Investigation of the Effect of Drying Conditions on Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Activity in Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Comparative Evaluation of Quality Attributes of the Dried Cherry Blossom Subjected to Different Drying Techniques

Choosing an appropriate drying method is crucial for producing dried cherry blossoms with desirable quality. This study is designed to assess the effects of seven different drying methods-hot-air drying (HAD), infrared hot-air drying (IHAD), catalytic infrared drying (CID), relative humidity drying (RHD), pulsed vacuum drying (PVD), microwave vacuum drying (MVD), and vacuum freeze drying (VFD)-on drying time and various attributes of cherry blossoms, such as appearance, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, α-glucosidase activity, and sensory properties. Our findings revealed that MVD recorded the shortest drying time, followed by PVD, CID, IHAD, RHD, HAD, and VFD. In qualities, VFD-dried petals exhibited superior appearance, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory capability; MVD-dried petals were a close second. Furthermore, the quality of tea infusions prepared from the dried petals was found to be significantly correlated with the quality of the dried petals themselves. Regarding sensory attributes, VFD-dried petals produced tea infusions most similar in flavor and taste to those made with fresh petals and received the highest sensory evaluation scores, followed by MVD, PVD, RHD, CID, IHAD, and HAD. These results could offer a scientific foundation for the mass production of high-quality dried cherry blossoms in the future.

Chitosan film with pineapple peel extract in the extension of shelf life of Indian cottage cheese: Release kinetics and bio-accessibility studies

Pineapple-peel-based chitosan film was employed to extend the shelf life of Indian Cottage Cheese, commonly termed "paneer" in the Indian subcontinent. Pineapple peel extracts (PPE) at 3 different concentrations (1-3 %) were incorporated into the chitosan matrix. In comparison to control samples (unpacked paneer), packaged paneer samples exhibited reduced weight loss, lipid peroxidation, and pH changes. The microbiological shelf life of paneer got extended till 9th day at 4 °C when packaged in chitosan-PPE films. Korsmeyer-Peppas's model suggested that the release of polyphenols from the chitosan-PPE film followed Fickian diffusion. As per sensory evaluation on a 9-point hedonic scale, packaged paneer samples were superior in juiciness, texture, color, flavor, and overall acceptability compared to unpackaged paneer samples. As compared to the control sample (CS), the overall acceptance was higher for the film with 1 % pineapple peel extract (CS PPE 1), followed by films with 2 % and 3 % pineapple peel extracts (CS-PPE 2 and CS-PPE 3). The bio-accessibility study utilized the dynamic gastric model to simulate digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract and revealed 40-60 % recovery rate of polyphenols from the chitosan-pineapple peel film.

Exogenous inoculation of endophyte Penicillium sp. alleviated pineapple internal browning during storage

Pineapple is ranked sixth in terms of global fruit production and the most traded tropical fruit worldwide. Internal browning (IB), a physiological disorder of pineapple fruit after harvest, limits the export and industry development of pineapple. Evidence confirmed that endophyte played a pivotal role in plant disease. This study investigated the relationship between endophyte fungi community structure, population abundance in healthy and IB pineapple fruit; as well as the effect of endophyte Penicillium sp. inoculation on pineapple IB. Intended to explore a new effective measure for controlling IB and reducing postharvest losses in pineapple by an economical and environmentally friendly approach. We found the abundance of endophyte fungi in healthy pineapple fruit was different from that in IB fruit by high-throughput sequencing. The results emphasized that the endophyte Penicillium sp. inoculation dramatically alleviated pineapple IB intensity and severity, delayed crown withering and fruit yellowing, and maintained the exterior quality traits during the postharvest period at 20 °C. Penicillium sp. retarded H₂O₂ accumulation and increased the total phenols level in pineapple. Application of Penicillium sp. also maintained the higher antioxidant capacity by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and ascorbic acids levels, regulated of the homeostasis of endogenous hormones, and increased the abundance of Penicillium sp. in the fruit. In summary, Penicillium sp. retarded the occurrence of IB and enhanced the storability of pineapple at postharvest, and this economical and environmentally friendly technology is convenient to spread in agriculture.

Comparison of Differences in Chemical Composition and Related Antioxidant Activity of Snow Lotus from Different Origins

The snow lotus is an endangered traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Saussurea involucrata, Saussurea laniceps, and Saussurea medusa, the three main snow lotus species (five herbs and two S. involucrata cell cultures), were selected for this study. Snow lotus (XLs) was extracted using 75 % (v/v) ethanol. Two reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector methods were developed and validated for the determination of 10 representative components in XLs. The antioxidant efficacy of XLs and their components was investigated using DPPH, ABTS free radical scavenging, and ROS inhibition experiments. The results showed that the IC₅₀ for DPPH scavenging ranged from 0.06-0.29 mg/mL for XLs and from 0.13-0.63 mg/mL for ABTS, and could downregulate ROS to varying degrees. The results of the antioxidant activity showed that rutin, quercetin, and isochlorogenic acid A contributed to the antioxidant capacity of XLs. The high content and activity of the cell cultures indicate that they can serve as an effective alternative to snow lotus, thus providing a theoretical basis for the selection of herbs and cell cultures to fulfil various needs.