Postharvest nitric oxide treatment of persimmon (

Introduction. The effects of nitric oxide (NO) on postharvest ripening of persimmon were investigated. Materials and methods. Fruit were dipped for 30 min in 1.0 and 1.5 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide donor, and stored at 1 °C and 90% relative humidity for 56 days. Changes in total antioxidant activity, total phenol compounds, color, firmness, soluble tannins and weight loss were evaluated. Results and discussion. The results showed that fruit ripening was significantly delayed by SNP. Application of 1.0 and 1.5 mM SNP delayed weight loss and retained greater total antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds and firmness compared to the control treatments. No significant differences were observed between the two concentrations of SNP. Conclusion. These results demonstrated that postharvest NO application has potential to delay ripening and maintain quality of harvested persimmon fruit

Profiling phenolic compounds in juice and peel of fourteen pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties grown in Florida, USA

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit contain several health-promoting compounds, but the profiles of these compounds and their variations in nutraceutical value are still lacking. Thus, the profile of phenolic compounds in juice and peel of fourteen pomegranate varieties grown in Florida were evaluated using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). A total of 14 phenolic compounds were detected in juice and peel samples and four phenolic compounds were identified and quantitated in studied varieties. Punicalagin A and B were the most representative phenolic compounds in juice of all varieties; the ‘EG’ genotype had the highest content of punicalagin A and B, 93.3 and 238.7 µg/mL, respectively. In peel, ellagic and gallic acids were the most abundant compound; ‘EG’ variety had the highest content of these phenolic compounds, 690.2 and 42.2 µg/mL, respectively. These results can contribute to retrieval and biodiversity valorization of such germplasm by a full characterization of the germplasm

Influence of rootstocks on fruit physical and chemical properties of peach cv. UFSun

The subtropical peach cultivar UFSun grafted on five different rootstocks ('Flordaguard', 'Barton', 'MP-29', 'P-22', and 'Okinawa') was investigated in terms of the pomological and biochemical parameters of the fruit. Significant differences in fruit weight and size, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and firmness were found among some rootstocks. The fruit length and diameter were different between the 'MP-29' and other rootstocks. It was also found that firmness of 'UFSun' fruit was affected by the rootstock. The highest firmness value was found when 'UFSun' was grafted on 'Flordaguard'.' 'MP-29' fruit had the highest soluble solids content, but there were no differences among the other rootstocks. 'UFSun' fruit from trees grafted on 'MP-29' were smaller and had the most intense color compared to 'UFSun' fruit from other rootstocks. Rootstock had a significant influence on total fruit phenolic compounds, anthocyanin content, and total antioxidant activity, with fruit from 'UFSun' on 'MP-29' having the highest values in all of them. A high correlation between fruit total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was found. Overall, the results showed that 'MP-29' seems to induce the highest fruit quality, showing higher contents of total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, total phenolic compounds, total antioxidant activity, and total anthocyanin content. Selecting the right combination of the rootstock and cultivar is important for optimizing fruit quality parameters