Chitosan coatings in the maintenance of strawberry quality during refrigerated storage / Revestimentos de quitosana na manutenção da qualidade de morango durante o armazenamento refrigerado

 This study aimed to assess the use of chitosan coatings in the maintenance of postharvest quality of strawberries during refrigerated storage. The strawberries were selected, immersed in chitosan solution, packed and stored at 5°C for 20 days. The effect of different chitosan concentrations (0.5% and 1.0% w/v) on the qualitative aspects of the fruits was analyzed during storage. The parameters assessed were: weight loss, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, total sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugars and ascorbic acid. It was observed that refrigerated storage, associated with chitosan coatings, was effective in maintaining postharvest quality of strawberries, given that chitosan coatings delayed changes in weight loss, soluble solids, total sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugars, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid and pH during 20 days of storage. The chitosan concentration of 1.0% (w/v) was the most promising in maintaining quality, as well as preserving the fruits for more than 10 days under refrigeratio

Produção de matéria seca e de grãos por plantas de feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivadas em solos tratados com metais pesados

This work aimed at evaluating the contents of extractable Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu with a solution of DTPA (diethyleneaminopentacetic acid) and to relate them with the production of dry material and grain production of bean plants under two conditions of experimentally contaminated soil materials with Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn: (i) samples of distrofic red latosol and (ii) humic yellow-red latosol. A decrease in the yield of dry matter was observed for all treatments, if compared with the zero-dose control sample; the grain yield was affected for the soil samples treated with Cd and Cu but only slightly for those treated with Pb and Zn

Análise pós-colheita de goiabas revestidas com fécula de mandioca e óleo essencial de canela

Guava is a perishable fruit susceptible to a large amount of post-harvest losses. Biodegradable coatings have been studied as an alternative to reduce these losses. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of guavas ‘Pedro Sato’ coated with cassava starch with or without the essential oil of cinnamon, submitted to three treatments: control, starch and starch 2% + 2% essential oil of cinnamon 0.01% and stored at 25 ° C and 76 ± 5% RH for 8 days. The experimental design in a factorial 3x5 (3 treatments x 5 times analyzes, 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) with 3 replicates of 3 fruits, were studied:  weight loss, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, sugars total and reducing sugars and ascorbic acid. The weight loss, pH and soluble solids content increased, while the acidity decreased in all treatments. Treatments starch and starch 2% + 2 cinnamon essential oil 0.01% on the eighth day had lower levels of total sugars than control. Reducing sugars increased in all treatments during the days of storage, while ascorbic acid decreased, but to a lesser extent in treatments starch 2% and starch + essential oil of cinnamon 0.01%. The starch 2% + essential oil of cinnamon 0.01% represents good alternative for post-harvest guava conservation, maintaining the chemical characteristics of the fruit without undesirable changes.A goiaba é um fruto perecível susceptível a uma grande quantidade de perdas na pós-colheita. Revestimentos biodegradáveis vêm sendo estudados como uma alternativa para reduzir essas perdas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a composição química de goiabas ‘Pedro Sato’ revestidas com fécula de mandioca associada ou não ao óleo essencial de canela, submetidas a três tratamentos: controle, fécula 2% e fécula 2% + óleo essencial de canela 0,01%, e armazenadas a 25ºC e 76 % ± 5 UR, por 8 dias. Utilizou-se delineamento experimental em esquema fatorial 3x5 (3 tratamentos x 5 tempos de análises, 0, 2, 4, 6 e 8) com 3 repetições de 3 frutos, sendo avaliados: pH, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável, açúcares totais e redutores e ácido ascórbico. O pH e o teor de sólidos solúveis aumentaram, enquanto a acidez diminuiu em todos os tratamentos. Os tratamentos fécula 2% e fécula 2% + óleo essencial de canela 0,01% apresentaram no oitavo dia teores de açúcares totais menores que o controle. Os açúcares redutores aumentaram nos três tratamentos durante os dias de armazenamento, enquanto o ácido ascórbico diminuiu, porém de forma menos acentuada nos tratamentos fécula 2% e fécula 2% + óleo essencial de canela 0,01%. A fécula 2% + óleo essencial de canela 0,01% representam uma boa alternativa para a conservação pós-colheita da goiaba, mantendo as características químicas do fruto, sem alterações indesejáveis

Influence of drying temperature on the chemical constituents of jaboticaba (Plinia Jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg) skin

Jaboticaba is a fruit native to Brazil. Its skin represents up to 43% of the fruit and contains high levels of fiber, minerals and phenolic compounds. The use of the skin waste adds value to the fruit. However, one of the drawbacks of skin storage is the high water content, which requires drying processes to preserve the skin without leading to the loss of nutrients and antioxidants. The influence of different drying temperatures on the levels of nutrients and antioxidants was investigated. Jaboticaba (Plinia jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg, genotype Sabará) skins were lyophilized or dried at three temperatures (30, 45, and 60ºC, using food dryers). The skins were then ground, stored (protected from light) and subjected to analysis of proximate composition, vitamin C, phytate, polyphenols, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity. The drying process had little effect on the proximate composition of the flour, presenting significant difference only for crude protein, fiber and non-nitrogenous extract. The greatest preservation of chemical constituents occurs in the lyophilized jaboticaba skins. Among the drying temperatures tested, however, the skins dried at 45 and60°C had more highly preserved nutritional substances and antioxidants