Bioactive content of six passion fruit genotypes cultivated in southern Brazil

Passion fruit production in Brazil is concentrated in tropical regions, however, recently production has expanded to regions with temperate climate. Cultivar performance in different climate and soil can lead to variation in the contents of bioactive compounds in the juice and rind of the fruit. This study characterized the bioactive content of passion fruit rind and juice of six passion fruit genotypes (‘Catarina Roxo’, ‘Catarina’, ‘Urussanga’, ‘BRS Gigante Amarelo’, ‘BRS Rubi do Cerrado’, and ‘BRS Sol do Cerrado’) cultivated in southern Brazil. Phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, carotenoid, and ascorbic acid contents and the antioxidant potential of each fruit portion from each genotype were evaluated. Fruit composition varied with genotype and evaluated tissue. Bioactive compound contents were greatest in the rind of ‘Urussanga’ and ‘Catarina’, whereas the juice of ‘BRS Sol do Cerrado’ and ‘Catarina Roxo’ had the greatest bioactive content. Given cultivar and tissue variability for bioactive content, postharvest use of passion fruit will determine the choice of cultivar to obtain a product with maximum bioactive compounds. Passion fruit genotypes evaluated in this study have shown to be potential sources of bioactive compounds. Fruit rind has the potential to be explored in the scientific and technological scope, due to its high amounts of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity.

GREEN SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES FROM FRUIT RIND EXTRACT OF GARCINIA MANGOSTANA L. AND EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

Nanotechnology is an emerging area of science that involves the engineering of nano sized particles of various materials. Among the various nanoparticles, the silver nanoparticles are used in various applications due to their unique characters. The production of silver nanoparticles using a chemical method is harmful and produces toxic substances as by-products, so the aim of our study was to green synthesis silver nanoparticles using the fruit rind of Garcinia mangostana L. which is being discarded as a waste material. Aqueous rind extract of G. mangostana was prepared and synthesis of silver nanoparticles was analysed by UV-Vis spectrophotometer by optimizing various parameters like pH, time and concentration of extract. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and the peak was obtained between the wave length of 410 - 433 nm in various treatments. The antibacterial activities of synthesized silver nanoparticles were tested against both gram negative (Pseudomonas) and gram positive (Staphylococcus) bacteria using the well diffusion method. The aqueous extract shows the remarkable zone of inhibition against Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Dried Fruit Rind of Garcinia gummi-gutta

Garcinia gummi-gutta is an evergreen medium sized tree of the family Clusiaceae with remarkable traditional value which has been indicated for the treatment of bowel complaints, rheumatism, intestinal parasites and also as a culinary and preservative agent for fish preparations in Southern India and Srilanka. The extract of dried fruit rind of Garcinia gummi-gutta obtained through Soxhlet extraction using ethanol was subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis along with in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity against common food borne pathogens. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the rind extract of the plant showed the presence of phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, steroids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, diterpenes and triterpenes. The plant extracts were evaluated for the antimicrobial activity by in vitro agar well-diffusion at a dose rate of 5mg/ml, 10 mg/ml and 15mg/ml against the microbial strains namely Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenus and Salmonella tymphimurium. The results of the antimicrobial activity showed effective inhibitory activity against all the tested organisms in a dose dependant manner.

Optimization of Glyceryl Polyacrylate in Nanoemulgel of Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) Rind Fraction

The mangosteen fruit rind fraction positively contains flavonoids and polyphenols which can act as an antioxidant anti-inflammatory. The use of mangosteen rind fraction in topical preparations requires a good delivery system to support percutaneous penetration, one of which is nanoemulsion. The topical use of nanoemulsion has low viscosity and to increase the penetration of active compound, therefore it needs to be formulated into nanoemulgel preparations. In formulating nanoemulgel preparations, the optimum concentration of gelling agents is needed to obtain a nanoemulgel that meets the physical and chemical characteristics of the gel preparation. Therefore we need an optimization of glyceryl polyacrylate gelling agent in order to obtain a nanoemulgel with good characteristics. Nanoemulgel for mangosteen rind fraction was made in four formulas with gelling agent concentrations of glyceryl polyacrylate as much as 1% (F1), 2% (F2), 3% (F3), and 4% (F4). The nanoemulgel has been evaluated for its physical and chemical characteristics including organoleptic test, homogeneity, adhesion, viscosity, dispersibility, and pH. The active substance release test is carried out on a gel that meets the overall requirements for physical and chemical properties. The analysis showed that the F1 produced a nanoemulgel that met the physical and chemical characteristics of the semisolid preparations. Organoleptic of F1 isi semisolid form with yellow color and typically garcinia fruit rind fraction odor, homogen mixture, 1 ± 0.02s adhesion, 8340 ± 555 viscosity, 6.87 ± 0.39 cm2 spreadability, and 6.39 ± 0.01 pH. The results of the release of active substances showed that the F1 formula was able to release 49.9% of active substances in 10 minutes and within 480 minutes was able to release 96.54% of active substances with a total flux of 5.36 µg / cm2 minutes which fulfill the release requirement.Based on these results, it can be concluded that glyceryl polyacrylate with a concentration of 1% can produce good nanoemulgel.

Nitrogen and boron nutrition in grafted watermelon II: Impact on nutrient accumulation in fruit rind and flesh

Turkey ranks second in watermelon (Citrullus lunatus L.) production globally and the highest production is witnessed for Çukurova plains the country. Although watermelon is extensively cultivated in the Çukurova region, studies on optimum nitrogen (N) and boron (B) doses for watermelon cultivation are quite limited. This study, evaluated the impact of increasing N (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha-1) and B (0 and 2 kg ha-1 B) doses on nutrient uptake in rind (exocarp) and flesh (endocarp) of watermelon fruit. Grafted watermelon variety ‘Starburst’, widely cultivated in the region was used as experimental material. The concentrations of different macro and micronutrients were analyzed from fruit rind and flesh. Individual and interactive effect of N and B doses significantly altered macro and micronutrients’ uptake in rind and flesh. Higher amounts of macro and micronutrients were accumulated in rind than flesh. Nutrients’ uptake was increased with increasing N doses, whereas B had limited impact. The accumulated nutrients were within the safe limits for human consumption. The N concentrations of rind and flesh increased with increasing N dose. Similarly, B concentration in rind and flesh and N concentration in rind significantly increased, while N concentration in flesh decreased with B application. It was concluded that 270 kg ha-1 N and 2 kg ha-1 B are optimum for better nutrient uptake in watermelon fruit. Thus, these doses must be used for watermelon cultivation in Çukurova plains of the country.