S FROM KIWIFRUIT MEETING IN ITALY The following abstracts are from the 7th International Symposium on Kiwifruit hosted by Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna (Italy) and Emilia-Romagna Region from September 12 to 17, 2010 in Faenza, Italy.

OBJECTIVES Previous clinical trials have shown bowel function is improved through consumption of whole kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa). This study investigated whether encapsulated kiwifruit extract (1 g/day) could alleviate constipation in otherwise healthy adults. METHODS Forty adults with confirmed constipation entered this trial, of which 32 completed with >80% compliance. Two capsules we...

Numerous anecdotal reports have suggested that kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) has laxative effects. This could be an acceptable dietary supplement, especially for elderly people who often present with constipation. We wished to obtain objective evidence as to whether or not kiwifruit eaten regularly could promote laxation in elderly people. Thirty-eight healthy adults of age > 60 years consume...

We developed a model, termed D-PSA-K, to estimate the accumulated potential damage on kiwifruit canes caused by bacterial canker during the growing and overwintering seasons. The model consisted of three parts including estimation of the amount of necrotic lesion in a non-frozen environment, the rate of necrosis increase in a freezing environment during the overwintering season, and the amount ...

A model of kiwifruit berry development is presented, building on the model of Fishman and Génard used for peach fruit. That model has been extended to incorporate a number of important features of kiwifruit growth. First, the kiwifruit berry is attached to the stem through a pedicel/receptacle complex which contributes significantly to the hydraulic resistance between the stem and the fruit, an...

Kiwifruit bacterial canker caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) has brought about a severe threat to the kiwifruit industry worldwide since its first outbreak in 2008. Studies on other pathovars of P. syringae are revealing the pathogenesis of these pathogens, but little about the mechanism of kiwifruit bacterial canker is known. In order to explore the species-specific interacti...

The laser air-puff method was investigated for non-destructive firmness measurements on kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson cv. Hayward) and apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. cv. CluthaGold). The method involves delivering a sharp puff of air onto a stationary fruit whilst recording the resulting surface deformation with a laser displacement sensor. At a 65-kPa maxi...

'Hongyang' is a red fleshed kiwifruit with high anthocyanin content. In this study, we mainly investigated effects of different temperatures (25 and 0°C) on anthocyanin biosynthesis in harvested kiwifruit, and characterized the genes encoding key enzymes involved in anthocyanin metabolism, as well as evaluated the mode of the action, by which low temperature regulates anthocyanin accumulation i...

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in humans and must be obtained through the diet. The aim of this study was to determine vitamin C uptake in healthy volunteers after consuming kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. Hort. 16A), and to determine the amount of fruit required to raise plasma vitamin C to 'healthy' (i.e. >50 µmol/l) and 'optimal' or saturating levels (i.e. >70 µmol/l). Leucocyte and ...