Efficiency of exogenous zinc sulfate application reduced fruit drop and improved antioxidant activity of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin fruit

‘ Kinnow’ mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.× Citrus deliciosa T.) is an important marketable fruit of the world. It is mainstay of citrus industry in Pakistan, having great export potential. But out of total production of the country only 10% of the produce meets the international quality standard for export. Pre-harvest fruit drop and poor fruit quality could be associated with various issues including the plant nutrition. Most of the farmers do not pay attention to the supply of micro nutrients which are already deficient in the soil. Furthermore, their mobility within plants is also a question. Zinc (Zn) is amongst those micronutrients which affect the quality and postharvest life of the fruit and its deficiency in Pakistani soils is already reported by many researchers. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest applications of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0, 0.4%, 0.6% or 0.8%) on pre-harvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin at harvest. The treatments were applied during the month of October i.e. 4 months prior to harvest. The applied Zn sprays had significant effect on yield and quality of the “Kinnow” fruit. Amongst different foliar applications of ZnSO4applied four months before harvest, 0.6% ZnSO4 significantly reduced pre-harvest fruit drop (10.08%) as compared to untreated control trees (46.45%). Similarly, the maximum number of fruits harvested per tree (627), fruit weight (192.9 g), juice percentage (42.2%), total soluble solids (9.5 °Brix), ascorbic acid content (35.5 mg 100 g-1) and sugar contents (17.4) were also found significantly higher with 0.6% ZnSO4 treatment as compared to rest of treatments and control. Foliar application of 0.6% ZnSO4 also significantly improved total antioxidants (TAO) and total phenolic contents (TPC) in fruit. In conclusion, foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.6%) four months prior to harvest reduced pre-harvest fruit drop, increase yield with improved quality of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin fruit.

Thermodynamics and Kinetic Modeling of the ZnSO4.H2O Thermal Decomposition in the Presence of a Pd/Al2O3 Catalyst

The sulfur–iodine thermochemical water-splitting cycle is a promising route proposed for hydrogen production. The decomposition temperature remains a challenge in the process. Catalysts, such as Pd supported on Al2O3, are being considered to decrease reaction temperatures. However, little is known regarding the kinetic behavior of such systems. In this work, zinc sulfate thermal decomposition was studied through non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis to understand the effect of a catalyst within the sulfur–iodine reaction system context. The findings of this analysis were also related to a thermodynamic assessment. It was observed that the presence of Pd/Al2O3 modified the reaction mechanism, possibly with some intermediate reactions that were suppressed or remarkably accelerated. The proposed model suggests that zinc sulfate transformation occurred in two sequential stages without the Pd-based material. Activation energy values of 238 and 368 kJ.mol−1 were calculated. In the presence of Pd/Al2O3, an activation energy value of 204 kJ.mol−1 was calculated, which is lower than observed previously.

Development and Validation of Method for the Quantitative Determination of Zinc in its Chelate Complexes Using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Introduction. The production, standardization and quality control process of various dietary supplements containing chelated zinc requires validated quantitative assessment methods. In this work, we propose an X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) technique for determining the zinc content in the composition of coordination compounds using the example of a synthesized chelate complex with methionine.Aim. To synthesize Zn(Met)2 chelate complex, to develop and validate a method for its quantitative analysis using the XRF method.Materials and methods. The synthesized zinc chelate complex was investigated by IR spectroscopy. The XRF method was used to develop a method for quantifying the zinc content in the synthesized complex. We used dry mixtures of zinc sulfate monohydrate and L-methionine (Met) in a molar ratio of Zn to Met – 1 : 1, 1 : 2, 1 : 4, 1 : 8 and 1 : 16 and also aqueous solutions of zinc sulfate and L-methionine in a molar ratio of Zn to Met 1 : 2 with Zn concentrations from 0.5 to 100 mmol/l as calibration standards. Complexometric titration was used as an arbitration method for the quantitative determination of zinc content in the samples under study.Results and discussion. The IR spectrum of chelate complex confirmed the presence of a donor-acceptor bond between Zn2+ and the nitrogen atom of amino group in methionine. The titration results showed chelate compounds have a composition corresponding to the stoichiometric formula Zn(Met)2. XRF analysis of dry standard mixed samples demonstrated the presence of matrix effect, that makes impossible an accurate assessment of zinc content in the chelate compound. According to the XRF spectra of aqueous solutions containing zinc sulfate and methionine in a ratio of 1 : 2 at a zinc concentration of 0.5; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 10; 25; 50 and 100 mmol/L, a calibration graph was constructed – the dependence of the fluorescence signal intensity for the Kα line of zinc on the concentration of zinc in the solution (r = 0.9996). The method was evaluated by the following validation parameters: specificity, linearity, correctness, precision, and analytical range. The specificity of the validated method was proven in the presence of copper, iron, and silver.Conclusion. The developed method make it possible to determine with sufficient precision and correctness the content of Zn2+ in its aqueous solutions of inorganic and organic nature by the XRF method in the concentration range from 3 to 100 mmol/l without the influence of the matrix.