The charge and energy spectra of heavy cosmic ray nuclei

A charged particle detector array flown in a high altitude balloon detected and measured some 30,000 cosmic ray nuclei with Z greater than or equal to 12. The charge spectrum at the top of the atmosphere for nuclei with E greater than 650 MeV/n and the energy spectrum for 650 less than or equal to E less than 1800 MeV/n are reported and compared with previously published results. The charge spectrum at the source of cosmic rays is deduced from these data and compared with a recent compilation of galactic abundances

Effect of low-pressure storage on the quality of green capsicums (<i>Capsicum annum L.</i>)

Green capsicums (Capsicum annum L.) were stored under low pressure (4 kPa) at 10°C for 5 and 11 days with 100% RH. The results showed that the incidence of stem decay under low pressure storage for 5 and 11 days and storage at ambient atmosphere at 20°C for three days lower compared to fruits that were stored at regular atmosphere at 10°C. Fruit that had been stored at low pressure at 10°C had no symptoms of flesh rots for up to 11 days, whilst fruit which had been stored at regular atmosphere at 10°C had 6% flesh rots after 11 days storage at 10°C.There was no difference in flesh firmness and colour retention between fruits stored at low pressure and regular pressure at 10°C. Capsicums stored at low pressure had higher overall acceptability compared to fruit that were stored at regular atmosphere at 10°C. These results demonstrate the potential of low pressure storage as an effective technique to manage capsicum fruit quality, however there was no additional benefit when fruits were stored at low pressure for more than 5 days

The application of low pressure storage to maintain the quality of zucchinis

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo var. cylindrica) were stored at low pressure (4 kPa) at 10°C at 100% relative humidity for 11 days. Fruit quality was examined upon removal and after being transferred to normal atmosphere (101 kPa) at 20°C for three days. Zucchinis stored at low pressure exhibited a 50% reduction in stem-end browning compared with fruit stored at atmospheric pressure (101 kPa) at 10°C. The benefit of low pressure treatment was maintained after the additional three days storage at normal atmospheric pressure at 20°C. Indeed, low pressure treated fruit transferred to regular atmosphere 20°C for three days possessed a significantly lower incidence of postharvest rot compared to fruit stored at regular atmospheric pressure at 10°C. Zucchinis stored at low pressure showed higher levels of acceptability (28% and 36%, respectively) compared to fruit stored at regular atmospheres at 10°C for both assessment times.<br/

Combined postharvest UV-C and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment, followed by storage continuously in low level of ethylene atmosphere improves the quality of Tahitian limes

The green Tahitian limes (Citrus latifolia) were exposed to 7.2 kJ m−2 UV-C and 0.5 μL L−1 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments both separately and in combination. After treatment, fruit were stored in ethylene free (i.e. air containing &lt; 0.005 μL L−1) or 0.1 μL L−1 ethylene at 20 °C and 100% RH. The results showed that UV-C treatment delayed skin degreening and reduced endogenous ethylene production compared to untreated control fruit, however these effects reduced over the storage time. As expected, 1-MCP inhibited ethylene production, reduced calyx abscission and retained peel greenness during the storage. Both of the combination treatments, 1-MCP + UV-C and UV-C + 1-MCP reduced endogenous ethylene production and delayed skin yellowing. In all treatments, UV-C and 1-MCP resulted in lower fruit respiration rates than untreated control fruit, however this effect diminished during 7 and 14 days storage for fruits stored in air and 0.1 μL L−1 ethylene atmosphere, respectively. There was no difference in weight loss, SSC, TA and SSC/TA ratio between the treatments and storage conditions. The results suggest that a pre-storage UV-C treatment, followed by storage at low level of ethylene improves the quality of limes, with the additional improvement when combined with 1-MCP treatment prior or after UV-C irradiation

Development and application of rice starch based edible coating to improve the postharvest storage potential and quality of plum fruit (<i>Prunus salicina</i>)

The study investigated the possibility of enhancing the shelf life of plum fruit coated with rice starch-ι-carrageenan (RS-ι-car) composite coating blended with sucrose fatty acid esters (FAEs). Film solution (starch 3%, carrageenan 1.5% and FAEs 2%) was prepared by mixing the ingredients and properties of stand-alone films (physical, mechanical, barrier and surface morphology) were studied before applying the coating on fruit surface. Fruit were stored at 20 °C for 3 weeks and analyzed for weight loss, ethylene production, respiration rate, color change, firmness, and titratable acidity (TA) and soluble solid content (SSC). Surface morphology of stand-alone film and fruit surface (after applying on the plum fruit) was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Phytochemical analysis was performed during the storage period and total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), flavonoid content (FC) and free radical scavenging activity were determined. The rice starch composite coating was shown to be effective in reducing both weight loss (WL) and respiration rate and inhibiting the endogenous ethylene production when compared to the uncoated control fruit stored at room temperature (p &lt; 0.05). TPC, TAC, FC and free radical scavenging activity was unaffected in the coated fruit throughout the storage period (p &lt; 0.05). The findings reported in this study indicate that the RS-ι-car-FAEs coating prolongs the shelf life and maintains the overall quality of plum fruit during storage and could potentially be commercialized as a new edible coating for the plum fruit industry

Impact of different solvents on the recovery of bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties from lemon (Citrus limon L.) pomace waste

The effects of different solvents on the recovery of (i) extractable solids (ES), (ii) total phenolic compounds (TPC), (iii) total flavonoid content (TFC), (iv) vitamin C, and (v) antioxidant activity from lemon pomace waste were investigated. The results revealed that solvents significantly affected the recovery of ES, TPC, TFC, and antioxidant properties. Absolute methanol and 50% acetone resulted in the highest extraction yields of TPC, whereas absolute methanol resulted in the highest extraction of TFC, and water had the highest recovery of vitamin C. 50% ethanol, and 50% acetone had higher extraction yields for TPC, and TFC, as well as higher antioxidant activity compared with their absolute solvents and water. TPC and TFC were shown to be the major components contributing to the antioxidant activity of lemon pomace

Optimizing a sustainable ultrasound assisted extraction method for the recovery of polyphenols from lemon by-products:comparison with hot water and organic solvent extractions

Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a three-factor and three-level Box–Behnken design was employed for optimizing the aqueous ultrasound-assisted extraction (AUAE) conditions, including extraction time (35–45 min), extraction temperature (45–55 °C) and ultrasonic power (150–250 W), for the recovery of total phenolic content (TPC) and rutin from lemon by-products. The independent variables and their values were selected on the basis of preliminary experiments, where the effects of five extraction parameters (particle size, extraction time and temperature, ultrasonic power and sample-to-solvent ratio) on TPC and rutin extraction yields were investigated. The yields of TPC and rutin were studied using a second-order polynomial equation. The optimum AUAE conditions for TPC were extraction time of 45 min, extraction temperature of 50 °C and ultrasonic power of 250 W with a predicted value of 18.10 ± 0.24 mg GAE/g dw, while the optimum AUAE conditions for rutin were extraction time of 35 min, extraction temperature of 48 °C and ultrasonic power of 150W with a predicted value of 3.20 ± 0.12 mg/g dw. The extracts obtained at the optimum AUAE conditions were compared with those obtained by a hot water and an organic solvent conventional extraction in terms of TPC, total flavonoid content (TF) and antioxidant capacity. The extracts obtained by AUAE had the same TPC, TF and ferric reducing antioxidant power as those achieved by organic solvent conventional extraction. However, hot water extraction led to extracts with the highest flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that all the extraction methods led to cell damage to varying extents

Screening the effect of four ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters on hesperidin and phenolic acid content of aqueous citrus pomace extracts

Polyphenols of citrus by-products, due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, could be valorized by pharmaceutical and food industries, adding a value to the citrus processing companies. A number of studies have investigated the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions on the recovery of phenolics derived from citrus waste using both organic solvents or mixed aqueous solvent systems. To maximize efficiency, UAE conditions should be tailored to the physical parameters of the solvent(s) employed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four UAE parameters: particle size (1.40–2.80 mm), extraction time (10–60 min), extraction temperature (23–50 °C) and ultrasonic power (150–250 W) on the simultaneous recovery of p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and hesperidin from citrus waste using pure water as a solvent. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed for the identification and quantification of the cited compounds. Particle size was determined to be an important parameter affecting compound recovery, with the exception of chlorogenic acid. A particle size of 1.40 mm resulted in the highest recovery of p-coumaric and caffeic acids (0.25 and 0.58 mg/g, respectively), while higher hesperidin yields were achieved from the particle sizes of 2.00 and 1.40 mm (6.44 and 6.27 mg/g, respectively). Extraction temperature significantly affected only the recovery of the flavanone glycoside (P&lt;0.05). As the extraction temperature increased from 30 to 50 °C the recovery of hesperidin increased from 6.59 to 7.84 mg/g, respectively. Neither extraction time nor ultrasonic power significantly affected the recovery of any individual phenolic compound

Enhancement of the total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of aqueous <i>Citrus limon </i>L. pomace extract using microwave pretreatment on the dry powder

The effect of microwave pretreatment on the levels of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and individual major compounds as well as the total antioxidant activity of the dried lemon pomace was investigated. The results showed that microwave pretreatment significantly affected all the examined parameters. The total phenolic content, total flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, as well as the total antioxidant activity significantly increased as the microwave radiation time and power increased (e.g., 2.5-fold for phenolics, 1.4-fold for flavonoids, and 5.5-fold for proanthocyanidins); however, irradiation of more than 480 W for 5 min resulted in the decrease of these parameters. These findings indicate that microwave irradiation time and power may enhance higher levels of the phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant capacity of the dried lemon pomace powder. However, higher and longer irradiation may lead to a degradation of phenolic compounds and lower the antioxidant capacity of the dried lemon pomace.Practical applicationsLemon pomace could be a good source of bioactive compounds and antioxidants. Microwave irradiation could be applied for the enhancement of the total phenolic compounds and antioxidants of the lemon pomace-dried powder. The findings of this study can be applied for enhancing the bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of the dried lemon pomace for further extraction, isolation, and utilisation

Postharvest UV-C treatment combined with 1-methylcyclopropene 1 (1-MCP), followed by storage in continuous low level ethylene atmosphere improves the quality of tomatoes

Mature green tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv Neang Pich) were exposed to 13.6 kJ m−2 UV-C or 0.5 μL L−1 1-MCP or combination of 13.6 kJ m−2 UV-C and 0.5 μL L−1 1-MCP, with appropriate untreated controls. After treatment, tomatoes were stored in air containing 0.1 μL L−1 ethylene at 20°C and 100% RH. The untreated fruit ripened significantly faster than those of all other treatments. UV-C treatment alone was able to delay fruit ripening by up to 5 days longer compared to untreated fruits whilst the additional of 1-MCP further delayed fruit ripening. UV-C and 1-MCP treatments alone or in combination had significantly slower ethylene production rates throughout the storage period. The fruit treated with the combination of 1-MCP and UV-C was significantly firmer and had higher total phenolic content compared to that of the other treatments. However, there was no difference between treatments in soluble solids content/titratable acids ratio, chlorophyll content, lycopene content and total antioxidant activity. These results show that UV-C and 1-MCP treatment delay ripening and improve the quality of tomatoes in the presence of low-level ethylene during storage. This new treatment could be used to extend the shelf-life of mature green tomatoes through the supply chain without the use of refrigeration