The purpose this work was to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest application of plant biostimulant on the quality and shelf-life of melon. For this an experiment was established in the "Coopyfrutas", located in Rio Grande do Norte state/Brazil. The treatments consisted of a combination of factors: melon cultivars ('Goldex' and 'Iracema') and pre-harvest application of plant biostimulant, Crop Set®, (with and without). At commercial maturity, some fruit of each treatment were sampled and analyzed and the others were stored in a cold chamber at 10±2 ºC and 80±2% relative humidity. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized split-plot design. The plots consisted of cultivars and Crop Set® application and subplots of different storage time (0, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after harvest) with eight replications. The characteristics evaluated were length, diameter, internal cavity, external and internal appearance, weight loss, fresh firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, SS/TA ratio, and total soluble sugars. Applications of plant biostimulant led to an increase in fruit length and diameter. It reduced fresh firmness and increased the pH of 'Goldex' fruit. The total soluble sugars reduced at 35 days of storage in the 'Iracema' fruit treated with plant biostimulant.

<p>O processamento de polpa e a fabricação de geleias são produtos de interesse para a região nordeste do Brasil. A baixa precipitação e os altos índices de luminosidade anuais, associado ao desenvolvimento da irrigação localizada na região, atraíram grandes empresas nacionais e internacionais para a produção de variados tipos de frutos, incluindo a acerola e o melão. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar as características físico-químicas de geleia simples e mista (50% de melão e 50% de acerola) de melão e acerola, por ocasião do preparo e após o armazenamento por 30 dias. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado. O tempo de armazenamento aumentou o teor de sólidos solúveis (SS) e o pH, mas reduziu a acidez titulável e o teor de ácido ascórbico das geleias. A geleia de melão apresentou o maior teor de SS após o armazenamento. E a geleia de acerola obteve valores superiores de pH, acidez titulável e vitamina C, nas duas épocas de análise. Já a geleia mista apresentou pH igual à geleia de melão, mas quanto às demais características situou-se entre às geleias simples.</p><p align="center"><strong><em>Physical and chemical characteristics of acerola and melon jellies during storage</em></strong></p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>The pulp processing and the manufacture of jellies are products of interest to the northeastern region of Brazil. The low rainfall and high rates of annual luminosity associated with the development of drip irrigation in the region, attracted large national and international companies for the production of various kinds of fruits, including acerola and melon. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physico-chemical characteristics of single and mixed jelly (50% of melon and 50% acerola) of melon and acerola, on the occasion of preparation and after storage for 30 days. We used a completely randomized design. The storage time increased the soluble solids (SS) and pH, but reduced titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content from jelly. The melon jelly had the highest SS content after storage. And acerola jelly obtained higher values of pH, titratable acidity and vitamin C, in two periods of analysis. However the mixed jelly showed pH seems to jelly melon, but to the other features it was between the simple jelly.</p>

No abstract

No abstract

Dne of the major problems affecting potatoes quality on stored is the susceptibility to enzymatic browning, which occurs mainly after wounds during the harvest, at postharvest handling and by aging, leading to the development of dark color compounds. Enzymatic browning is associated with the action of polyphenoloxidases (PPD) and peroxidases (PDD), which use phenolic compounds and oxygen as substrates. The products of these enzymes cause undesirable changes of color and flavor of processed potato products. The present study aimed to evaluate some kinetic properties based to optimum pH and reaction temperature, and to determine changes on activity of potato tubers PPD and PDD treated with sprouting suppressors compounds menthol and eugenol. For each treatment, samples were collected in six different periods, before application (day 0) and 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 days after the treatments to determine the influence of sprout inhibitors on the activity of PPD and PDD. Changes in pH and temperature affected drastically the activity of both enzymes. The use of eugenol and menthol as sprouting suppressors decreased enzymatic activity on the treated tubers compared to control with an inverse relationship between enzymes activity and content of phenolic compounds.