Search

This research aims to reformulate the value-added model of persimmon fruit as an instrument to increase farmers’ income by developing a product downstream strategy. This research was conducted in Malang and Tulungagung in East Java through observation and interviews. Then, we used SWOT analysis technique (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to identify various factors in reformulating and developing strategies systematically. The results show that farmers must consider product diversification, improved quality and packaging, certification and label, increased nutritional value, marketing and promotion, network and partnership development, training and capacity building, access to capital and financing, research and innovation, and farmer empowerment. Then, in downstream development, it is necessary to carry out strategies in the form of increased production quality, sustainable agricultural practices, processed product development, preparation of partnerships with private parties, effective marketing and promotion, intelligent packaging, product diversification, logistics and distribution optimization, business and financial management, and organic and sustainable certification. This research also identified that persimmon fruit production has great potential, with a large amount land and a high amount of production. In addition, various downstream persimmon products in the form of processed food and beverages can provide significant added value and have the potential to increase farmers’ incomes.

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. Although camel milk is widely recognized for its nutritional value and pharmaceutical benefits, processing technology and consumer acceptability of its yogurt still need to be improved due to poor curd formation, taste, and flavor. Persimmon is a fruit known for its sweet and tangy flavor and is popular in many parts of the world. Materials and methods. In this study, gelatin was used to manufacture camel milk yogurt to obtain an adequate level of firmness. Afterward, to enhance sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of camel milk yogurt, persimmon pulp was added as a natural additive at different levels (3%, 5%, and 10%). Subsequently, the camel milk yogurt enriched with Diospyros kaki L. fruit was chemically analyzed and assessed for viscosity and sensory perception. Results. 1% gelatin and 1.2% starter culture containing Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus demonstrated the ability to form a good gel, reduce fermentation time to 6 hours, and improve consistency. Furthermore, adding persimmon pulp significantly enhanced the sensory characteristics of camel milk yogurt. Finally, the 5% level of persimmon pulp was the most preferred by consumers. Conclusion. These findings open up promising opportunities for enhancing camel milk yogurt's quality and market appeal, making it a more desirable and nutritious choice for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) contains numerous uridine diphosphate glucosyltransferases (UGT), and their roles in fruit development and quality formation have not been well studied because of limited genetic information. This study investigated a persimmon DkUGT3 which is highly expressed in young fruits and leaves during development. DkUGT3 can catalyze ABA glycosylation to form ABA-GE, thereby reducing free ABA. Tomato with overexpressed (OE) DkUGT3 significantly induces pale green color phenotypes in both transgenic young plants and fruits. DkUGT3-OE significantly weakens the tomato ABA signaling which affects the expressions of ABA-inducible transcriptional factors (TFs), such as GLK1 and GLK2 and their downstream target genes involved in chlorophyll synthesis, chloroplast development, sugar metabolism and transport, and photosynthesis, thereby impeding leaf and fruit development and quality. Conversely, DkUGT3-RNAi-treatment recovered the OE tomato fruits from yellowing phenotype to green color. This study found that chlorophyll accumulations and ABA level were increased by DkUGT3-RNAi-treatment in young persimmon leaves. These results demonstrate that DkUGT3 plays crucial roles in ABA-mediated leaf and fruit development. This study provides new evidence for the regulation of ABA in early development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania until now, are no commercial persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) orchards. But, the interest for the fruits of this species is increse. Solitary trees of Diospyros virginiana being found in parks and private gardens it have fruits are very astringent, without interest for consuummers, but they offer a very atractive wiew in lands to the starting of the winter season. In the South of Romania, during the winter, are occasional registered temperatures of -20-25°C which cane affects the varieties from Diospyros kaki. For this reason, in 2019 year, we established an experimental plot with two cultivars Rosseyanka and Jiro, to study the persimmon culture suitability in Romania. The study carried out so far, shows that the Rosseyanka cultivar, reached a high fruits yield of 11 kg/tree, in the fourth year after planting. From the point of view of fruit quality, the Jiro variety recorded a value of fruit weight of 162.2g/fruit and 85.36 mg% vitamin C fruits contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have evolved sex chromosomes independently in many lineages, and loss of separate sexes can also occur. In this study, we assembled a monoecious recently hexaploidized persimmon (Diospyros kaki), in which the Y chromosome has lost the maleness-determining function. Comparative genomic analysis of D. kaki and its dioecious relatives uncovered the evolutionary process by which the nonfunctional Y chromosome (or Y monoecy) was derived, which involved silencing of the sex-determining gene, OGI , approximately 2 million years ago. Analyses of the entire X and Y monoecy chromosomes suggested that D. kaki 's nonfunctional male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY), which we call a post-MSY, has conserved some characteristics of the original functional MSY. Specifically, comparing the functional MSY in Diospyros lotus and the nonfunctional "post-MSY" in D. kaki indicated that both have been rapidly rearranged, mainly via ongoing transposable element bursts, resembling structural changes often detected in Y-linked regions, some of which can enlarge the nonrecombining regions. The recent evolution of the post-MSY (and possibly also MSYs in dioecious Diospyros species) therefore probably reflects these regions' ancestral location in a pericentromeric region, rather than the presence of male-determining genes and/or genes controlling sexually dimorphic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance is increasing globally and is now one of the major public health problems. Therefore, there is a need to search for new antimicrobial agents. The food industry generates large amounts of by-products that are rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, which are known to have several health benefits, including antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Thus, we aimed to characterize the phenolic compounds present in pomegranate, quince, and persimmon by-products, as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Phenolic compounds were extracted from pomegranate, quince, and persimmon leaves, seeds, and peels using a mixture of ethanol/water (80/20). The polyphenol profile of the extracts was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. In general, leaves showed higher concentrations of phenolics than the peel and seeds of fruits. In total, 23 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified, with sanguiin and apigenin-3-O-galactoside being present in the highest concentrations. Leaf extracts of pomegranate showed higher antioxidant activities than the other components in all methods used. In general, all extracts had a greater antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Persimmon leaf and seed extracts inhibited a greater number of bacteria, both Gram-positive and -negative. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) detected among Gram-positive and -negative bacteria was 10 mg/mL for pomegranate peel and leaf extracts against Staphylococcus aureus and S. pseudintermedius and for pomegranate leaf extract against Escherichia coli. Our results reinforce the need to value food industry by-products that could be used as food preservatives and antibiotic adjuvants against multiresistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problem of accurate recognition and localization of multiple clusters of green persimmons with similar color to the background under natural environment, this study proposes a multi-cluster green persimmon identification method based on improved Faster RCNN was proposed by using the self-built green persimmon dataset. The feature extractor DetNet is used as the backbone feature extraction network, and the model detection attention is focused on the target object itself by adding the weighted ECA channel attention mechanism to the three effective feature layers in the backbone, and the detection accuracy of the algorithm is improved. By maximizing the pooling of the lower layer features with the added attention mechanism, the high and low dimensions and magnitudes are made the same. The processed feature layers are combined with multi-scale features using a serial layer-hopping connection structure to enhance the robustness of feature information, effectively copes with the problem of target detection of objects with obscured near scenery in complex environments and accelerates the detection speed through feature complementarity between different feature layers. In this study, the K-means clustering algorithm is used to group and anchor the bounding boxes so that they converge to the actual bounding boxes, The average mean accuracy (mAP) of the improved Faster RCNN model reaches 98.4%, which was 11.8% higher than that of traditional Faster RCNN model, which also increases the accuracy of object detection during regression prediction. and the average detection time of a single image is improved by 0.54s. The algorithm is significantly improved in terms of accuracy and speed, which provides a basis for green fruit growth state monitoring and intelligent yield estimation in real scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of individual and combined extracts of ginger and persimmon to target BCSCs subpopulation and restore the expression of tumor suppressive miRNAs, miR-200c, miR-30a and miR-128, is evaluated in this study. Combined treatment led to decreasing CD44+ CD24-subpopulation in MDA-MB-231 to a percent lower than both individual extracts, however, the combined treatment didn't affect the expression of pluripotency-associated genes, OCT3/4, SOX2 and NANOG, which are down-regulated as a consequence of both individual extracts treatment. Bioinformatics predicted DNMT3A as the target of miR-200C and miR-30a, and ABCB9 as the target of miR-128a. Both individual extracts exerted an activating effect on miRNAs (except persimmon extract on miR-30a) and an inhibitory effect on their targets DNMT3a and ABCB9 expression. Additionally, combined treatment keeps the activating effect of individual extracts on miRNAs, decrease the inhibitory effect of individual extracts on ABCB9, and reversed it into activating effect in the case of DNMT3a. Moreover, we found a significant decrease in miR-200c promoter methylation after individual treatments, which could represent a positive feedback loop between miR-200c and its target DNMT3a, however, this effect on methylation status is absent in the case of combined treatment. The methylation of LINE1, the index of global DNA methylation, was increased in response to ginger extract treatment, predicting increasing in genomic stability. Our finding highlighted the role of individual and combined aqueous ginger extract and methanolic persimmon extract to subdue BCSCs by modulating the expression of tumor-suppressive miRNAs, despite the variation of molecular genetics and epigenetic response of candidate genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four models (Baranyi, modified Gompertz, log-logistic and Weibull models) were applied to examine the performance of thermosonication (TS) and formic acid (FA), individually and in combination, at three temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) for the inactivation of pathogens inoculated on persimmon. Results indicated that all nonlinear kinetic models provided a good fit to data; however, the Baranyi showed the best performance in fitting data. The combined treatment of FA and TS had a higher negative impact on the microbial population compared to each treatment alone. The highest lethal impact was observed at 60 °C and in TS-3%FA treatment, which reduced the initial population of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes (8.1 log CFU/mL) to 2.2, 1.6, and 1.3 log CFU/mL, respectively. Hence, the obtained models can be used to predict the inactivation of pathogens in a food model subjected to the combined treatment of thermosonication and FA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of a persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb., 2n = 6x = 90) collection in South Korea by evaluating 9751 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected using genotyping-by-sequencing in 93 cultivars. The results of neighbor-joining clustering, principal component analysis, and STRUCTURE analysis based on SNPs indicated clear separation between cultivar groups (pollination-constant nonastringent (PCNA, 40 cultivars), pollination-constant astringent (PCA, 19), pollination-variant nonastringent (PVNA, 23), and the pollination-variant astringent type (PVA, 9)) based on the astringency types, while separation between PVA and PVNA-type cultivars was unclear. Population genetic diversity based on SNPs showed that the proportions of polymorphic SNPs within each group ranged from 99.01% (PVNA) to 94.08% (PVA), and the PVNA group exhibited the highest genetic diversity (He = 3.86 and uHe = 0.397). F (fixation index) values were low ranging from −0.024 (PVA) to 0.176 (PCA) with an average of 0.089, indicating a deficiency of heterozygosity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and Fst among cultivar groups indicated that variation within individuals was higher than that among the groups. Pairwise Fst values among the groups ranged from 0.01566 (between PVA and PVNA) to 0.09416 (between PCA and PCNA), indicating a low level of cultivar type differentiation. These findings highlight the potential application of biallelic SNPs in population genetics studies of allopolyploids species and provide valuable insights that may have significant implications for breeding and cultivar identification in persimmon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon (Dispyros kaki) is highly perishable fruit and exhibit limited shelf life due to higher respiration and transpiration activities. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of postharvest L-arginine application (1mM, 5mM, 10 mM) on the shelf life and quality of persimmon cv. Mardan seedless. The results revealed that that L-arginine application (1 Mm) significantly reduced the increase in physiological weight loss and decay incidence along with markedly higher firmness than control. L-arginine treated persimmon showed substantially higher lightness (L*) and hue angle value and exhibited significantly lower chroma value than control group. The treated persimmon fruits exhibited noticeably lower electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide accumulation along with lower soluble solid content and SSC: TA ratio, while showed significantly higher titratable acidity as compared to control. Moreover, L-arginine treated persimmon had considerably higher activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase along with higher ascorbic acid, total antioxidant activity, and total phenolic contents. Moreover, cell wall hydrolysis enzymes such as pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase and cellulase enzymes exhibited significantly lower in L-arginine treated fruits than control. These findings proposed that 1 mM L-arginine treatment could maintain the shelf life and quality of persimmon under low temperature storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon is a fruit much appreciated for its flavor and aroma, presenting high nutritional value and health-beneficial compounds. As it is a seasonal fruit, developing new products promotes its valorization as well as increasing its consumption, being drying a promising option. The objective of the present work was to produce persimmon powder by freeze drying and spray drying and to verify the effects of these drying methods on the retention of phenolic and volatile compounds of persimmon pulp. Phenolic compounds were analyzed in an liquid chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (LC–MS), and volatile compounds were extracted by the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) technique and analyzed in a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC–MS). A total of 15 phenolic compounds were identified among the analyzed samples, highlighting the sample obtained by spray drying (SD) that presented the largest number of phenolic compounds. SBSE-GC–MS analysis resulted in the identification of 81 volatile compounds, with alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and terpenes being the main chemical classes present in persimmon pulp and powders. The use of odor activity value (OAV) data made it possible to select 25 active odor compounds in persimmon pulp and powders, and that the decanal was the major contributor to the aroma of the samples. Among the rehydrated powders, 13 compounds presented higher OAV for the sample obtained by freeze drying with maltodextrin. Thus, we can conclude that the drying methods used were efficient in retaining the phenolic and volatile compounds in the persimmon pulp and that maltodextrin contributed positively to this retention, thus preserving the sensory quality of the pulp and its phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal of Biological Sciences is the property of African Journal of Biological Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) fruit have significant variation between pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) and pollination-constant astringent (PCA) persimmons. The astringency type affects not only the soluble tannin concentration but also the accumulation of individual sugars. Thus, we comprehensively investigate the gene expression and metabolite profiles of individual sugars to resolve the formation of flavor differences in PCNA and PCA persimmon fruit. The results showed that soluble sugar, starch content, sucrose synthase, and sucrose invertase were significantly different between PCNA and PCA persimmon fruit. The sucrose and starch metabolism pathway was considerably enriched, and six sugar metabolites involving this pathway were significantly differentially accumulated. In addition, the expression patterns of diferentially expressed genes (such as bglX, eglC, Cel, TPS, SUS, and TREH genes) were significantly correlated with the content of deferentially accumulated metabolites (such as starch, sucrose, and trehalose) in the sucrose and starch metabolism pathway. These results indicated that the sucrose and starch metabolism pathway maintained a central position of sugar metabolism between PCNA and PCA persimmon fruit. Our results provide a theoretical basis for exploring functional genes related to sugar metabolism and provide useful resources for future studies on the flavor differences between PCNA and PCA persimmon fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the capability of persimmon pectin (PP) as a stabilizer for acid milk drinks (AMDs) compared with commercial high-methoxyl pectin (HMP) and sugar beet pectin (SBP). The effectiveness of pectin stabilizers was assessed by analyzing particle size, micromorphology, zeta potential, sedimentation fraction, storage, and physical stability. Results of CLSM images and particle size measurements showed that PP-stabilized AMDs had smaller droplet sizes and more uniform distributions, indicating better stabilization potential compared with the HMP- and SBP-stabilized AMDs. Zeta potential measurements revealed that the addition of PP significantly increased the electrostatic repulsion between particles and prevented aggregation. Moreover, based on the results of Turbiscan and storage stability determination, PP exhibited better physical and storage stability compared with HMP and SBP. The combination of steric repulsion and electrostatic repulsion mechanisms exerted a stabilizing effect on the AMDs prepared from PP. Overall, these findings suggest that PP has promising potential as an AMD stabilizer in the food and beverage industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valorization of persimmon discards is a current challenge for the food industry. Obtaining dehydrated persimmon products can be a good option, but studies are necessary to predict consumer responses before placing new products on the market. In this study, we produced dried slices, chips, leathers and powder from persimmons that were discarded at harvest. A consumer study was performed with 100 participants. For a realistic context, the four products were presented to the participants in specifically designed packages to simulate commercial packages. The participants were asked about their interest in having each product available on the market. Then, they were asked to taste the samples and to state their acceptance and purchase intention. The participants characterized the main sensory properties of the samples using the CATA questions. The consumption contexts evoked by each product were also investigated based on the item-by-use method, plus the CATA questions. Our results revealed that, before tasting the samples, the participants showed special interest in having chips and slices available on the market. After tasting, the participants reported very good acceptance of chips, slices and powder, but leathers were less liked. According to the consumer characterizations, slices had the most intense persimmon taste and a succulent texture, while powder was characterized by its caramel taste. Chips were differentiated from the other samples, mainly for their crispy texture, while leathers were sticky and tasteless, which explained their poor acceptance. By evaluating the data on acceptance and the evoked consumption contexts together, we conclude that persimmon consumption could be enhanced by commercializing slices, chips and powder. The participants described chips and slices as healthy snacks in different daily situations, while powder could be used as a sweetener for yoghurts or hot drinks and as an ingredient for baking desserts. These are all contexts in which fresh persimmon would be not consumed as reported by the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificially improving persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.), one of the most important fruit trees, remains challenging owing to the lack of reference genomes. In this study, we generated an allele-aware chromosome-level genome assembly for the autohexaploid persimmon 'Xiaoguotianshi' (Chinese-PCNA type) using PacBio CCS and Hi-C technology. The final assembly contained 4.52 Gb, with a contig N50 value of 5.28 Mb and scaffold N50 value of 44.01 Mb, of which 4.06 Gb (89.87%) of the assembly were anchored onto 90 chromosome-level pseudomolecules comprising 15 homologous groups with 6 allelic chromosomes in each. A total of 153,288 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 98.60% were functionally annotated. Repetitive sequences accounted for 64.02% of the genome; and 110,480 rRNAs, 12,297 tRNAs, 1,483 miRNAs, and 3,510 snRNA genes were also identified. This genome assembly fills the knowledge gap in the autohexaploid persimmon genome, which is conducive in the study on the regulatory mechanisms underlying the major economically advantageous traits of persimmons and promoting breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of green technologies such as ultrasound and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) for revalorisation of food and agricultural by-products represents a sustainable way to tackle waste and promote a healthier environment while delivering much-needed functional food ingredients for an increasingly unhealthy population. The processing of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) generates large amounts of by-products rich in fibre-bound bioactive phytochemicals. This paper assessed the extractability of bioactive compounds through NADES and the functional properties of the persimmon polysaccharide-rich by-products to evaluate their suitability to be used as functional ingredients in commercial beverages. Although higher amounts of carotenoids and polyphenols were extracted after eutectic treatment vs. conventional extraction (p < 0.05), the fibre-bound bioactives remained abundant (p < 0.001) in the resulting persimmon pulp by-product (PPBP) and persimmon pulp dietary fibre (PPDF), showing also a strong antioxidant activity (DPPH•, ABTS•+ assays) and an improved digestibility and fibre fermentability. The main structural components of PPBP and PPDF are cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. PPDF-added dairy-based drink showed more than 50% of preference over the control among panellists and similar acceptability scores to the commercial ones. Persimmon pulp by-products represent sustainable source of dietary fibre and bioactives and are suitable candidates to develop functional ingredients for food industry applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Diospyros genus contains approximately 400 to 500 species, among which D. kaki is cultivated as the edible persimmon. Knowledge about the genetic diversity of Diospyros genotypes is of high significance for breeding programs. In this research, the genetic diversity of 57 Diospyros genotypes collected from different regions of Iran was evaluated using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. Seven ISSR and 10 SCoT markers produced a total of 42 and 75 fragments with the averages of 6 and 7.5 fragments per primer, respectively. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) for ISSR markers was 0.3 and for SCoT markers was 0.36. The average marker index (MI) for ISSR and SCoT markers were 1.81 and 1.79, respectively. Cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s genetic similarity coefficient and UPGMA method classified 57 Diospyros genotypes into four main groups based on ISSR and SCoT markers. However, the clustering pattern based on the combination of ISSR and SCoT markers data separated the species genotypes better than each marker alone. Accordingly, groups 1 and 2 contained all D. kaki genotypes, both encompassing various subgroups, group 3 included D. lotus and group 4 included D. virginiana genotypes. Genotype distribution visualized with principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was in accordance with the cluster analysis. Based on our results Iran is a rich source of Diospyrus germplasm, and a combination of ISSR and SCoT markers can be used as an accurate technique for evaluating genetic diversity among the Diospyros genotypes.

The nutritional diagnosis of crops is carried out through costly elemental analyses of different plant organs, particularly leaves, in the laboratory. However, visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy of unprocessed plant samples has a high potential as a faster, non-destructive, environmental-friendly alternative to elemental analyses. In this work, the potential of this technique to estimate the concentrations of macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), and micronutrients such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and boron (B), in persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) 'Rojo Brillante' leaves, has been investigated. Throughout the crop cycle variable rates of N and K were applied to obtain six nutritional status levels in persimmon trees in an experimental orchard. Then, leaves were systematically sampled throughout the cropping season from the different nutritional levels and spectral reflectance measurements were acquired in the 430–1040 nm wavelength range. The concentrations of nutrients were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and B after microwave digestion, while the Kjeldahl method was used for N. Then, partial least squares regression (PLS-R) was used to model the concentrations of these nutrients from the reflectance measurements of the leaves. The model was calibrated using 75% of the samples while the remaining 25% were left as the independent test set for external validation. The results of the test set indicated an acceptable validation for most of the nutrients, with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.74 for N and P, 0.54 for K, 0.77 for Ca, 0.60 for Mg, 0.39 for Fe, 0.69 for Mn and 0.83 for B. These findings support the potential use of Vis-NIR spectrometric techniques as an alternative to conventional laboratory methods for the persimmon nutritional status diagnosis although more research is needed to know how the models developed one year perform in ensuing years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness the fumigant of ethyl formate (EF), an alternative to methyl bromide, in controlling the pest Asiacornococcus kaki on sweet persimmon fruit. The study assessed the hatching rate of eggs and the survival rates of nymphs and adults of A. kaki at low temperatures as well as the lethal concentration of EF required to kill 50% and 99% of its population. Large-scale tests were conducted in a 20 ft reefer container at 5 ± 1 °C for 6 h to confirm the efficacy of EF on different life stages of A. kaki. Our results indicated that EF is an effective pesticide for A. kaki without causing phytotoxic damage to persimmon fruit. However, at the egg stage, which was the most tolerant, the A. kaki population was not completely controlled in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)-packaged fruit. Overall, EF is a promising fumigant for the quarantine pre-treatment of sweet persimmon fruit before it is packed with LLDPE film, specifically to control A. kaki located beneath the calyx of the fruit. Sweet persimmons are a valuable export commodity. However, the presence of live insects such as Asiacornococcus kaki limits their access to many export markets. Methyl bromide, traditionally used for pest control, is damaging to human health and the environment. Ethyl formate (EF) is a viable alternative; however, its effectiveness against A. kaki on sweet persimmon fruit is unknown. We evaluated the effectiveness of EF fumigation in controlling A. kaki present under the calyx of persimmon fruit. The hatching rate of eggs and the survival rates of nymphs and adults of A. kaki at low temperatures, its LCt50 and LCt99 after EF exposure, and phytotoxic damage caused by EF were evaluated in laboratory-scale and commercial-scale tests. The dose–response tests showed that the EF LCt99 at 5 °C was 9.69, 42.13, and 126.13 g h m−3 for adults, nymphs, and eggs, respectively. Commercial-scale tests demonstrated EF efficacy against all A. kaki stages without causing phytotoxic effects on persimmons, though the eggs of A. kaki were not completely controlled in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)-packaged fruit. This study demonstrated that EF is a potential fumigant for quarantine pretreatment, especially before persimmon fruit is packed with LLDPE film, to control A. kaki infesting sweet persimmon fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catechins are essential phenolic compounds in persimmon. However, the catechin content in the leaves of persimmon germplasms has not been systematically and comprehensively evaluated. To systematically assess catechin variation in different growth stages and astringency types of persimmon leaves, the young and adult leaves catechin content of 249 persimmon germplasms from Korea, Japan, and 16 provinces in China was quantified using an HPLC method. The results showed that the content of (−)-epicatechin (EC) and (−)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) had higher coefficient of variation (CV) values in persimmon young leaves (106.74%) and adult leaves (91.49%), respectively. The genetic diversity H' of (+)-catechin (CA) and (+)-gallocatechin (GC) content was higher in young leaves (2.00 and 2.03), and the H' value of (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and CA content was higher in adult leaves (1.98 and 1.92). The non-galloylated catechins, EGC, EC, and CA, were significantly positively correlated with each other in both young and adult leaves. Catechins of persimmon leaves showed different accumulation patterns in different growth stages and astringency types; (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and CA had the highest average content in the persimmon germplasms of Guangxi and Shanxi provinces of China, respectively. The content of (+)-catechin gallate (CG) was found to be significantly higher in Japanese pollination-constant non-astringent (J-PCNA) persimmon leaves, and EC, GCG had the highest levels in Chinese PCNA (C-PCNA) type. The 249 germplasms were classified into five clusters (Cluster I-V) by SOM clustering based on the content of nine catechins, with EC, CA, and GC having the highest content in Cluster V of the adult leaves. In addition, four excellent germplasms of Cluster III had the highest EGC and GC content in young leaves. Thus, the critical period for catechin utilization of persimmon leaves can be further determined, and provide theoretical references for excellent germplasm screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible and near-infrared (Vis/NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used for rapid and non-destructive determination of macro- and micronutrient contents in persimmon leaves. Hyperspectral images of 687 leaves were acquired in the 500–980 nm range over 6 months, covering a complete vegetative cycle. The average reflectance spectrum of each leaf was extracted, and foliar ionomic analysis was used as a reference method to determine the actual concentration of the nutrients in the leaves. Analyses were performed via emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for macro- and micronutrients after microwave digestion and using the Kjeldahl method to quantify nitrogen. Partial least square regression (PLS-R) was used to predict the nutrient concentration based on spectral data from the leaf using actual values of each element as predictor variables. Several methods were used to pre-process the spectra, including Savitzky–Golay (SG) smoothing, standard normal variate (SNV) and first (1D) and second derivatives (2D). Seventy-five percent of the samples were used to calibrate and validate the model by cross-validation, whereas the remaining twenty-five % were used as an independent test set. The best performance of the models for the test set achieved an R2 = 0.80 for nitrogen. Results were also satisfactory for phosphorous, calcium, magnesium and boron, with determination coefficient R2 values of 0.63, 0.66, 0.58 and 0.69, respectively. For the other nutrients, lower prediction rates were attained (R2 = 0.48 for potassium, R2 = 0.38 for iron, R2 = 0.24 for copper, R2 = 0.23 for zinc and R2 = 0.22 for manganese). The variable importance in projection (VIP) was used to extract the most influential bands for the best-predicted nutrients, which were N, K and B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent management of trees is essential for precise production management in orchards. Extracting components' information from individual fruit trees is critical for analyzing and understanding their general growth. This study proposes a method to classify persimmon tree components based on hyperspectral LiDAR data. We extracted nine spectral feature parameters from the colorful point cloud data and performed preliminary classification using random forest, support vector machine, and backpropagation neural network methods. However, the misclassification of edge points with spectral information reduced the accuracy of the classification. To address this, we introduced a reprogramming strategy by fusing spatial constraints with spectral information, which increased the overall classification accuracy by 6.55%. We completed a 3D reconstruction of classification results in spatial coordinates. The proposed method is sensitive to edge points and shows excellent performance for classifying persimmon tree components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high sugar content of Mopan persimmon, which has an annual output of more than 0.5 million tons in China, it can be processed to make fruit wine. In this study, a strain of yeast screened from different persimmon samples was used for persimmon wine fermentation. The optimal conditions of persimmon wine fermentation were determined through single-factor experiments as follows: Yeast addition of 0.08 g/kg; a fermentation temperature of 28 °C; sucrose addition of 18%; and pectinase addition of 0.01%. Under these conditions, the alcohol content of persimmon wine reached 12.9%. The addition of pectinase during persimmon wine fermentation was found to decompose pectin at high speed, reduce the viscosity of the fermentation liquid, increase the dissolved oxygen content in the fermentation liquid, promote the growth and reproduction of yeast, and effectively convert the sugars into alcohol. After fermentation, alcohol, residual sugars, and total phenolic content with or without pectinase treatment were 12.9 and 4.4%, 2.2 and 13.4 g/L, and 738.7 and 302 µg/mL, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that compared with the mash without pectinase treatment, the mash with pectinase had a larger network structure and more pores and yeasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) proteins belong to one of the largest families involved in plant growth, development, signal transduction, and secondary metabolism. Although bHLH genes have been previously identified in persimmon (Diospyros kaki), systematic studies have not been reported. A total of 59 bHLH family members have been identified from the "Xiaoguotianshi" persimmon transcriptome. These proteins were clustered into 12 groups from I to XII based on their phylogenetic relationships with Arabidopsis thaliana. Combined with the phylogenetic analysis, in silico expression patterns of five developmental stages, the protein–protein interaction analysis between DkbHLH and DkMYB proteins showed that the bHLH_Cluster-15548.1 protein sequence was identified to be highly similar to the AtGL3 (AT5G41315.1) protein, which is associated with flavonoid and proanthocyanidin (PA) biosynthesis. This study presents the systematic analysis of bHLH genes from D. kaki and provides valuable information for further research on the involvement of bHLH protein in anthocyanin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon is a typical fruit crop of the Mediterranean region and, since it is considered a minor species, little information is available on its nutrients need. In the present experiment, it was estimated the quantity of removed and recycled nutrients by Kaki Tipo and Rojo Brillante, the two main varieties of persimmon grown in Emilia-Romagna region (Po Valley, Italy). Plants from ten mature orchards were selected and harvested; organs (leaves in summer, fruits at harvest, abscissed leaves, roots and skeleton) biomass and mineral composition were determined. The yearly uptake of macronutrients was similar for the 2 varieties, accounting for (kg ha−1): N 89-91, P 10-11, K 79-91, Ca 132-162, Mg 22-26 and S 9. While K was mostly found in fruits, Ca and Mg were mainly partitioned to leaves. Among micronutrients, Mn and Fe showed the highest values (1.1–1.3 and 1.2–2.1 kg ha−1, respectively), followed by B (370 g ha−1), while Cu and Zn showed the smallest amounts (less 100 g ha−1). Nitrogen, Ca, Mg and S were those more recycled than removed, while K showed an opposite trend; among the microelements, the annual recycled fractions of B and Mn were higher than that removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climacteric rise in the rate of respiration and ethylene production in harvested persimmon (Diospyros kaki) fruits leads to early onset of fruit tissue senescence. Therefore, this study was carried out to maintain the quality of stored persimmons by using edible coatings. For this purpose, Aloe vera gel was combined with food hydrocolloids, gum arabic or tragacanth gum, and applied on persimmon fruits that were stored for 20 days at 20 ± 1 °C and 80–85% RH. Biocomposite coatings, compared to control, remarkably reduced weight loss, decay incidence, respiration rate, ethylene production, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, H2O2 and superoxide anion content in stored fruits. The use of composite coatings inhibited colour change by reducing the accumulation of total carotenoids, maintained higher antioxidative enzymes activity and suppressed the activity of cell wall degrading enzymes, resultantly preserving cell wall components. Composite coated fruits exhibited the least change in biochemical attributes and higher sensory scores in comparison with non-coated fruits at the end of the storage period. In conclusion, Aloe vera gel/gum arabic was the most effective coating treatment before storing persimmons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon is a climacteric fruit and very perishable. Changes in several physiological attributes greatly affect its quality and market value. The current study was designed to assess the effect of chitosan solution (an edible coating material that can improve postharvest performance) on physico-chemical attributes of persimmon fruit during storage. Persimmon fruits were harvested, cleaned and then dipped in various chitosan concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%) for 5, 10 and 15 min. The treated fruits were stored at 25-29°C, 55-70% RH for 28 days. Results indicated that fruits coated with 3% chitosan solution had maximum volume, firmness, ascorbic acid, titratable acidity and minimum juice, TSS, pH, TSS/acid ratio, decay incidence and weight loss. Similarly, the performance was better in fruits dipped for 15 min. It was concluded that persimmon fruits dipped in 3% chitosan solution for 15 min could improve its postharvest performance when stored under ambient condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruitof the persimmon (Diospyros kaki.) has high economic and nutritional value and is rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are essential secondary metabolisms in plants. The association between persimmon astringency and changes in the proanthocyanidins (a flavonoid subclass) content is well-known. However, information on the relationships between different astringency types and other flavonoid subclasses and biosynthetic genes is more limited. In this study, an initial correlation analysis between total flavonoids and fruit astringency type, and KEGG analysis of metabolites showed that flavonoid-related pathways were linked to differences between mature pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) varieties ('Jiro' and 'Yohou') and pollination-constant astringent (PCA) fruit varieties ('Zhongshi5' and 'Huojing'). Based on these findings, variations in the expression of genes and metabolites associated with flavonoid biosynthesis were investigated between typical PCNA ('Jiro') and PCA ('Huojing') persimmons during fruit development. The flavonoid concentration in 'Huojing' fruit was significantly higher than that of 'Jiro' fruit, especially, in levels of proanthocyanin precursor epicatechin and anthocyanin cyanidin derivatives. Combined WGCNA and KEGG analyses showed that genes such as PAL, C4H, CHI, CHS, F3H, F3'5'H, FLS, DFR, ANR, ANS, and UF3GT in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways may be significant factors impacting the proanthocyanin precursor and anthocyanin contents. Moreover, interactions between the R2R3MYB (evm.TU.contig7272.598) and WD40 (evm.TU.contig3208.5) transcription factors were found to be associated with the above structural genes. These findings provide essential information on flavonoid biosynthesis and its regulation in the persimmon and lay a foundation for further investigation into how astringency types affect flavor components in PCNA and PCA persimmons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon is a delicious fruit, and its leaves are considered a valuable ingredient in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors. Traditionally, persimmon leaves (PL) are used as a functional tea in Asian culture to cure different ailments, and are also incorporated into various food and cosmeceutical products as a functional ingredient. PL mainly contain flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides, along with other constituents such as carotenoids, organic acids, chlorophylls, vitamin C, and minerals. The major phenolic compounds in PL are proanthocyanidins, quercetin, isoquercetin, catechin, flavonol glucosides, and kaempferol. Meanwhile, ursolic acid, rotungenic acid, barbinervic acid, and uvaol are the principal terpenoids. These compounds demonstrate a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anticancer, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-tyrosinase, antiallergic, and antiglaucoma properties. This review summarizes the latest information on PL, mainly distribution, traditional uses, industrial potential, and bioactive compounds, as well as their potential action mechanisms in exhibiting biological activities. In addition, the effect of seasonality and geographical locations on the content and function of these biomolecules are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and rapid recognition of fruit is the guarantee of intelligent persimmon picking. Given the changes in the light and occlusion conditions in a natural environment, this study developed a detection method based on the improved YOLOv5 model. This approach has several critical steps, including optimizing the loss function based on the traditional YOLOv5, combining the centralized feature pyramid (CFP), integrating the convolutional block attention module (CBAM), and adding a small target detection layer. Images of ripe and unripe persimmons were collected from fruit trees. These images were preprocessed to enhance the contrast, and they were then extended by means of image enhancement to increase the robustness of the network. To test the proposed method, several experiments, including detection and comparative experiments, were conducted. From the detection experiments, persimmons in a natural environment could be detected successfully using the proposed model, with the accuracy rate reaching 92.69%, the recall rate reaching 94.05%, and the average accuracy rate reaching 95.53%. Furthermore, from the comparison experiments, the proposed model performed better than the traditional YOLOv5 and single-shot multibox detector (SSD) models, improving the detection accuracy while reducing the leak detection and false detection rate. These findings provide some references for the automatic picking of persimmons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is a widely grown fruit crop at Aksu in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Viral disease-like symptoms are common on jujube plants. Here, for the first time, we report a virus tentatively named persimmon ampelovirus jujube isolate (PAmpV-Ju) infecting jujube plants. The virus was identified using high-throughput sequencing from a jujube plant (ID: AKS15) and molecularly related to viruses in the family Closteroviridae. The genomic sequences of two PAmpV-Ju variants named AKS15-20 and AKS15-17 were determined by RT-PCR amplifications. The genome structure of PAmpV-Ju was identical to that of a recently reported persimmon ampelovirus (PAmpV) and consisted of seven open reading frames. The genomes of AKS15-20 and AKS15-17 shared 83.7% nt identity with each other, and the highest nt sequence identity of 79% with two variants of PAmpV. The incidence of PAmpV-Ju on Aksu jujube plants was evaluated by RT-PCR assays. The phylogenetic analysis of amplified partial sequences coding for polymerase, HSP70h, and CP revealed two phylogenetic clades represented by AKS15-20 and AKS15-17. Our study provides important evidence for understanding viruses infecting jujube plants and establishing efficient measures to prevent virus spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AP2/ERF (APETALA2/Ethylene−Responsive element binding factor) family genes play crucial roles in plant growth and development, and responses to environmental factors; however, this family has not been characterized in Diospyros species. In Diospyros, the diploid Oily persimmon (D. oleifera, 2n = 2x = 30) has been released with complete genome assembly, which makes it possible for genome-wide gene family identification and exploration of molecular function in cultivated persimmon (D. kaki, 2n = 6x = 90). Here, we identified the AP2/ERF family in Oily persimmon for the first time and investigated its classification, main physicochemical properties, structural characteristic, chromosome distribution, gene replication and collinearity, cis-factor binding sites deduction, GO term annotation, and PPI interaction, as well as its expression profiles in different tissue and under the treatment of polyamines. A total of 157 AP2/ERF genes, including four subfamilies (AP2, RAV, Soloist, and ERF), were identified with distribution on all 15 chromosomes. DkAP2/ERF gene expression patterns were extensive and diverse. They were detected expression in every examined tissue, with the highest number of DkAP2/ERF genes expressed in the root. DkAP2/ERF gene expression analysis in adventitious root generation and elongation of polyamines showed their different responses to the action of polyamines, and more pairs of DkAP2/ERF genes with high correlation in gene expression were obtained. In addition, some DkAP2/ERF genes were detected remarkably correlated with genes related to polyamine synthesis and cell metabolism, including S-adenosyl-L-methionine Decarboxyla2 (SAMDC2), D-type cyclin1 (CYCD1), and D-type cyclin2 (CYCD2) genes,. indicating that DkAP2/ERF genes may play a synergistic role in adventitious root development This study was the first to analyze the AP2/ERF gene comprehensively in Diospyros on a genome−wide scale and will provide insights into the application of adventitious root formation in cultivated persimmon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon (Diospyros) is an economically important tree widely cultivated for woody grain production in China, and Diospyros lotus is mainly used as the grafting stock of persimmon. However, the breeding of stress-resistant rootstocks of D. lotus using molecular means has yet to be achieved; in particular, an efficient blade-regeneration system has not been perfected to date. This study examined the effects of different plant-growth regulators and concentrations on the primary culture of stems with buds, the induction of leaf callus, the differentiation of adventitious shoots, and rooting culture of D. lotus. The optimal formula for inducing axillary buds from stems with buds was 1/2 Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and 0.5 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), in which the induction rate of axillary buds approached 67.1%. The best medium formula for leaf callus induction was 1/2 MS medium containing 2.0 mg/L 6-BA and 0.5 mg/L NAA. Then callus was transferred to 1/2 MS medium containing 2.0 mg/L 6-(γ,γ-dimethylallylamino)purine (2iP), 2.0 mg/L thidizuron (TDZ), and 40 g/L sucrose to induce adventitious shoots after dark culture for 48 h, resulting in 7.9 shoots per explant and a 75.2% induction frequency of adventitious shoots. In addition, it was difficult to induce adventitious shoots from callus after six times of continuous transfer and differentiation. The adventitious shoots were transferred to 1/2 MS medium containing 2.0 mg/L zeatin (ZT) and 2.0 mg/L 2iP for proliferation culture, in which the multiplication coefficient approached 7.6. The adventitious shoots after multiplication were inoculated into 1/2 MS + 1.0 mg/L IBA + 0.5 mg/L NAA medium, the rooting rate was 70.2%, and the average number of heels was 9.6. Thus, studies in this area are expected to facilitate rapid and excellent growth, as well as theoretical support for factory saplings' care and molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of stevia and maltitol usage in different amounts for the replacement of sugar on physicochemical, sensorial and bioactive properties of newly developed low-calorie persimmon marmalades were investigated. Brix°, total acidity and pH of the products ranged between 33.56–56.50°, 0.64–0.75 g/100 g and 3.64–3.75 respectively. L* and Hue of the fruit increased after produced into marmalades while a* and Chroma decreased and b* fluctuated. Total phenolic content (TPC) (23.24–66.89%) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH): 34.07–65.18%, Cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC): 12.44–61.88%) decreased with marmalade processing. TPC of all the samples from pre- and post in vitro gastrointestinal digestion steps showed an increasing trend as exhibiting a high recovery and bioaccessibility. A significant increase of TAC in gastric and intestinal digests was observed from CUPRAC assay, while a decrement (43.79–52.46%) in intestinal phase following the increment (83.81–114.96%) in gastric environment was analysed in DPPH method (p < 0.05). Stevia added formulations contained the highest amounts of TPC and TAC between the products in pre- and each postdigestion stages (p < 0.05). Persimmon was succesfully evaluated into sensorially accepted, nonseasonal functional marmalades that have been found appropriate to be stated as "no sugar added" and "energy reduced" according to National and International Legislations. Moreover, formulations would be able to serve as an optimized design for further food products to be prepared using various sweeteners while creating an important output in terms of commercialization and industrial added value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food & Dairy Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Anatolia is the gene center of many fruit species grown in the world and is also very rich in terms of fruit species and varieties. Diospyrus kaki L., known as persimmon, is one of these fruit species. Considering Türkiye’s ecological conditions, persimmon has a great potential for production. In recent studies, the potential health effects of persimmon have been cited as an important factor, increasing the popularity and consumption of persimmon. In addition, persimmon has become the center of attention in recent years due to the attractive orange color of the fruit, its distinctive taste and structure, rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds. In this review study, it was aimed to increase awareness of the production potential of persimmon grown in Turkiye by revealing its production potential, and to shed light on decision-makers in future production planning by providing information in terms of economic importance and health.

[Objectives] To study the photosynthetic response mechanism of persimmon seedlings to salt stress. [Methods] The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of Diospyros virginiana and Diospyros lotus seedlings under 4% salt stress were studied by pot culture salt control method, including the minimal fluorescence (Eo), maximum fluorescence (E„), potential activity of PS II (E„/Eo), maximum photochemical efficiency of PS II (Pv/P-), electron transport rate (ETR), actual photochemical efficiency of PS II (, and photochemical quenching coefficient (q). [Results] Under 4% salt stress, the maximum fluorescence (Pm), maximum photochemical efficiency of PS II, and photochemical quenching coefficient (gp) of two persimmon plants decreased with time. The potential activity of PS II (Pr/F0), actual photochemical efficiency of PS II (Tff), and electron transport rate (ETR) decreased under salt stress. [Conclusions] This study indicates that the PS II reaction center in the persimmon leaves was damaged and the electron transport at the acceptor side was damaged under salt stress. It is expected to lay a foundation for the analysis of salt-tolerance mechanism of persimmon plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon is a climacteric fruit and very perishable. Changes in several physiological attributes greatly affect its quality and market value. The current study was designed to assess the effect of chitosan solution (an edible coating material that can improve postharvest performance) on physico-chemical attributes of persimmon fruit during storage. Persimmon fruits were harvested, cleaned and then dipped in various chitosan concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%) for 5, 10 and 15 min. The treated fruits were stored at 25–29°C, 55–70% RH for 28 days. Results indicated that fruits coated with 3% chitosan solution had maximum volume, firmness, ascorbic acid, titratable acidity and minimum juice, TSS, pH, TSS/acid ratio, decay incidence and weight loss. Similarly, the performance was better in fruits dipped for 15 min. It was concluded that persimmon fruits dipped in 3% chitosan solution for 15 min could improve its postharvest performance when stored under ambient condition.

The inventory of invertebrates on persimmon cultivation using two methods of sampling, Barber traps and colored traps in Mechtras region (Tizi-Ouzou) Algeria, allowed us to collect 115 species divided into 58 families, belonging to 13 orders and 6 classes. The values of the centesimal frequencies applied to invertebrates orders identified in the studied plot vary from one type of trapping to another, each sampling method relates to a representative order group. The diets of insects are extremely diverse, due to the structures and function of the mouthparts, the structural and functional division of the digestive tract; we have established 8 trophic classes. Shannon-Weaver diversity index values are quite high in the study plot. The fairness obtained for each type tend towards 1, which reflects a balance between the species.