina® that ripen in autumn were studied. Gala Annaglò® is interesting for the fruit size and peel color, Dalitoga for the early ripening and Galaxy for the crunchiness and consistency. All the Gala clones reached very high total solid soluble content confirmed by the panel ju…
Pomegranate Cultivation in Mediterranean Climate: Plant Adaptation and Fruit Quality of ‘Mollar de Elche’ and ‘Wonderful’ Cultivars
2021
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
Fruit production and quality evaluation of four litchi cultivars (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) grown in Mediterranean climate
2017
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 …
Solanum aethiopicum gr. gilo and Its Interspecific Hybrid with S. melongena as Alternative Rootstocks for Eggplant: Effects on Vigor, Yield, and Frui…
2019
Grafting is generally considered effective in ameliorating vegetable crop tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The use of interspecific hybrid as rootstock for eggplant may represent a valid alternative approach to enhance eggplant performance. However, studies on the effects of different rootstocks on eggplant plant vigor, yield, and fruit quality traits often show conflicting results. Thus, an experiment was performed in two spring&ndash