PRELIMINARY RESULTS REGARDING THE FRUIT QUALITY AND YIELD OF SOME BLUEBERRY GENOTYPES

Vaccinium corymbosum is one of the berry species with economic and food interest to Romanian growers and consumers. The development of blueberrty crop is a result of breeding activity, which has generated many cultivars of quality fruit and high productivity. The characters that are of economic interest in the cultivation of blueberries depend on the area of cultivation where the new cultivars are obtained. The study was conducted in summer 2020 in an experimental plot established in 2015 with seven blueberry genotypes, at Research Institute for Fruit Growing, Pitesti, Romania in the Small Fruit Laboratory, having an experience in the field of more than 40 years. The objective at this study is to compare some of fruit characteristics from genotypes 'Azur', 'Delicia', 'Duke', 'Northblue', 'Simultan', '4/6' and '6/38': plant yield, average fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, the soluble solids, fruit acidity or pH, fruit firmness. During this study 'Delicia' cv. proved to have the highest production per plant (4.20 kg plant), the highest values of fruit diameter (19.70 mm), and the highest value of fruit total titratable acidity (01.25 %).

Fermentation Condition and Quality Evaluation of Pineapple Fruit Wine

This research investigated the impact of the concentration of pineapple juice on the characteristics of pineapple wine during fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. burgundy. Three ratios of fresh pineapple juice to water were mixed to obtain three treatments, which were T1—2:1, T2—1:1, and T3—1:2. The °Brix and pH of all pineapple juice and water ratios were adjusted to 25 and 4, respectively. The results showed that changes in alcohol, pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), Total Titratable Acidity (TAA, as citric acid), and Volatile Acidity (VA, as acetic acid) during the 10-day fermentation among three treatments were significantly different. The highest alcohol content was obtained from the 2:1 with values of 10.71% (v/v). The mixed ratio at 1:1 and 1:2 obtained the alcohol value of 9.61 and 8.35% (v/v), respectively. After ten days of fermentation, TSS, pH values, TAA, and VA were in the range of 9.7–13 °Brix, 3.56–3.82, 0.384–0.448, and 0.0013–0.0016, respectively. However, the appearance, aroma, and taste of all ratios were not significantly different. Sweetness and overall liking, wine with pineapple juice/water ratio at 2:1 had the highest score (p ≤ 0.05). The total antioxidant activities determined by DPPH and total phenolic content were 0.91 mmol/L TE and 365.80 mg/L GAE, respectively, as confirmed by FTIR spectral analyses.

Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Pediococcus pentosaceus Non-Alcoholic Pearl Millet Beverage Enriched with Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder: Nutritional and Sensory Characteristics

Non-alcoholic cereal beverages (NACB) are usually produced through uncontrolled fermentation driven by a cocktail of bacteria resulting in final product variability. Hence, to commercialise fermented traditional cereal beverages bioburden microbial cultures are required. This investigation aimed to evaluate the physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory characteristics of NACB produced using pure cultures of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Pearl millet extract (PME) pasteurised at 85 °C for 15 min and cooled to 40 °C was inoculated with Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Pediococcus pentosaceus at 0.050% and 0.025% (1:0.5), respectively, and fermented at 37 °C for 18 h, referred to as plain non-alcoholic pearl millet beverage (PNAPMB). Moringa supplemented non-alcoholic pearl millet beverage (MSNAPMB) was produced following the same method as PNAPMB but a 4% moringa leaf extract powder was added before hydration of the pearl millet powder. The traditional non-alcoholic pearl millet beverage (TNAPMB) was prepared by mixing water and pearl millet flour (1:1.25; PMF:Water) and hydrated for 3 h at 25 °C. The mixture was divided into ¼ slurry which was mixed with sprouted rice flour (SRF) and ¾ portion that was gelatinised with 1 L of boiling water and cooled to 40 °C. The two portions were mixed and fermented at 37 °C for 18 h, followed by sieving, dilution with water (1:0.5, filtrate:water), and pasteurization for 15 min at 85 °C. The growth of lactic acid bacteria, pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), and sugar in PNAPMB and MSNAPMB were determined at 3 h intervals during fermentation. The final beverages were also analysed for proximate, colour and metabolites. The lactic acid bacteria were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the fermentation period and increased from 3.32 to 7.97 log CFU/mL (pH 4.14) and 3.58 to 8.38 log CFU/mL (pH 3.65) for PNAPMB and MSNAPMB, respectively. The total titratable acidity significantly (p < 0.05) increased from 0.14 to 0.22% and from 0.17 to 0.38% in PNAPMB and MSNAPMB, respectively. The protein, total fat, moisture total sugar, and carbohydrates differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the samples. PNAPMB was preferred by a consumer panel followed by MSNAPMB and TNAPMB. Volatile compounds with beneficial anti-inflammatory and anti-pathogenic properties were identified in the beverages. Innovative fermentation of pearl millet extract using purified bioburden cultures was possible and the added Moringa oleifera leaf powder improved the nutritional quality of the resulting beverage.

Regulation of Structure and Quality of Dried Noodles by Liquid Pre-Fermentation

Liquid pre-fermentation technology was innovatively applied to the development of dried fermented noodles. The effects of fermentation time (1, 3 and 6 h) and yeast addition (0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 g/100 g of flour) on the quality, microstructure and flavor of dried noodles were also investigated in this study. Conspicuous porous structures and greater thickness of dried noodles were found when the fermentation time was ≤ 3 h and the yeast addition was ≥ 0.5 g/100 g of flour, which contributed to the increase in the breaking strength, cooking time and water absorption. However, when the fermentation time increased to 6 h, finer microporous structures, little change related to thickness and richer flavor levels were detected. Additionally, the total titratable acidity of dried fermented noodles was increased to 3.38–4.43 mL compared with the unfermented noodles (2.15 mL). Weaker gluten network structures caused by long-time fermentation and acidic environment led to lower hardness, chewiness, tensile force and tensile distance of cooked fermented noodles.

Identification of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from traditional sourdoughs and sourdough production by enrichment

The subject of this study was to investigate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts microbiota of traditional sourdough (n = 36) and to indicate characteristics of enriched sourdough that is produced from combinations of isolates. A total of 60 LAB and 40 yeasts were identified from sourdough by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The dominant LAB microflora was Lactobacillus brevis (43.33%), Pediococcus acidilactici (21.67%) and Lactobacillus plantarum (18.33%). The dominant yeasts microflora was Saccharomyces cerevisiae (27.5%), Pichia kudriavzevii (25.0%) and Kluyveromyces marxianus (12.5%). The sourdough prepared with the combination of L. brevis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, P. acidilactici and S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus showed the best physicochemical and microbiological properties while that with L. plantarum, L. brevis and P. kudriavzevii, Wickerhamomyces anumalus was the poorest. LAB and yeasts in the sourdoughs were ranged from 6.58 log CFU g^–1to 9.12 log CFU g^–1 and from 6.12 log CFU g^–1 to 7.88 log CFU g^–1, respectively. Various chemical parameters such as pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), ethanol, and sourdough volume were differ depending on the type of microbial species. TTA was more pronounced in the sourdoughs produced with homofermentative LAB. Yeasts and LAB were dominated during continuous enriching of sourdough, supporting an important role during fermentation.

Effect of the addition of psyllium (plantago ovata forsk) on the physicochemical characteristics of frozen banana pulp during storage

Psyllium is a soluble fiber that has aroused the interest of several researchers for presenting proven functional benefits such as reducing LDL cholesterol, controlling blood glucose, delaying gastric emptying time among others. This study aimed to elaborate a banana pulp added psyllium and verify the effect on the physicochemical parameters (pH, total titratable acidity, color and rheology) during 90 days of storage under different temperatures (- 8 °C and – 18 °C). The results showed that the addition of 3% psyllium altered some parameters: the pH did not present a significant difference at time 0, but at times 30 and 60 it showed a difference and at the end of storage it did not show any difference, the ATT did not change at time 0 , but from time 30 it showed a significant decrease until the end of the storage period, the psyllium having a darker color than the banana reduced the luminosity (L *), it was verified that the addition of psyllium increased the apparent viscosity of the pulp. Psyllium has the potential to be used in banana pulp, since the changes in pH and TTA did not affect the quality of the product and meet the recommended by the current quality and identity standard for banana pulp, being a viable product with functional properties that can receive health claims.

Pawpaw enriched soymilk beverage

Effects of enriching soymilk with pawpaw puree at different ratios (10 – 40%) were evaluated for physicochemical properties, vitamin A and C, mineral contents, and sensory attributes. The results showed increase in total soluble solids (5.5 – 8.5 oBrix), total titratable acidity (0.53 – 0.87 g/kg) and viscosity (19.9 – 26.7 cp), but decreased in pH (7.4 – 6.8). Vitamin A and C contents of the soy-pawpaw beverage increased from 12.4– 20.4 μg/100 ml and 10.9 – 25.8 mg/100 ml, respectively. All the macromineral contents of the enriched soymilk beverages increased significantly except for sodium.Enrichment of soymilk with pawpaw puree improved the sensory attributes of the drink in terms of flavour, taste, mouthfeel and overall acceptance, especially at high supplementation level (40%). Soymilk with pawpaw puree resulted in products with better vitamin A and C and macro-mineral contents than plain soymilk drink, thus, the soy-pawpaw beverage will complement consumers micro and macro-nutrient intake. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res.56(2), 105-114, 2021

How Climatic Seasons of the Amazon Biome Affect the Aromatic and Bioactive Profiles of Fermented and Dried Cocoa Beans?

In addition to the vast diversity of fauna and flora, the Brazilian Amazon has different climatic periods characterized by periods with greater and lesser rainfall. The main objective of this research was to verify the influence of climatic seasons in the Brazilian Amazon (northeast of Pará state) concerning the aromatic and bioactive profiles of fermented and dried cocoa seeds. About 200 kg of seeds was fermented using specific protocols of local producers. Physicochemical analyzes (total titratable acidity, pH, total phenolic compounds, quantification of monomeric phenolics and methylxanthines) and volatile compounds by GC-MS were carried out. We observed that: in the summer, the highest levels of aldehydes were identified, such as benzaldehyde (6.34%) and phenylacetaldehyde (36.73%), related to the fermented cocoa and honey aromas, respectively; and a total of 27.89% of this same class was identified during winter. There were significant differences (p ≤ 0.05, Tukey test) in the profile of bioactive compounds (catechin, epicatechin, caffeine, and theobromine), being higher in fermented almonds in winter. This study indicates that the climatic seasons in the Amazon affect the aromatic and bioactive profiles and could produce a new identity standard (summer and winter Amazon) for the cocoa almonds and their products.

Bioactive compounds in gladiolus flowers

Flowers have received special attention not only for their ornamental nature but also for their nutraceutical, cosmetic, aromatic, and culinary properties. This study aimed to characterize physicochemical attributes and the antioxidant capacity of flowers of four gladiolus cultivars. The cultivars used were White Friendship, Rose Supreme, Jester, and T704. We analyzed the content of total soluble solids (SS), total titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, pH, vitamin C, anthocyanin, flavonoids, total phenolic compounds (TPC), total antioxidant activity (TAA), and the relationship of TPC with flavonoids and TAA for each cultivar. The results showed that the Jester flowers had the lowest TA and highest SS/TA ratio, indicating the best flavor. Jester also had the highest flavonoid content, similarly to the White Friendship and Rose Supreme. As a result, these cultivars have flowers with higher TPC and TAA content than T704. The anthocyanin content was the characteristic attribute of cultivar T704, due to its purple pigmentation. Gladiolus flowers, traditionally used in landscaping and as cut flowers, have the potential for use in human nutrition, particularly the White Friendship, Rose Supreme, and Jester cultivars.

QUALIDADE DA BERINJELA IRRIGADA COM ÁGUAS SALOBRAS VIA GOTEJAMENTO CONTÍNUO E POR PULSOS

QUALIDADE DA BERINJELA IRRIGADA COM ÁGUAS SALOBRAS VIA GOTEJAMENTO CONTÍNUO E POR PULSOS LUCAS FARIAS DAMASCENO1; LOUISE ROSA MONTE BELO2; HANS RAJ GHEYI3; ALIDE MITSUE WATANABE COVA4; GEOVANI SOARES DE LIMA5 E LARA DE JESUS MARQUES6 1 Mestrando em Engenharia Agrícola da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Rui Barbosa, 710, Centro, 45330-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Engenheira Agrônoma, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Rui Barbosa, 710, Centro, 45330-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 3 Professor Visitante da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Rui Barbosa, 710, Centro, 45330-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected]. 4 Pós-Doutoranda no Programa de Pós-graduação de Engenharia Agrícola da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Rui Barbosa, 710, Centro, 45330-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 5 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Aprígio Veloso, 882, Universitário, 58428-830, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brasil. E-mail:[email protected] 6 Estudante de Agronomia da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Rui Barbosa, 710, Centro, 45330-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 1 RESUMO Devido suas propriedades medicinais e por ser um alimento rico em antioxidantes, o consumo da hortaliça berinjela vem crescendo. Durante o cultivo da berinjela, o manejo da água e do solo são fatores que podem influenciar a qualidade do fruto. Assim, objetivou-se com este trabalho analisar as características físico-químicas do fruto da berinjela ‘Florida Market’ irrigada com águas salobras por gotejamento contínuo e pulsos. O experimento foi conduzido em ambiente protegido com delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 2 x 4, com cinco repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de duas formas de aplicação de água: gotejamento contínuo e pulsos, com quatro níveis de condutividade elétrica da água – CEa (0,3 (controle); 1,5; 3,0 e 4,5 dS m-1). Foram avaliadas as variáveis: massa fresca do fruto, teor de sólidos solúveis totais, pH da polpa, acidez total titulável e relação sólidos solúveis totais/acidez total titulável. Com o incremento da salinidade da água de irrigação o teor de sólidos solúveis totais (+3,60%) e acidez total titulável (+9,87%) aumentaram, enquanto a relação de sólidos solúveis totais/acidez total titulável (-4,53%) e a massa fresca do fruto diminuíram. A interação entre a salinidade e a forma de aplicação da água não influenciou as características físico-químicas do fruto. Palavras-chave: Solanum melongena L., salinidade, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável. DAMASCENO, L. F.; BELO, L. R. M.; GHEYI, H. R.; COVA, A. M. W.; LIMA, G. S. de; MARQUES, L. de J. QUALITY OF EGGPLANT FRUIT IRRIGATED WITH BRACKISH WATER UNDER CONTINUOUS DRIP AND PULSE IRRIGATION 2 ABSTRACT Due to its medicinal properties and to be a functional food rich in antioxidants, the eggplant vegetable consumption has been increasing. During eggplant cultivation, water and soil management are factors that can influence fruit quality. Therefore, this work aimed to analyze the physico-chemical characteristics of the fruit of the eggplant ‘Florida Market’ irrigated with brackish water under continuous drip and pulse irrigation. The experiment was conducted in protected environment in a randomized block design, adopting a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, with five replicates. The treatments consisted of a combination of two forms of application of brackish water: continuous drip and pulses, with four levels of water salinity - ECw (0.3 (control); 1.5; 3.0 and 4.5 dS m-1). The variables evaluated were fresh weight of the fruit, total soluble solids content, pH of the pulp, total titratable acidity and the ratio of total soluble solids/total titratable acidity. With the increase in salinity of irrigation water the content of total soluble solids (+3.60%) and total titratable acidity (+9.87%) increased, while the ratio of total soluble solids/total titratable acidity (-4.53%) and fresh fruit mass decreased. The interaction between salinity and the form of water application did not influence the physico-chemical characteristics of the fruit. Keywords: Solanum melongena L., salinity, soluble solids, titratable acidity.