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Introduction: Africa faces immense food and health insecurity challenges, a problem partly attributed to food loss and waste during postharvest handling and distribution. In the context of research to meet the sustainable development goals, this project specifically addressed the postharvest loss of the ripe indigenous eggplant (Solanum anguivi lam) fruit called Igba Yinrin by Yoruba in South-West Nigeria, which is usually discarded in farms. The study was carried out on ripe and unripe fruits to better understand their value by comparing their effects in diabetes treatment. Methods: The study sought to assess the effects of a diet including ripe or unripe mature eggplant fruits in the sucrose-induced diabetic-like fruit fly. Bioactive compounds were identified and quantified with HPLC-UV, while the antioxidant vitamin (A, C, E), carotenoid, and mineral (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, P, and Zn) content was analyzed in the fruits. Extracts were used to investigate their in vitro anti-inflammatory properties on cyclooxygenases (COX 1 and 2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), and anti-diabetes enzymes [α-amylase and α-glucosidase], while extract-supplemented diets (0.25-1% concentration) were fed to the fruit flies for 14 days. Results: Interestingly, the results showed that the ripe fruits had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher total phenol and flavonoid content, as well as a higher content of vitamins, carotenoids, and minerals, than the unripe fruits. The in vivo activities of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione transferase (GST)] and the total thiol level increased, while the blood glucose, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). An in silico docking analysis showed strong binding affinity of the above-mentioned enzymes under investigation with the ligands hesperidin, naringin, and myricetin, which are bioactive compounds contained in the examined extracts. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the biological effects of the ripe and unripe fruit extracts on inflammatory and anti-diabetes enzyme activities, which means that the ripe fruit, usually discarded, could serve as a sustainable alternative source of food nutrients.

Introduction: Africa faces immense food and health insecurity challenges, a problem partly attributed to food loss and waste during postharvest handling and distribution. In the context of research to meet the sustainable development goals, this project specifically addressed the postharvest loss of the ripe indigenous eggplant (Solanum anguivi lam) fruit called “Igba Yinrin” by Yoruba in South-West Nigeria, which is usually discarded in farms. The study was carried out on ripe and unripe fruits to better understand their value by comparing their effects in diabetes treatment. Methods: The study sought to assess the effects of a diet including ripe or unripe mature eggplant fruits in the sucrose-induced diabetic-like fruit fly. Bioactive compounds were identified and quantified with HPLC–UV, while the antioxidant vitamin (A, C, E), carotenoid, and mineral (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, P, and Zn) content was analyzed in the fruits. Extracts were used to investigate their in vitro anti-inflammatory properties on cyclooxygenases (COX 1 and 2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), and anti-diabetes enzymes [α-amylase and α-glucosidase], while extract-supplemented diets (0.25–1% concentration) were fed to the fruit flies for 14 days. Results: Interestingly, the results showed that the ripe fruits had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher total phenol and flavonoid content, as well as a higher content of vitamins, carotenoids, and minerals, than the unripe fruits. The in vivo activities of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione transferase (GST)] and the total thiol level increased, while the blood glucose, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). An in silico docking analysis showed strong binding affinity of the above-mentioned enzymes under investigation with the ligands hesperidin, naringin, and myricetin, which are bioactive compounds contained in the examined extracts. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the biological effects of the ripe and unripe fruit extracts on inflammatory and anti-diabetes enzyme activities, which means that the ripe fruit, usually discarded, could serve as a sustainable alternative source of food nutrients.

Harvesting fresh fruit bunches (FFB) is an important activity in the oil palm plantation industry. This study aimed to analyze the potential content of palm oil at the level of loose fruit that falls on the oil palm circle. Observations were made on five fresh fruit bunches with criteria 1, 3, and 5 respectively loose fruit per bunch that falls on the oil palm circle from oil palm trees that were 22, 16, 12, and 7 years old. All sample fresh fruit bunches were analyzed for potential oil to bunch and oil to wet mesocarp in the analytical laboratory of Bumitama Gunajaya Agro. Content of oil to wet mesocarp in loose fruit 1, 3, and 5 were 48,50 % b, 51,98 % a, and 53,21 % a respectively. While the content of oil to bunch in loose fruit 1, 3, and 5 were 24,19 % a, 25,52 % a, and 25,71 % a respectively. The highest potential for oil content occurs in ripe palm fruit with a level of loose fruit 5 grains per bunch that falls on that oil palm circle. Five grains per bunch on the oil palm circle can be used as an indicator for harvesters to harvest ripe fruit with optimal oil content.

The agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii differs from most other Drosophila species in that it lays eggs in ripe, rather than overripe, fruit. Previously, we showed that changes in bitter taste sensation accompanied this adaptation (Dweck et al., 2021). Here, we show that D. suzukii has also undergone a variety of changes in sweet taste sensation. D. suzukii has a weaker preference than Drosophila melanogaster for laying eggs on substrates containing all three primary fruit sugars: sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Major subsets of D. suzukii taste sensilla have lost electrophysiological responses to sugars. Expression of several key sugar receptor genes is reduced in the taste organs of D. suzukii. By contrast, certain mechanosensory channel genes, including no mechanoreceptor potential C, are expressed at higher levels in the taste organs of D. suzukii, which has a higher preference for stiff substrates. Finally, we find that D. suzukii responds differently from D. melanogaster to combinations of sweet and mechanosensory cues. Thus, the two species differ in sweet sensation, mechanosensation, and their integration, which are all likely to contribute to the differences in their egg-laying preferences in nature.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and essential oils (EO) extracted from different organs of Sambucus nigra (leaves, flower buds, flowers, unripe and ripe fruits), were evaluated in this work. VOC analyses highlighted that oxygenated monoterpenes were the major class for both flowers and ripe fruits with percentages of 71.1% and 35.1%, respectively. The ripe fruit showed a considerable amount of linalyl acetate (26.3%) while cis-linalool oxide (pyranoide) (38.6%) was the main constituent of the flowers. This latter compound was also one of the major constituents of the leaf extracts (10.3% of the total identified fractions). The leaves evidenced a high percentage of esters (31.6%) with (Z)-3-hexenol acetate (15.1%) as the major constituent. Alcohols were exclusively represented by 1-hexanol (42.5%) and (E)-3-hexen-1-ol (31.1%) in the unripe fruits, while β-caryophyllene (42.0%) was the characteristic component of the buds. All the studied EOs showed non-terpene derivatives as the main class of volatiles even though its percentage varied in an organ-dependent manner. Alkanes were predominant and especially represented by heneicosane (the highest percentage of 32.9% in the fresh flowers) and nonadecane (the highest percentage of 17.2% in the buds,). Benzaldehyde was the main aldehyde in the leaves (17.8%) while acids, chiefly n-hexadecanoic acid, were also found in quite high amounts in the ripe fruits (14.3%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most Drosophila species lay eggs in overripe fruit, the agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii lays eggs in ripe fruit. We found that changes in bitter taste perception have accompanied this adaptation. We show that bitter-sensing mutants of Drosophila melanogaster undergo a shift in egg laying preference toward ripe fruit. D. suzukii has lost 20% of the bitter-sensing sensilla from the labellum, the major taste organ of the head. Physiological responses to various bitter compounds are lost. Responses to strawberry purées are lost from two classes of taste sensilla. Egg laying is not deterred by bitter compounds that deter other species. Profiling of labellar transcriptomes reveals reduced expression of several bitter Gr genes (gustatory receptors). These findings support a model in which bitter compounds in early ripening stages deter egg laying in most Drosophila species, but a loss of bitter response contributes to the adaptation of D. suzukii to ripe fruit.

Besides structural information, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial to reveal the presence and gradients of metabolites in organs constituted of several tissues. In plant science, such knowledge is key to better understand fruit development and metabolism. Routine methods based on fixation for cytological studies or dissection for metabolite measurements induce biases and plant sample destruction. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MSRI) leads to one NMR spectrum per pixel while chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI allows mapping metabolites having exchangeable protons. As both methods present different advantages and drawbacks, we compared them to map metabolites in ripe tomato fruits. We demonstrated that MRSI was difficult to interpret due to large spatial chemical shift variations while CEST MRI produced promising image mapping of the main carbohydrates and amino acids. It showed that glucose/fructose was mostly located in the locular tissue, whereas glutamate/glutamine/GABA was found inside the columella. Graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Andean tomatoes differed from the wild ancestor in the metabolic composition and the expression of genes related with mitochondrial functions, and environmental stresses, making them potentially suitable for breeding programmes. Traditional landraces or "criollo" tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) from Andean areas of Argentina, selected for their fruit quality, were analysed in this study. We explored the metabolome and transcriptome of the ripe fruit in nine landrace accessions representing the seven genetic groups and compared them to the mature fruit of the wild progenitor Solanum pimpinellifolium. The content of branched- (isoleucine and valine) and aromatic (phenylalanine and tryptophan) amino acids, citrate and sugars were significantly different in the fruit of several "criollo" tomatoes compared to S. pimpinellifolium. The transcriptomic profile of the ripe fruit showed several genes significantly and highly regulated in all varieties compared to S. pimpinellifolium, like genes encoding histones and mitochondrial proteins. Additionally, network analysis including transcripts and metabolites identified major hubs with the largest number of connections such as constitutive photomorphogenic protein 1 (a RING finger-type ubiquitin E3 ligase), five Zn finger transcription factors, ascorbate peroxidase, acetolactate synthase, and sucrose non-fermenting 1 kinase. Co-expression analysis of these genes revealed a potential function in acquiring tomato fruit quality during domestication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in physicochemical characteristics, bioactive components and antioxidant capacity of three climacteric fruits, namely banana, mango and papaya were investigated. Correlations between ripeness and bioactive compounds as well as antioxidant capacity were also studied. From physicochemical analysis, hardness and firmness of fruit declined during ripening, which were consistent with loss in crude fiber and increase in total soluble solid. Total phenolic, vitamin C and antioxidant capacity were superior for green fruit, while opposite was observed for β-carotene content. Ripening clearly decreased total phenolic acids and total flavonoids contents determined using RP-HPLC. We found that ripening was correlated at a highly significant level with individual phenolic acids (gallic, vanillic, chlorogenic and sinapic acids) and individual flavonoid (quercetin) (p < 0.001), whereas a very significant correlation (p < 0.01) was observed with vitamin C, β-carotene and caffeic acid. However, no correlation existed between ripening and antioxidant capacity. Our findings have provided novel information about how best to select the appropriate maturity of fruits that contains the highest amount of specific bioactive markers linking to the best health benefits or functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi avaliar a eficiência do tratamento hidrotérmico no controle de larvas de C. capitata em frutos de tangerina para fins quarentenários. Tangerinas da variedade ‘Dancy’ infestadas por larvas de Ceratitis capitata foram submetidas aostratamentos hidrotérmicos de 46±1°C e 50±1°C, em diferentes tempos de exposição. Para a temperatura de 46±1°C foram utilizados nove períodos de exposição: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 e 40 min. Na temperatura de 50±1°C, utilizaram-se sete tempos de exposição: 0, 5,10, 15, 20, 25 e 30 min., sendo o tempo (0) infestado e sem tratamento para as duas temperaturas. Cada tratamento foi composto de cinco repetições com dois frutos. Frutos maduros e semi-maduros infestados foram imersos em água quente, visando quantificar ototal de larvas vivas e mortas, sendo que, um grupo de frutos foi mantido sem imersão como controle. Os índices quarentenários, na temperatura de 46±1°C foram atingidos aos 32,0 e 35,3 min. para frutos maduros e semi-maduros, respectivamente. Na temperatura de50±1°C, os índices quarentenários foram atingidos aos 20,8 e 21,7 minutos para os frutos maduros e semi-maduros, respectivamente. A mortalidade das larvas de C. capitata foi crescente com o aumento da temperatura e o tempo de exposição.This research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of hydrothermaltreatment in the control of C. capitata larvae in tangerine fruit for quarantine safety. Tangerines fruits infested by larvae of Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata were submitted to hydrothermal treatment at 46±1°C and 50±1°C for different exposure times. The fruits were selected in two maturity stages (ripe and semi-ripe) and immersed in hot water. For temperature at 46±1°C, nine exposure times were used: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 minutes. The same procedure was used for temperature at 50±1°C, where the exposure times were: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes. Infested fruits immersed in hot water were evaluated aiming to quantify the total of live and dead larvae, with one groupwas kept as control and not immersed. Quarantine safety using treatment with hot water at 46±1°C was reached at 32.0 and 35.3 minutes for ripe and semi-ripe fruits, respectively. At 50±1°C, quarantine safety was reached at 20.8 and 21.7 minutes for ripe and semi-ripe fruits, respectively. C. capitata mortality increased with the rise in temperature and exposure time.