Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses highlight the influence of lipid changes on the post-harvest softening of Pyrus ussurian Max. 'Zaoshu Shanli'.

How lipids influence post-harvest softening in pears is not well understood. LC-MS/MS (Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) and RNA-Seq analyses of 'Zaoshu Shanli' (ZSSL) pears were conducted during post-harvest storage. This approach enabled the identification of 98 different metabolites that upregulated and 95 that downregulated at 18 days post-harvest in ZSSL fruits to day 0. Metabolites were significantly enriched in KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis. When comparing fruits from day 18 to those from day 0 post-harvest, RNA-seq analyses further highlighted 6496 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ZSSL fruits that were significantly enriched in KEGG pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism and fatty acid degradation. Overall, these results suggested that glycerophospholipid metabolism is closely related to the post-harvest softening of pears. Further research will be essential in order to fully explore the functional implications of and mechanistic basis for these findings.

The effect of nudges aligned with the renewed Flemish Food Triangle on the purchase of fresh fruits: An on-campus restaurant experiment.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effect of nudges, inspired by the recently renewed Flemish Food Triangle, on fruit sales in a Belgian on-campus university restaurant. METHODS: In this mixed-method real-life experiment, nudges were added weekly over a period of four consecutive weeks: placement of (1) Food Triangle posters in the restaurant, (2) 'green heart' icons above the fruit stands, and (3) substitution and (4) social norm messages at the fruit stands. During baseline (no intervention) and all intervention weeks, dessert sales were registered. Short interviews were used to ask customers about their perceptions regarding the intervention. Follow-up measurements (7 and 30 weeks later) evaluated the longer-term effectiveness, while all nudges remained in place. Dessert sales were analyzed separately for both sexes, students and staff categories (based on academic degree). RESULTS: Compared to baseline, the combination of the Food Triangle and the green heart intervention materials in week 2 resulted in significant increases in fruit consumption across almost all subgroups. The other intervention materials used in the current study had rather limited effects in the short term. After 7 weeks of follow-up, significant fruit sale increases were established for all subgroups compared to baseline. At 30 weeks follow-up, the effect for staff B (Bachelor's degree) disappeared. The majority of the respondents (66.4%) had noticed at least one of the nudges, while only 3.4% indicated to have adjusted their dessert choice as a result of the nudges. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of nudges was effective in the long term and increased fruit purchase in nearly all subgroups. Short interviews show that a more active approach may be needed to increase effect sizes.

Table Grapes during Postharvest Storage: A Review of the Mechanisms Implicated in the Beneficial Effects of Treatments Applied for Quality Retention.

Table grape is a fruit with increasing interest due to its attributes and nutritional compounds. During recent years, new cultivars such as those without seeds and with new flavors have reached countries around the world. For this reason, postharvest treatments that retain fruit quality need to be improved. However, little is known to date about the biochemical and molecular mechanisms related with observed quality improvements. This review aims to examine existing literature on the different mechanisms. Special attention will be placed on molecular mechanisms which activate and regulate the different postharvest treatments applied in order to improve table grape quality.

Incentivizing Healthy Snacks During Out-of-School Time Through Grocery Store Partnerships.

CONTEXT: Volunteer-led out-of-school-time (OST) programs, such as 4-H, scouting, and youth sports, reach a large population of children and are positioned to offer opportunities for healthy eating. However, cost is a barrier to providing healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables (FVs) during OST. OBJECTIVE: Offering discounts through grocery store partnerships has shown promise in addressing this barrier in structured, staff-led after-school programs. We tested this model in volunteer-led OST programs and evaluated it using mixed methods. DESIGN/SETTING: The Snack It Up (SIU) intervention was designed to promote FV snacks to volunteer-led OST programs through weekly $5 grocery store discounts. Participation was limited to 1 leader per program. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five of 36 recruited OST program leaders completed the study; 16 were enrolled in SIU and 19 in a comparison group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed the following: (1) discount redemption among SIU leaders; (2) snacks served by SIU and comparison group leaders via photographs from 3 to 4 OST program sessions during SIU implementation; and (3) SIU leader perspectives using key informant interviews before and after implementation. RESULTS: SIU leaders saved an average of $48.75 on FV snacks throughout the intervention ($2.90 per week, more than one-fifth of typical self-reported spending on snacks). SIU leaders also served a greater frequency (100% of sessions vs 75%, P < .001) and variety of FVs (an average of 3.5 types per session vs 1.3, P < .001) and fewer salty/sweet snacks (0.0 vs 1.3 types per session, P < .001) than those in the comparison group and expressed positive impressions of SIU. CONCLUSIONS: Partnerships between OST programs and grocery stores are a promising avenue for promoting healthier snacks during OST.

Apple fruit acidity is genetically diversified by natural variations in three hierarchical epistatic genes: MdSAUR37, MdPP2CH and MdALMTII.

Many efforts have been made to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) to facilitate practical marker-assisted selection (MAS) in plants. In the present study, using MapQTL and BSA-seq (bulk segregant analysis using next generation sequencing) with two independent pedigree-based populations, we identified four major genome-wide QTLs responsible for apple fruit acidity. Candidate genes were screened in major QTL regions, and three functional gene markers, including a non-synonymous A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the coding region of MdPP2CH, a 36-bp insertion in the promoter of MdSAUR37 and a previously reported SNP in MdALMTII, were validated to influence the malate content of apple fruits. In addition, MdPP2CH inactivated three vacuolar H+ -ATPases (MdVHA-A3, MdVHA-B2 and MdVHA-D2) and one aluminium-activated malate transporter (MdALMTII) via dephosphorylation and negatively influenced fruit malate accumulation. The dephosphotase activity of MdPP2CH was suppressed by MdSAUR37, which implied a higher hierarchy of genetic interaction. Therefore, the MdSAUR37/MdPP2CH/MdALMTII chain cascaded hierarchical epistatic genetic effects to precisely determine apple fruit malate content. An A/G SNP (-1010) on the MdMYB44 promoter region from a major QTL (qtl08.1) was closely associated with fruit malate content. The predicted phenotype values (PPVs) were estimated using the tentative genotype values of the gene markers, and the PPVs were significantly correlated with the observed phenotype values. Our findings provide an insight into plant genome-based selection in apples and will aid in conducting research to understand the fundamental physiological basis of quantitative genetics.

Recent developments in the food quality detected by non-invasive nuclear magnetic resonance technology.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a rapid, accurate and non-invasive technology and widely used to detect the quality of food, particularly to fruits and vegetables, meat and aquatic products. This review is a survey of recent developments in experimental results for the quality of food on various NMR technologies in processing and storage over the past decade. Following a discussion of the quality discrimination and classification of food, analysis of food compositions and detection of physical, chemical, structural and microbiological properties of food are outlined. Owing to high cost, low detection limit and sensitivity, the professional knowledge involved and the safety issues related to the maintenance of the magnetic field, so far the practical applications are limited to detect small range of food. In order to promote applications for a broader range of foods further research and development efforts are needed to overcome the limitations of NMR in the detection process. The needs and opportunities for future research and developments are outlined.

Pure fruit juice and fruit consumption and the risk of CVD: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) study.

Dietary guidelines for pure fruit juice consumption differ between countries, regarding the question whether pure fruit juice is an acceptable alternative for fruit. Currently, little is known about pure fruit juice consumption and the risk of CVD. In this prospective cohort study, we studied the association of pure fruit juice and fruit consumption with the incidence of fatal and non-fatal CVD, CHD and stroke and investigated the differences in association with pure fruit juice consumption between low and high fruit consumers. A validated FFQ was used to estimate dietary intake of 34 560 participants (26·0 % men and 74·0 % women) aged 20-69 years from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands study. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox regression after average follow-up of 14·6 years. Compared with no consumption, pure fruit juice consumption up to 7 glasses/week - but not consumption of ≥8 glasses - was significantly associated with reduced risk of CVD and CHD, with HR from 0·83 (95 % CI 0·73, 0·95) to 0·88 (95 % CI 0·80, 0·97). Consumption of 1-4 and 4-8 glasses/week was significantly associated with lower risk of stroke with HR of 0·80 (95 % CI 0·64, 0·99) and 0·76 (95 % CI 0·61, 0·94), respectively. Associations did not differ considerably between low and high fruit consumers. The highest three quintiles of fruit consumption (≥121 g/d) were significantly associated with lower incidence of CVD, with HR of 0·87 (95 % CI 0·78, 0·97) and 0·88 (95 % CI 0·80, 0·98). In conclusion, although we observed favourable associations of moderate pure fruit juice consumption with CVD, for now consumption of whole fruit should be preferred because the evidence of the health benefits of fruit is more conclusive.

Development of analytical method for the quality control of the fruit bark of Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) and antichemotatic activity of extract and rich fraction in punicalagins.

Pomegranate is of current interest owing to the existing potential for industrial uses of fruit peels. This includes its availability as a raw vegetable material, a byproduct that constitutes residue in the use of the species and is recognized as a functional product, and beneficial health properties, as will be demonstrated in the studies cited. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure its effectiveness and safety. Toward this end, the aim of this study was to develop and validate an analytical method for the separation and quantification of total punicalagin present in the bark of the fruit of Punica granatum by HPLC. Purity tests such as water determination and total ashes were also performed. The ability of the extract and enriched fraction of punicalagin to inhibit leukocyte migration in vitro was determined by the Boyden's chamber method. The developed HPLC method demonstrated good separation and quantification of the punicalagin α and ß anomers. The method is efficient and reliable, and can ultimately be used for the analysis of the extract of pomegranate. The crude extract and the fraction of punicalagins significantly inhibited leukocyte migration at concentrations of 1 and 10 µg/mL in relation to the negative control, indicating potential antichemotactic action.

Co-Amended Synergistic Interactions between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and the Organic Substrate-Induced Cucumber Yield and Fruit Quality Associated with the Regulation of the AM-Fungal Community Structure under Anthropogenic Cultivated Soil.

Monotonous cucumber double-cropping systems under plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation (PGVC) previously intensified by long-term anthropogenic activities and manipulative treatments leads to a crop productivity reduction and soil biota disturbances. In this study, the role of the indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal strain (AM: Glomus versiforme L.) and organic substrate (GS: Garlic stalk) application were assessed for plant microbe interaction and crop productivity feedback in a greenhouse (2016⁻2018) under a cultivated Anthrosol characterized as a replanted degraded soil. We found that repetitively adding AM inocula with organic substrates (GS) improved the cucumber growth and physiology. The useful trait of AM symbiosis with C-amended organic substrates preferentially manifested as increased root colonization, hyphal density proliferation, AM sporulation, root activity, and suppressed Fusarium incidence. The post AM development further prevailed the synergistic interaction, and the co-inoculation effect resulted in an increase in fruit nutrition uptake, seasonal cucumber yield and fruit quality attributes. Illumina MiSeq analysis of the 18S rRNA gene amplicons revealed that the dominant AM genera that are particularly enriched with the Glomus taxon may be important ecological drivers associated with plant productivity and fruit quality characteristics. These results suggest that the AM-organic substrate association might be a pragmatic option for use as an economic and efficient biological resource and as a newly-sustainable plant microbe mediator to enhance the regional ecosystem services and plant productivity of the anthropogenic PGVC of this region.

Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in School Lunches: A Policy Analysis.

Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables helps to reduce childhood obesity and improves academic achievement and attendance. However, providing fresh fruits and vegetables is challenging for some schools due to cost, administrative burden, and concern for food waste. To address these challenges, the Fruit and Vegetable Access for Children Act proposes to allow federally funded programs to substitute fresh fruits and vegetables with canned, frozen, or pureed versions. In this policy analysis, we propose options for providing fresh fruits and vegetables to children enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. We recommend that school nurses actively facilitate the process of obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables by being appointed members of Team Nutrition giving them authority to collaborate with local famers, entrepreneurs, and land-grant universities in Farm to School Programs. This strategy empowers school nurses in promoting healthy eating habits, reducing obesity, and improving academic performance and school attendance.

QTL mapping of melon fruit quality traits using a high-density GBS-based genetic map.

BACKGROUND: Melon shows a broad diversity in fruit morphology and quality, which is still underexploited in breeding programs. The knowledge of the genetic basis of fruit quality traits is important for identifying new alleles that may be introduced in elite material by highly efficient molecular breeding tools. RESULTS: In order to identify QTLs controlling fruit quality, a recombinant inbred line population was developed using two commercial cultivars as parental lines: "Védrantais", from the cantalupensis group, and "Piel de Sapo", from the inodorus group. Both have desirable quality traits for the market, but their fruits differ in traits such as rind and flesh color, sugar content, ripening behavior, size and shape. We used a genotyping-by-sequencing strategy to construct a dense genetic map, which included around five thousand variants distributed in 824 bins. The RIL population was phenotyped for quality and morphology traits, and we mapped 33 stable QTLs involved in sugar and carotenoid content, fruit and seed morphology and major loci controlling external color of immature fruit and mottled rind. The median confidence interval of the QTLs was 942 kb, suggesting that the high density of the genetic map helped in increasing the mapping resolution. Some of these intervals contained less than a hundred annotated genes, and an integrative strategy combining gene expression and resequencing data enabled identification of candidate genes for some of these traits. CONCLUSION: Several QTLs controlling fruit quality traits in melon were identified and delimited to narrow genomic intervals, using a RIL population and a GBS-based genetic map.

Influence of physical and biological variability and solution methods in fruit and vegetable quality nondestructive inspection by using imaging and near-infrared spectroscopy techniques: A review.

Over the past decades, imaging and spectroscopy techniques have been rapidly developing and widely applied in nondestructive fruit and vegetable quality assessment. The physical properties (including size, shape, color, position, and temperature) and biological properties (including cultivar, season, maturity level and geographical origin) of fruits and vegetables vary from one to another. A great variety of physical and biological properties of agricultural products influence the optical propagation properties and interaction behaviors with incident light, thus decreasing the quality inspection accuracy. Many attempts have been made in image correction and spectral compensation methods to improve the inspection accuracy. This paper gives a detailed summary about influence of physical and biological variability, as well as the correction and compensation methods for eliminating or reducing the effects in fruit and vegetable quality nondestructive inspection by using imaging and spectroscopy techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of the solution methods are discussed and summarized. Additionally, the future challenges and potential trends are also reported.

Monitoring pesticide residues in dates marketed in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia using a QuEChERS methodology and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive, simple and rapid QuEChERS extraction method and liquid chromatography equipped with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to determine 42 pesticides in dates. Acidified acetonitrile and citrate buffer salts were used to extract re-hydrated samples. Acceptable validation performances were achieved, i.e. recovery range of 70-120% and RSD values ≤20% for 42 analytes at three different concentrations:100, 50 and 10 µg/kg. This method was used to analyse 200 date fruit samples (var. Sukkari) collected from different large markets in the Al-Qassim region in Saudi Arabia. Pesticide residues were detected in 36 (18%) of the date fruits samples, and 15 samples (7.5%) exceeded the maximum residue levels. The ruggedness test results showed that this method is robust and suitable for the determination of pesticide residues in dates. Additionally, the results showed that the monitored dates did not have a health impact on consumers in Saudi Arabia during the study period.

Sample size for estimating mean and coefficient of variation in species of crotalarias.

The objective of this study was to determine the sample size necessary to estimate the mean and coefficient of variation in four species of crotalarias (C. juncea, C. spectabilis, C. breviflora and C. ochroleuca). An experiment was carried out for each species during the season 2014/15. At harvest, 1,000 pods of each species were randomly collected. In each pod were measured: mass of pod with and without seeds, length, width and height of pods, number and mass of seeds per pod, and mass of hundred seeds. Measures of central tendency, variability and distribution were calculated, and the normality was verified. The sample size necessary to estimate the mean and coefficient of variation with amplitudes of the confidence interval of 95% (ACI95%) of 2%, 4%, ..., 20% was determined by resampling with replacement. The sample size varies among species and characters, being necessary a larger sample size to estimate the mean in relation of the necessary for the coefficient of variation.

Development of a Checklist for Assessing Good Hygiene Practices of Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables Using Focus Group Interviews.

This study aimed to develop a checklist for good hygiene practices (GHP) for raw material of vegetable origin using the focus groups (FGs) approach (n = 4). The final checklist for commercialization of horticultural products totaled 28 questions divided into six blocks, namely: water supply; hygiene, health, and training; waste control; control of pests; packaging and traceability; and hygiene of facilities and equipment. The FG methodology was efficient to elaborate a participatory and objective checklist, based on minimum hygiene requirements, serving as a tool for diagnosis, planning, and training in GHP of fresh vegetables, besides contributing to raise awareness of the consumers' food safety. The FG methodology provided useful information to establish the final checklist for GHP, with easy application, according to the previous participants' perception and experience.

Construction of A High-Density Genetic Map and Mapping of Fruit Traits in Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus L.) Based on Whole-Genome Resequencing.

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is an important horticultural crop that is grown worldwide and has a high economic value. To dissect the loci associated with important horticultural traits and to analyze the genetic and genomic information of this species, a high-density genetic map was constructed based on whole-genome resequencing (WGR), a powerful high-resolution method for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker development, genetic map construction, and gene mapping. Resequencing of both parental lines and 126 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) resulted in the detection of 178,762 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in the parental lines at a sequencing depth greater than four-fold. Additionally, 2132 recombination bin markers comprising 103,029 SNP markers were mapped onto 11 linkage groups (LGs). Substantially more SNP markers were mapped to the genetic map compared with other recent studies. The total length of the linkage map was 1508.94 cM, with an average distance of 0.74 cM between adjacent bin markers. Based on this genetic map, one locus for fruit bitterness, one locus for rind color, and one locus for seed coat color with high LOD scores (58.361, 18.353, 26.852) were identified on chromosome 1, chromosome 8, and chromosome 3, respectively. These prominent loci were identified in a region of 6.16 Mb, 2.07 Mb, and 0.37 Mb, respectively. On the basis of current research, the high-density map and mapping results will provide a valuable tool for identifying candidate genes, map-based gene cloning, comparative mapping, and marker-assisted selection (MAS) in watermelon breeding.

iTRAQ-based Protein Profiling and Fruit Quality Changes at Different Development Stages of Oriental Melon.

BACKGROUND: Oriental melon is one of the most popular crops for its nutritional and flavour quality. Components that determine melon quality, such as sugar, colour, texture, flavour and aroma, among other factors, accumulate in different developmental stages. Thus, correlating the proteomic profiles with the biochemical and physiological changes occurring in the oriental melon is very important for advancing our understanding of oriental melon quality in the ripening processes. RESULTS: iTRAQ-based protein profiling was conducted on 'YuMeiren' oriental melon fruit at different developmental stages. Physiological quality indices, including firmness, rind colour, soluble solids content (SSC), ethylene production, sugar content and volatile compounds were also characterized during four maturity periods of the melon, including 5, 15, 25 and 35 days after anthesis (DAA). A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the aroma volatiles at 5 DAA and 15 DAA were similar and separated from that of 35 DAA. More than 5835 proteins were identified and quantified in the two biological repeats and divided into 4 clusters by hierarchical cluster analysis. A functional analysis was performed using Blast2GO software based on the enrichment of a GO analysis for biological process, molecular function and cellular components. The main KEGG pathways, such as glycolysis, α-linolenic acid and starch and sucrose metabolism, were analyzed. The gene family members corresponding to differentially expressed proteins, including lipoxygenase (CmLOX01-18) and alcohol acetyltransferase (CmAAT1-4) involved in the α-linolenic acid metabolic pathway, were verified with real-time qPCR. The results showed that the expression patterns of 64.7% of the genes were consistent with the expression patterns of the corresponding proteins. CONCLUSIONS: This study combined the variation of the quality index and differentially expressed proteins of oriental melon at different developmental stages that laid the foundation for the subsequent protein and gene function validation.

Quality properties of fruits as affected by drying operation.

The increasing consumption of dried fruits requires further attention on the quality parameters. Drying has become necessary because most fruits are highly perishable owing to their high moisture content and the need to make them available all year round and at locations where they are not produced. In addition to preservation, the reduced weight and bulk of dehydrated products decreases packaging, handling and transportation costs. Quality changes associated with drying of fruit products include physical, sensory, nutritional, and microbiological. Drying gives rise to low or moderate glycemic index (GI) products with high calorie, vitamin and mineral contents. This review examines the nutritional benefits of dried fruits, protective compounds present in dried fruits, GI, overview of some fruit drying methods and effects of drying operations on the quality properties such as shrinkage, porosity, texture, color, rehydration, effective moisture diffusivity, nutritional, sensory, microbiological and shelf stability of fruits.

Sensory properties of chile pepper heat - and its importance to food quality and cultural preference.

Chile peppers are one of the most important vegetable and spice crops in the world. They contain capsaicinoids that are responsible for the characteristic burning (pungency) sensation. Currently, there are 22 known naturally occurring capsaicinoids that can cause the heat sensation when consumed. Each produces a different heat sensation effect in the mouth. A need exists for a standard and new terminology to describe the complex heat sensation one feels when eating a chile pepper. A comprehensive set of descriptors to describe the sensory characteristics of chile pepper heat was developed. It was validated with trained panelists tasting samples representing the five domesticated species and 14 pod-types within these species. Five key attributes that define and reference a lexicon for describing the heat sensation of chile peppers were determined to describe the heat sensation in any product, and importantly, can be used in the food industry worldwide.