RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Currently, organic farming has become a feasible approach for the production of high-quality fruits. To evaluate the response of fruit quality and mineral nutrition contents of Hayward Kiwifruit affected by different organic and inorganic fertilizers, the present study was conducted in Citrus and Subtropical Fruits Research Center, Iran, in 2017-2021, as a randomized block design with three replications. The studied treatments were organic fertilizers (cow, vermicompost and Azolla) and chemical fertilizers. After 4 years of fertilization, the fruit's nutritional elements content and some fruit bioactive compounds were evaluated after 3 months of cold storage and then analyzed by the principal component analysis (PCA) method. RESULTS: The use of organic amendments boosted the calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron content of the kiwifruits compared to chemical fertilizers. The highest fruit potassium and phosphorus content were recorded in the cow manure treatment. The lowest amount of nitrate and the highest calcium, zinc, copper and manganese accumulation were recorded in the fruits treated with vermicompost. In addition to mineral nutrients, the dry matter, total soluble solids, total phenolic and antioxidant capacity of kiwifruit were improved by the application of vermicompost amendment compared to the other fertilizer sources. However, the highest fruit vitamin C and total soluble carbohydrates were measured in the cow manure treatment. The PCA results of the fruit quality indices indicated that fertilization treatments were ranked as vermicompost (1.88) > cow manure (1.63) = chemical (1.60) > Azolla (1.54). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the application of 40 kg of vermicompost or 40 kg of cow manure in the next rank in Hayward kiwifruit orchards in March (growth stage beginning of bud swelling) may be a more suitable approach for improving the nutritional quality of the fruit. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
RESUMO
In this study, the quality of minimally processed different Iranian pomegranate genotypes was investigated during storage at 4 °C for 14 days. The results showed that at the end of storage time, the lowest microbial count was found on the arils of "Torsh Syabe Lorestan" genotype. There was a significant difference in titratable acidity, total soluble solids, total anthocyanin, catechin, and quercetin content in most genotypes after 14-day cold storage; while no difference was found between studied genotypes in antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, and flavonoid content. In general, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of pomegranate arils gradually decreased over storage time. Diphenolase activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme with dopamine hydrochloride substrate and peroxidase (POD) decreased over storage time, whereas diphenolase activity of PPO with pyrocatechol substrate significantly increased. The lowest diphenolase activity with dopamine hydrochloride and pyrocatechol substrates, as well as POD activity was found in Torsh Syabe Lorestan. The results suggested that the genotype of Torsh Syabe Lorestan, which showed the lowest microbial count on the arils and enzymes, could be more appropriate for minimal processing technology.
