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Banana fruit undergoes rapid metabolic changes following ripening that limit shelf life and marketability. The response of pre-climacteric 'Williams' bananas to exogenous 1% procyanindin (PN) and 1% chitosan (CT) either alone or in combination treatments during ripening at ambient conditions was evaluated. PN and CT treatments retained quality and delayed senescence as shown by greener peel, higher firmness and titratable acidity (TA), but lower total soluble solids (TSS) and TSS/TA ratio, weight loss, browning and electrolyte leakage than the control. Total phenol (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) in both peel and pulp increased up to 6 days, then decreased and was higher in treated fruit than the control. Vitamin C content in fruit pulp decreased up to 3 days, then increased and was higher in treated fruit than the control. Radical scavenging capacity (RSC) of peel and pulp increased up to day 6, then decreased and was higher in treated fruit than the control. The treated fruit exhibited lower polyphenoloxidase (PPO), and hydrolytic enzymes but higher peroxidase (POD) activities in both peel and pulp than control. The combined treatment of PN and CT could be used to extend the shelf life of 'Williams' bananas for up to four more days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment & Arid Land Agriculture Sciences is the property of King Abdulaziz University, Scientific Publishing Centre 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.)

Authenticity and adulteration detection are primary concerns of various stakeholders, such as researchers, consumers, manufacturers, traders, and regulatory agencies. Traditional approaches for authenticity and adulteration detection in edible oils are time-consuming, complicated, laborious, and expensive; they require technical skills when interpreting the data. Over the last several years, much effort has been spent in academia and industry on developing vibrational spectroscopic techniques for quality, authenticity, and adulteration detection in edible oils. Among them, Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has gained enormous attention as a green analytical technique for the rapid monitoring quality of edible oils at all stages of production and for detecting and quantifying adulteration and authenticity in edible oils. The technique has several benefits such as rapid, precise, inexpensive, and multi-analytical; hence, several parameters can be predicted simultaneously from the same spectrum. Associated with chemometrics, the technique has been successfully implemented for the rapid detection of adulteration and authenticity in edible oils. After presenting the fundamentals, the latest research outcomes in the last 10 years on quality, authenticity, and adulteration detection in edible oils using FT-IR spectroscopy will be highlighted and described in this review. Additionally, opportunities, challenges, and future trends of FT-IR spectroscopy will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment & Arid Land Agriculture Sciences is the property of King Abdulaziz University, Scientific Publishing Centre 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.)

A field experiment was conducted in 2011 and 2012 to study the effect of fertigation on yield, fruit quality and nutrient uptake of ‘Nabbut-Ahmar’ date palm cultivar grown in sandy loam soil. Three fertigation treatments were compared with traditional application. In traditional treatment (CT), the recommended dose [2300 g nitrogen (N), 1200 g phosphorus (P) and 1400 g/tree] was applied as a soil broadcast in three equal doses. The fertigation treatments, (T2), (T3) and (T4), represent all nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) amounts of CT, 2/3 CT and 1/3 CT, respectively that were injected in twelve equal doses. The results showed that compared to CT, the fertigation treatments increased yield/palm by 41%, 31% and 18% for T3, T2 and T4, respectively. Beside the increase in yield, 33% and 66% of the applied fertilizers were saved by T3 and T4, respectively, compared with CT. Feritgation treatments had no negative impact on the overall fruit quality characteristics and even increased total soluble solids (TSS), soluble tannins and total phenols concentrations compared to the conventional fertilization. Availability of NPK increased by fertigation but without further increase in leaves and fruit. In conclusion applying 2/3 of the recommended dose of NPK fertilizers under dry land condition through fertigation maximize yield, quality and fertilizer use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]