Yield, Fruit Quality, and Storability of 'Canino' Apricot in Response to Aminoethoxyvinylglycine, Salicylic Acid, and Chitosan

Nano-edible coatings for quality enhancement and shelf-life extension of fruits and vegetables

In developing countries, significant fruit and vegetable losses stem from inadequate storage and mishandling during harvest. Employing edible coatings on agricultural products offers an alternative method to reduce these losses as it aids in controlling the flow of moisture and gases between the product and its immediate environment. A significant benefit of applying edible films and coatings to agricultural produce is the incorporation of active components to the biopolymer matrix, which can be consumed together with the food, improving its nutritional and sensory appeal as well as its safety. Producing edible coatings at the nanoscale level has become more prevalent since the introduction of nanotechnology. By decreasing the coating particles to a nanometric scale of 1 to 100 nanometers, nanotechnology offers an innovative approach for producing new edible coatings. Such nanomaterials exhibit unique and improved characteristics of slowing ripening and decay of fruit and have additional advantages like affordability, convenience of application, and use of natural ingredients. The primary objective of incorporating edible coatings with nanoparticles is to improve the mechanical and barrier qualities of the biopolymer. Despite the tremendous advancements in nutritional nanotechnology, little is known about the toxicity of nanomaterials and due to their potential for toxicity, nanomaterials require more characterization and strict regulations to be incorporating them along with food. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of nanocoatings, including its synthesis and application for fruits and vegetables quality enhancement and shelf-life extension.

Abscission zone metabolism impacts pre- and post-harvest fruit quality: a very attaching story

The function of abscission zones (AZs) determines the timing of fleshy fruit abscission, with important consequences not only for the optimal fruit harvest, but also on the overall final fruit quality. In this context, chemical treatments are commonly used at different stages of fruit development to control fruit abscission, which can also have positive or negative effects on fruit quality. In the current review, we examine commonly used chemicals that affect the metabolic activity in the AZs of fleshy fruit, in addition to their effects on fruit quality characteristics. The main hormone metabolism and signaling in the AZ include that of ethylene, auxin, abscisic acid and jasmonates, and the molecular components that are involved are covered and discussed, in addition to how these hormones work together to regulate AZ activity and hence, affect fruit quality. We focus on studies that have provided new insight into possible protein complexes that function in the AZ, including multiple MADS-box transcription factors, with potential overlapping regulatory roles which exist between AZ development, ethylene production, AZ activation, fruit ripening and overall fruit quality. The view of the AZ as a cross roads where multiple pathways and signals are integrated is discussed.

Are Basic Substances a Key to Sustainable Pest and Disease Management in Agriculture? An Open Field Perspective

Pathogens and pests constantly challenge food security and safety worldwide. The use of plant protection products to manage them raises concerns related to human health, the environment, and economic costs. Basic substances are active, non-toxic compounds that are not predominantly used as plant protection products but hold potential in crop protection. Basic substances' attention is rising due to their safety and cost-effectiveness. However, data on their protection levels in crop protection strategies are lacking. In this review, we critically analyzed the literature concerning the field application of known and potential basic substances for managing diseases and pests, investigating their efficacy and potential integration into plant protection programs. Case studies related to grapevine, potato, and fruit protection from pre- and post-harvest diseases and pests were considered. In specific cases, basic substances and chitosan in particular, could complement or even substitute plant protection products, either chemicals or biologicals, but their efficacy varied greatly according to various factors, including the origin of the substance, the crop, the pathogen or pest, and the timing and method of application. Therefore, a careful evaluation of the field application is needed to promote the successful use of basic substances in sustainable pest management strategies in specific contexts.

Effect of Chitosan Nanoparticles as Edible Coating on the Storability and Quality of Apricot Fruits

Apricots are a fragile fruit that rots quickly after harvest. Therefore, they have a short shelf-life. The purpose of this work is to determine the effect of coatings containing chitosan (CH) as well as its nanoparticles (CHNPs) as thin films on the quality and shelf-life of apricots stored at room (25 ± 3 °C) and cold (5 ± 1 °C) temperatures. The physical, chemical, and sensorial changes that occurred during storage were assessed, and the shelf-life was estimated. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the size and shape of the nanoparticle. The nanoparticles had a spherical shape with an average diameter of 16.4 nm. During the storage of the apricots, those treated with CHNPs showed an obvious decrease in weight loss, decay percent, total soluble solids, and lipid peroxidation, whereas total acidity, ascorbic acid, and carotenoid content were higher than those in the fruits treated with CH and the untreated fruits (control). The findings of the sensory evaluation revealed a significant difference in the overall acceptability scores between the samples treated with CHNPs and the other samples. Finally, it was found that CHNP coatings improved the qualitative features of the apricots and extended their shelf-life for up to 9 days at room temperature storage and for 30 days in cold storage.

Evaluation of Nutritional Content in Wild Apricot Fruits for Sustainable Apricot Production

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) trees are common from Asia to North America and have been used for delicious and nutritious fruits for centuries. Wild apricot trees show great environment plasticity and are free of pest and disease traits, both of which are important for sustainable apricot production. However, wild apricots are more common in Asia and North African countries. Wild apricot trees and fruits show great variability due to seed propagation characteristics. Seeds of wild apricots are used as rootstocks for apricot cultivars, in particular in main apricot producer countries such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Iran. Fruits of wild apricots are also an important food in wild apricot growing countries and add value as a sustainable nutrition source. In the present study, a total of 14 wild apricots widely grown in inner Anatolia were characterized by morphological (fruit weight, flesh/seed ratio, fruit firmness, and color index), nutritional (individual sugars and organic acids) and nutraceutical (total phenolic, total flavonoids, total carotenoid, and antioxidant activity) features. The obtained results showed that wild apricot genotypes differed from each other for most of the morphological, nutritional, and nutraceutical characteristics. The genotypes were found pest- and disease-free and had fruit weight, flesh/seed ratio, and fruit firmness of between 18.24 and 27.54 g; 8.96 and 12.44; and 4.05 and 6.03 kg/cm2, respectively. Citric acid was the dominant organic acid for fruits of all wild apricot genotypes, and ranged from 923 to 1224 mg/100 g. Sucrose was the highest soluble sugar in fruits for all wild apricots, and ranged from between 6.80 and 8.33 g/100 g. Moreover, the level of nutraceutical parameters also varied among genotypes and high amounts of total phenol and antioxidant activity were obtained in fruit extracts of IA8 genotype as 81.4 mg gallic acid equivalent per 100 g and 2.44 μmoL trolox equivalent per g, respectively. Different wild apricot genotypes are rich in certain nutritional and nutraceutical compounds, with significant variations in their levels being observed. The aim of the study was to evaluate fruits of wild apricot genotypes in terms of their total phenolics, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds for use in future breeding programs and sustainable food and pharma industries.