Long-term storage of Pink Lady apples modifies volatile-involved enzyme activities: consequences on production of volatile esters

Pink Lady apples were harvested at commercial maturity and stored at 1 degrees C and 92% relative humidity under either air or controlled atmosphere conditions (2 kPa O 2:2 kPa CO 2 and 1 kPa O 2:1 kPa CO 2) for 27 weeks. Data on the emission of volatile compounds and on the activity of some related enzymes in both skin and flesh tissues were obtained during subsequent shelf life at 20 degrees C. Major effects of storage atmosphere and poststorage period were observed on the emission of volatile esters and their precursors. Changes in the production of volatile esters were partly due to alterations in the activity of alcohol o-acyltransferase, but the specific esters emitted by fruit after storage also resulted largely from modifications in the supply of the corresponding substrates. Samples stored under air were characterized by higher availability of acetaldehyde, whereas those stored under CA showed enhanced emission of the alcohol precursors ethanol and 1-hexanol (2 kPa O 2) and 1-butanol (1 kPa O 2), with accordingly higher production of ethyl, hexyl, and butyl esters. Multivariate analysis revealed that a large part of the observed differences in precursor availability arose from modifications in the activity of the enzymes considered. Higher pyruvate decarboxylase activity in air-stored fruit possibly accounted for higher acetaldehyde levels in these samples, while storage under 1 kPa O 2 led to significantly decreased lipoxygenase activity and thus to lessened production of 1-hexanol and hexyl esters. Low acetaldehyde availability together with enhanced hydroperoxide lyase and alcohol dehydrogenase levels in these fruits are suggested to have led to higher emission of 1-butanol and butyl esters.     

Regeneration of volatile compounds in Fuji apples following ultra low oxygen atmosphere storage and its effect on sensory acceptability

The aim of this work was to assess whether extra time spent under AIR conditions after storage in an ultra low oxygen (ULO) atmosphere could allow the regeneration of volatile compound emission without negatively affecting quality parameters and the consumer acceptability of Fuji apples. Fruits were stored for 19 and 30 weeks at 1 degrees C and 92% RH under ULO atmosphere conditions (1 kPa O 2:1 kPa CO 2) or under ULO conditions followed by different periods (2 and 4 weeks) in cold AIR atmosphere (ULO + 2w or ULO + 4w, respectively). Standard quality and emission of volatile compounds were analyzed after storage plus 1 and 7 days at 20 degrees C. Sensory attributes and acceptability were also determined after 7 days at 20 degrees C. The extra period of 30 weeks in an AIR atmosphere after ULO storage resulted in an increase in the concentration of the compounds that most contribute to the flavor of Fuji apples. These fruits were relatively well accepted by consumers despite a slight decline in firmness and acidity.     

Isolation of culturable phosphobacteria with both phytate-mineralization and phosphate-solubilization activity from the rhizosphere of plants grown in a volcanic soil

Chilean volcanic soils contain large amounts of total and organic phosphorus, but P availability is low. Phosphobacteria [phytate-mineralizing bacteria (PMB) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB)] were isolated from the rhizosphere of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), white clover (Trifolium repens), wheat (Triticum aestivum), oat (Avena sativa), and yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus) growing in volcanic soil. Six phosphobacteria were selected, based on their capacity to utilize both Na-phytate and Ca-phosphate on agar media (denoted as PMPSB), and characterized. The capacity of selected PMPSB to release inorganic P (Pi) from Na-phytate in broth was also assayed. The results showed that from 300 colonies randomly chosen on Luria–Bertani agar, phosphobacteria represented from 44% to 54% in perennial ryegrass, white clover, oat, and wheat rhizospheres. In contrast, phosphobacteria represented only 17% of colonies chosen from yellow lupin rhizosphere. This study also revealed that pasture plants (perennial ryegrass and white clover) have predominantly PMB in their rhizosphere, whereas PSB dominated in the rhizosphere of crops (oat and wheat). Selected PMPSB were genetically characterized as Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, and Pantoea; all showed the production of phosphoric hydrolases (alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, and naphthol phosphohydrolase). Assays with PMPSB resulted in a higher Pi liberation compared with uninoculated controls and revealed also that the addition of glucose influenced the Pi-liberation capacity of some of the PMPSB assayed.     

Determination of isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX) in fruit juices by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A rapid LC-MS method, which compares different mass analyzers-single quadrupole, ion trap, and triple quadrupole-was developed for the quantitative determination of isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX) in fruit juices. ITX, a photoinitiator in UV-cured inks that can reach foods from the cartons for beverages in which they are used, was extracted from fruit juice samples with acetone/hexane (50:50) using pressurized liquid extraction. This method gave detection limits of 3, 3, and 0.01 microg/L and quantification limits of 10, 10, and 0.05 microg/L using single quadrupole, ion trap, and triple quadrupole, respectively. Five replicate fortifications of different fruit juices at the quantification limit gave recoveries oscillating between 68 and 72% with CV varying between 14 and 18%. This is the first report of a positive mass spectrometric identification and quantification of ITX in fruit juice samples packed in TetraPack. The sensitivity and specificity of the LC-MS/MS analysis using the triple quadrupole enables it to be the method of choice for risk assessment and monitoring. The method was applied to apricot, orange, peach, apple, grape and pineapple, and cherry and strawberry juices and to fruit nectars from Spain and Italy, and the ITX was detected in the range of 0.05-0.78 microg/L.     

Adaptive management rules for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus nigra</Emphasis> Arnold ssp<Emphasis Type="Italic">. salzmannii</Emphasis> stands under risk of fire

Key message

We generate flexible management rules for black pine stands, adaptable to alternative stand management situations and entailing thinnings, final-felling, and salvage cuts, based on the results on 270 stand level optimizations.

Context

Forest management instructions often rely on the anticipated prediction of the stand development, which poses a challenge on variable economic and environmental conditions. Instead, an alternative approach to better adapt forest management decisions to changing conditions is defining flexible rules based on thresholds that trigger management operations.

Aims

This article develops rules for the adaptive management of P. nigra stands in Catalonia (Spain) addressing the risk of fire and post-fire forest management.

Methods

The stochastic version of the simulation-optimization system RODAL was used to optimize the management of forest stands in three sites under different fire probability levels. A total of 270 optimizations were done varying site fertility, fire probability, and economic factors. The results of the optimizations were used as the basis of flexible forest management rules for adaptive stand management.

Results

The developed management rules defined the basal area limit for thinning, the thinning intensity, the mean tree diameter at which regeneration cuttings should start, and the basal area below which a salvage cutting should be done. Fire risk was not a significant predictor of the models for thinning and final cutting rules.

Conclusion

The presented rules provide a flexible tool for forest management during the stand development and under changing conditions when the management objective is to maximize economic profitability of timber production.

     

Aggregates stability and water erosion in Andosols of the Canary Islands

The aim of this paper is to assess the mechanisms of water erosion in andic soils using two tests, which in a certain way simulate the two principal mechanisms of aggregate destruction in the process of water erosion—water dispersion and raindrops impact—and compare them with the aggregation observed in material dettached by inter‐rill erosion (sediments) in experimental plots with natural rain. In accordance with the obtained results, the erosive process in these soils seems to come about through a picking off of surface material of larger aggregates, due to the impact of raindrops. The intensity of pull off and fragment size from larger aggregates depends on the kinetic energy of the drops (rain intensity), but the size generally ranges between 0ċ2 and 0ċ5 mm. Therefore inter‐rill erosion initially proceeds by a washing down of smaller aggregates (<0ċ5 mm) (of less bulk density than larger aggregates 0ċ4 Mg m⁻³ against 0ċ9 Mg m⁻³), enriching the soil in larger sized aggregates which, on being fragmented by picking off of raindrops, supply new material for washing down by inter‐rill erosion. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.