Towards a better understanding and new tools for soft fruit quality control

Prospects for the production of new and more tasteful strawberry and blackcurrant fruits may be achieved not only through genetic improvement and release of new varieties but also by adapting current cultivation systems and boosting the development of diagnostics tools for better quality control (QC) by growers and breeders. The balance between sugar and acid content (S/A ratio) and even the content of certain health-related compounds within the fruit, may act as important indices of consumer acceptability or overall berry quality. The S/A ratio, of fruits from 23 blackcurrant and 19 strawberry cultivars ranged from 1.84-4.39 and 3.9-9.6, respectively. S/A ratios generally increased during blackcurrant ripening (up to 1.3-fold higher for certain cultivars), declined slightly during postharvest storage at different temperatures or even changed when the same cultivar was grown at different locations (up to 30% of variation). Synthesis of health-related compounds (i.e. anthocyanins) occurred even after harvest and was strongly influenced by storage temperature and maturity at harvest. Deficit irrigation (DI) at different fruit developmental stages, was investigated as a potential strategy to improve strawberry fruit quality in a range of cultivars. The S/A ratio and the concentration of health-related compounds (viz. individual anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity) were much greater (i.e. 1.4-fold higher antioxidant capacity), for some cultivars, in fruits from DI-treated plants as compared with fully irrigated plants. The taste- and health-related composition of both blackcurrant and strawberries considerably changed from year-to-year demonstrating the influence of agroclimatic conditions on overall fruit quality. Cont/d.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Influence of continuous exposure to gaseous ozone on the quality of red bell peppers, cucumbers and zucchini

The effect of continuous exposure to ozone on quality changes during the storage of red bell peppers, cucumbers and zucchini was investigated. Peppers were stored at 14 °C and were exposed to ozone at 0.1 and 0.3 μmol mol−1, while cucumbers and zucchini were stored at 12 and 8 °C, respectively, and exposed to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1. The content of fructose (2.75 g/100 g FW) and glucose (2.00 g/100 g FW) in red bell peppers exposed to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1 was increased by 8 and 7%, respectively, when compared to controls. Continuous exposure to ozone at 0.3 μmol mol−1, on the other hand, had no effect on fructose (2.52 g/100 g FW) and glucose (1.88 g/100 g FW) content. The content of vitamin C was significantly enhanced in red bell peppers exposed to ozone at 0.1 and 0.3 μmol mol−1 after 7 d of storage, however, this effect was not maintained. After 14 d, vitamin C content in peppers exposed to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1 was not significantly different from the control, whereas it was reduced at 0.3 μmol mol−1. Total phenolics content was increased in peppers exposed to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1, but was unaffected at 0.3 μmol mol−1. Continuous exposure of red bell peppers to ozone at 0.1 and 0.3 μmol mol−1 had no significant effect on weight loss, texture and colour. In cucumbers and zucchini, continuous exposure to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1 reduced weight loss by more than 40% and improved texture maintenance, while having no significant effect on their biochemistry. The findings from this study suggest that continuous exposure to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1 is a promising method for shelf-life extension of cucumbers and zucchini. Even though in red bell peppers continuously exposed to ozone at 0.1 μmol mol−1 sugars and phenolics content was increased, further work is still needed to better understand the exact mechanism of ozone action and its potential for the industrial use

Towards a better understanding and new tools for soft fruit quality control

Prospects for the production of new and more tasteful strawberry and blackcurrant fruits may be achieved not only through genetic improvement and release of new varieties but also by adapting current cultivation systems and boosting the development of diagnostics tools for better quality control (QC) by growers and breeders. The balance between sugar and acid content (S/A ratio) and even the content of certain health-related compounds within the fruit, may act as important indices of consumer acceptability or overall berry quality. The S/A ratio, of fruits from 23 blackcurrant and 19 strawberry cultivars ranged from 1.84-4.39 and 3.9-9.6, respectively. S/A ratios generally increased during blackcurrant ripening (up to 1.3-fold higher for certain cultivars), declined slightly during postharvest storage at different temperatures or even changed when the same cultivar was grown at different locations (up to 30% of variation). Synthesis of health-related compounds (i.e. anthocyanins) occurred even after harvest and was strongly influenced by storage temperature and maturity at harvest. Deficit irrigation (DI) at different fruit developmental stages, was investigated as a potential strategy to improve strawberry fruit quality in a range of cultivars. The S/A ratio and the concentration of health-related compounds (viz. individual anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity) were much greater (i.e. 1.4-fold higher antioxidant capacity), for some cultivars, in fruits from DI-treated plants as compared with fully irrigated plants. The taste- and health-related composition of both blackcurrant and strawberries considerably changed from year-to-year demonstrating the influence of agroclimatic conditions on overall fruit quality. Cont/d