Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Some Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes Collected From Erzincan Province of Turkey

BackroundTurkey is a country with different geographical features and therefore it is extremely diverse in plant diversity. Tomato is one of the most important vegetables produced both in the world and in Turkey. In this study, it was aimed to determine the genetic diversity of 24 tomato genotypes collected from local farmers from “Center villages” and “Üzümlü” district in Erzincan province.Methods and ResultsMorphological (qualitative and quantitative) and molecular markers (ISSR) were used to determine genetic diversity among genotypes. Genotype 24 was found to be higher than other genotypes with important quantitative morphological features such as fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight and soluble solid content (SSC). Considering the overall morphological traits, a wide variation was detected between genotypes. According to the molecular findings obtained. The polymorphism rate ranged from 0–100% and the average polymorphism rate was calculated as 80%.ConclusionPresent findings revealed the diversity in tomato genotypes collected from Erzincan province and may constitute the bases for further breeding studies in tomato and will bring an integrity in tomato identification studies.

Sodium Nitroprusside Functions in Browning Control and Quality Maintaining of Postharvest Rambutan Fruit

Surface browning after harvest is the primary constraint affecting the storage life and market circulation of rambutans. In this study, rambutan fruits were soaked in sodium nitroprusside at different concentrations and stored at 25°C for 8 days to explore the effects on postharvest quality and browning. The weight loss, browning index and superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents of the treated fruits were reduced compared to those of the control fruits (soaked in distilled water). And fruits treated with sodium nitroprusside had a higher total phenolic content and lower polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity. In addition, compared with the control, the treated fruits exhibited higher phenylalanine ammonia lyase, ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities; titratable acidity; and soluble solid, vitamin C and protein contents, indicating high fruit quality. Overall, sodium nitroprusside treatment at 200 μmol L−1 demonstrated the most positive preservation effects. Therefore, sodium nitroprusside treatment, particularly at 200 μmol L−1, can be used as an eco-friendly, safe and convenient method for postharvest quality management and high-efficiency preservation of rambutan fruits.

Nutritional Potential and Bioactive Compounds in Cereus jamacaru DC: An Multifaceted Cactus From Brazilian Semiarid

Cereus jamacaru DC. is an endemic cactus of the Brazilian semiarid region empirically used by humans for forage, food and medicinal purposes. In this paper, we characterize the physicochemical and phytochemical profile of the C. jamacaru cladode and fruits, outlining their nutritional implications. We evaluate the basic physicochemical characteristic of the fruits and the main classes of chemical compounds present in aqueous and ethanolic extracts from cladode, peel, and pulp of ripe and semi-ripe fruits through qualitatively and quantitatively methods. We analyze the data through descriptive statistics and variance analysis. The fruits have appropriate pH, acidity, and total soluble solid levels for the fruit processing industry and fresh consumption. We identified the presence of saponins, tannins, flavones, flavonols, and xanthones in all samples, but alkaloids and steroids were both detected in cladodes exclusively. The phenolic compound and flavonoid contents vary according to the extraction method and sample class. The cladodes and pulp of ripe fruits have the highest flavonoid levels, while the content of phenolic compounds had a high level in peels of ripe and semi-ripe fruits. The presence of these bioactive compounds implies that C. jamacaru products have relevant pharmacological interest and functionality for human (fruits) and domestic ruminant (cladodes) food. These applications can boost the agricultural-economic exploration of C. jamacaru and contribute to income generation, and improve human and animal nutrition.

Corona Discharge Power of Plasma Treatment Influence on the Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Enoki Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes)

Plasma treatment was widely known as an effective technology applied for contact-surface decontamination. Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) was an edible-medicinal mushroom with different phytochemicals and bioactive components beneficial for human health. Enoki mushroom had high respiration rate therefore it was highly perishable after harvesting. Moreover, it was greatly susceptible to microbial contamination but it was not feasible to be decontaminated by normal water washing. It’s urgent to extend shelf-life and control microbial criteria on this mushroom in dry manner without aqueous treatment. Corona discharge plasma was among 4 kinds of diverse cold atmospheric pressure plasma sources widely applied in food industry. This study demonstrated the influence of corona discharge plasma power values (control, 120, 150, 180, 210 W) on the physicochemical and microbial characteristics of Enoki mushroom during 10 days of storage at ambient temperature. Results showed that Enoki mushroom should be treated at 150 W of corona discharge plasma power to retain weight loss, total soluble solid, vitamin C in acceptable values while reducing total Aerobic count, Coliform, Enterobacteriaceae as much as possible. At the 10th day of storage, the weight loss, total soluble solid, vitamin C, total Aerobic count, Coliform, Enterobacteriaceae were recorded at 3.35±0.07%, 6.98±0.03 oBrix, 14.81±0.04 mg/100 g, 4.71±0.05 log CFU/g, 3.17±0.02 log CFU/g, 2.13±0.01 CFU/g, respectively. Findings of this research proved that corona discharge plasma pretreatment would be appropriate to maintain physicochemical properties and retard microbial loads on Enoki mushroom during preservation.

Quality attributes of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) fruit under pre-harvest and post-harvest treatment with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid

Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most delicious fruits popularly cultivated in tropical regions due to its sweet-juicy taste, attractive flavor and bioactive composition. Extending cantaloupe shelf-life during handling and distribution is very necessary to upgrade its commercial value. Methyl jasmonate (MJeA) and salicylic acid (SA) are bio-regulators widely applied on either pre- or post-harvest to extend the shelf life and maintain fruit quality during storage. In this investigation, the possibility of both pre-harvest (7 days before harvesting) via spraying and post-harvest (immediately after harvesting) evaluated by dipping on cantaloupe fruit by either MJeA (3 mM) or SA (3 mM) separately; in combination with MJeA/SA (1.5/1.5 mM/mM) for 30 s. These fruits were kept at 24±0.5 oC for 28 days of storage. In 7 day-interval, fruits were sampled to verify firmness, weight loss, decay rate, total soluble solid, carotenoid, vitamin C, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content. Results revealed that there was a significant difference in quality attributes between the treated samples and the control ones. However, there was no significant difference in quality attributes on either pre-harvest or post-harvest treatments by MeJA and SA reagents. Incorporation of MJeA/SA (1.5/1.5 mM/mM) by either pre-harvest or post-harvest maintained the most firmness (52.10±0.11 N or 52.37±0.08 N), total soluble solid (18.08±0.05 oBrix or 18.15±0.04 oBrix), carotenoid (46.97±0.02 µg/100 g or 47.10±0.03 µg/100 g), vitamin C (26.04±0.02 mg/100 g or 26.17±0.02 mg/100 g), total phenolic content (117.86±0.05 mg GAE/100 g or 119.75±0.09 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoid content (84.04±0.02 mg QE/100 g or 84.20±0.02 mg QE/100 g) as well as the least weight loss (3.74±0.01% or 3.66±0.03%) and decay rate (1.42±0.01% or 1.26±0.03%) at the end of 28 days of storage. The synergistic effect of MeJA and SA would be a promising alternative to preserve cantaloupe fruit quality with a long shelf life.

Effects of Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties of Cow’s Milk and Goat’s Milk Dadih Inoculated with Various Lactobacillus Species

Dadih is a dairy-based product and it is one of the most popular desserts among Malaysians and Indonesians. It is made from raw milk which naturally contains various types of microorganisms. This study was conducted to develop cultured dadih by inoculating various Lactobacillus species such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei into dadih made from cow’s milk and goat’s milk. Prior to isolation of LAB from control dadih (dadih without inoculation with LAB), the dadih was stored at 4˚C for 48 hours. The microbiological (general microbial load, viability of and LAB, mould and yeast count) and physicochemical properties (pH, lactic acid content, total soluble solid, colour, texture and proximate composition) of dadih with different LAB strains and without LAB strain were determined. Results showed that L. paracasei spp. paracasei, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei were isolated from cow’s milk dadih while only L. paracasei spp. paracasei was isolated from goat’s milk dadih. The number of LAB ranged from 5.73 to 6.06 log10 CFU/g for cow’s milk dadih and 5.19 to 5.88 log10 CFU/g for goat’s milk dadih. Results revealed that dadih inoculated with LAB has lower pH and greater amount of lactic acid produced than control dadih. Total soluble solid for dadih with LAB also decreased. Hardness of dadih without LAB culture was higher compared to the inoculated dadih with LAB cultures. Proximate compositions (moisture, ash, crude fat, crude protein and total carbohydrate) showed variations due to differential formulations and incorporations of different LAB strains. Findings showed that L. acidophilus was chosen as the best starter culture for both types of dadih because it has significant effects on pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solid and texture of the dadih.

Assessment of Non-Conventional Irrigation Water in Greenhouse Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Production

Climate change, urbanization and subsequent environmental changes are depleting freshwater resources around the globe. The reuse of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater is an alternative approach to freshwater that can be used for irrigation purposes. However, these wastewaters may contain hazardous and toxic elements, such as heavy metals that are hazardous for human health and the environment. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the concentration of macro, micro and heavy metals in cucumber irrigated with different resources (tap water, greywater, dairy water and wastewater). The results showed that the use of different irrigation resources has increased the level of macro (sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)), microelements (zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn)), and heavy metals (copper (Cu), barium (Ba), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)) in cucumber leaves and fruits. However, their levels were in the range that is safe for human health and the environment was as recommended by FAO maximum values of trace elements (Zn, 2.0; Fe 1.0; Mn, 0.2; Cu, 0.2; Pb, 5.0, and Cd, 0.01 mgL−1). Based on observations, it was also revealed that among different irrigation resources, the use of dairy water in cucumber improved its agronomic attributes and maximum plant yield (1191.02 g), while the different irrigation resources showed a non-significant impact on fruit diameter. However, total soluble solid contents (TSS) were more significant in cucumber fruits treated with wastewater (2.26 °brix) followed by dairy water (2.06 °brix), while the least TSS contents (1.57 °brix) were observed in cucumber plants treated with tap water. The significance of non-conventional irrigation water use in agriculture, particularly greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus) production, is discussed.