A study of two cultivars of ‘egusi’ melon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsun and Nakai] known as bara and serewe, was undertaken at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Agriculture Makurdi in 2010. The aim was to study the effects of variable developmental stages and position of fruits on the mother plant on seed quality. Bulk crop was raised and fruits that developed from date t...

In order to identify wild fruits possessing high nutraceutical potential, the antioxidant activities of 56 wild fruits from South China were systematically evaluated. The fat-soluble components were extracted with tetrahydrofuran, and the water-soluble ones were extracted with a 50:3.7:46.3 (v/v) methanol-acetic acid-water mixture. The antioxidant capacities of the extracts were evaluated using...

Human and animal diet reconstruction studies that rely on tissue chemical signatures aim at providing estimates on the relative intake of potential food groups. However, several sources of uncertainty need to be considered when handling data. Bayesian mixing models provide a natural platform to handle diverse sources of uncertainty while allowing the user to contribute with prior expert informa...

The aim of this investigation was to estimate and compare essential and heavy metals contents in 98 commercially available fresh fruits from different geographic regions using multivariate techniques. The concentrations of 12 elements (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phophorus, cobalt (Co), manganese, iron, chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc and copper) were determined using flame atomic a...

Consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risks for numerous chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Even so, the impact of eating fruits and vegetables on weight management has not been widely researched. This brief will examine the evidence from available studies to determine whether eating fruits and vegetables can help with weight managem...

Our primary objective is to assess the role of culture by linking college students’ current consumption of fruits and vegetables with their produce consumption levels while with family. Using a Tobit model, we analyzed data from an online survey with college students. Family consumption of fruits was highly predictive of the individual’s consumption of fruits. For each unit increase in the repo...

Ethephon sprayed directly onto pepino fruits (Solanum muricatum Ait., Chilean clone CH8) at 1920 mg lÿ1 advanced colour changes and therefore earliness of the crop. Colour changes evaluated with a HunterLab colorimeter occurred more quickly in ethephon-treated fruits in which a*/b* ratio changed soon after treatment and reached the highest values in treated fruits. Among four visually classifie...

The decrease of strawberry (Fragariaxananassa Duch.) fruit firmness observed during ripening is partly attributed to pectolytic enzymes: polygalacturonases, pectate lyases and pectin methylesterases (PMEs). In this study, PME activity and pectin content and esterification degree were measured in cell walls from ripening fruits. Small green, large green, white, turning, red and over-ripe fruits ...

24 Abstract 25 26 We studied the metabolic costs associated with the ingestion of peppertree fruits (Schinus molle) in the culpeo fox, 27 Pseudalopex culpaeus, the second largest canid in South America. Throughout its range of distribution, this fox feeds 28 on rodents and other small vertebrates, and also on peppertree fruits, which represent 98% of total fruits consumed in 29 semiarid Chile. ...

The research study was conducted on the market fruits from selected local markets of Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The objectives of the study were to assess the microbiological quality of market fruits, hand washing and used water of hotels and chatpoti shops and to predict the comparative public health implication associated with the socioeconomic status of the inhabitants consuming the fruits and ...