1,721,308 research outputs found
Increasing Fruit Consumption to Improve Health - ISAFRUIT Forum
No full textIn January 2006 the ISAFRUIT project began. 300 scientists from 60 research and development institutions and SMEs, in 16 countries across Europe, the USA and New Zealand, embarked upon a mission to encourage increased consumption of fruit, to improve the health and well-being of the European population. Despite government initiatives to encourage people to eat more fresh fruit and the fact that fruit is synonymous with good health in the minds of consumers, quantities consumed are not increasing, and they vary widely across Europe, from 70-100 kg in Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Spain to 40-60 kg per person each year in Poland, the UK and Germany. This suggests that many Europeans still do not consume the recommended daily minimum of five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables. The EU Framework 6-funded ISAFRUIT Integrated Project in the area of food quality and safety is the only FP 6 Integrated Project entirely focused on fruit, and runs until 2010. The emphasis of the individual projects that are comprised in this integrated study is to address bottlenecks to fruit consumption such as: consumer perceptions, fruit availability, quality and convenience, and environmentally-friendly production. The project focuses on the idea that improving both the quality and availability of fruit and fruit products, along with raising customer awareness, will boost fruit consumption and improve the health and well-being of Europeans.
ISAFRUIT's goal of increasing fruit consumption has strong foundations in new knowledge created by a multidisciplinary team of natural and social scientists addressing many aspects of the multi-faceted fruit chain. Meeting consumer expectations in terms of quality, flavour and taste plays a key role in achieving increased fruit consumption and ISAFRUIT's supply chain approach has been addressing bottlenecks that may affect these characteristics.
Starting with consumer science, social scientists have been identifying and explaining patterns of variation in fruit consumption across Europe. The project's researchers have been investigating the reasons for consumer behaviours and their attitudes to new innovations; asking what are the drivers behind buying decisions for fruit and fruit-derived products; and analysing traits of fruit and fruit products supply chains to identify their capacity to act as a coordinated chain.
It is well known that a diet rich in fruit and vegetable content can reduce the risk of chronic disease, but the fruit traits responsible for the beneficial human health effects of fruit consumption are not well known, such as those related to cardio-vascular diseases and obesity, particularly in younger generations. These are also targets of investigation for the ISAFRUIT project, which studies the impact of regular consumption of fruit and innovative fruit-derived products on health. A significant percentage of European consumers suffers from fruit allergenicity. Close cooperation among ISAFRUIT scientists (human health experts, fruit geneticists, horticulturists) is addressing this problem from many angles, with the goal of providing consumers with fruit of reduced allergenic potential either thanks to innovative growing techniques, or because these genes have been silenced in novel transgenic products via biotechnology.
Processed fruit products can be more convenient for the consumer, therefore novel fruit products and processes have been developed and the health properties of these foods have been investigated. The keeping qualities of minimally processed products and fruit-based snacks can help to increase the availability and wider consumption of fruit especially by the young and ISAFRUIT is developing a knowledge base on the uptake of such products.
Consumers are now also much more aware of where their food comes from and they want questions about how their food has been produced to be answered. ISAFRUIT has directed efforts to attain the highest pre-harvest quality of fruit by developing sustainable production methods that save energy and natural resources such as water, and reduce pesticide and fertilizer applications thanks to the adoption of precision agriculture methods, including innovative mechanical equipment, models and decision support systems. This work lays the foundation for studies on the post-harvest phase of the supply chain, which aim to provide the consumer with high quality fruit at every purchase, to increase the potential of meeting consumer expectations, while the use of "generally regarded as safe" methods to preserve quality during storage will also increase consumer confidence. Non-destructive tools for quality control along the supply chain will help the trade to guarantee the quality expected by consumers. This all contributes to producing fruit and fruit-products that are more inviting and acceptable to the consumer.
ISAFRUIT researchers have carried out the largest to date study of consumer acceptance of existing, innovative apple and peach varieties throughout Europe. The results from these studies and knowledge gained mapping genes responsible for important fruit quality traits in these species will facilitate bringing better varieties to market in future, including prospects for reduced chemical inputs and low- or allergen-free-products.
Finally, ISAFRUIT has developed strategies to identify, protect and exploit intellectual property and to disseminate new scientific information, skills training and knowledge, including plans to involve the key actors in the European fruit industry. This new knowledge can ultimately be disseminated to a variety of audiences including key decisions-makers, with whom the responsibility of policy-driven change lies.
In June 2007, the European Commission adopted a White Paper setting out a wide range of proposals to tackle nutrition- and obesity-related health issues. An advisory group, made up of representatives from each Member State, was appointed to monitor progress. Its final report is due in 2010. Among other measures proposed, new programmes to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables are being developed. In line with these objectives a joint initiative of ISAFRUIT, the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and the European Economic and Social committee, has brought together ISAFRUIT researchers with their colleagues from the World Health Organisation, the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development and ISHS to discuss issues related to fruit consumption from the perspectives of consumer behaviour, the health-giving benefits of fruit and initiatives to encourage increased consumption, in particular by school children. This volume provides reviews of the work done in these areas
POSSIBLE ROLE OF MANNITOL AS AN OXYGEN RADICAL SCAVENGER IN OLIVE
No full textAlong with mannose and sucrose, olive produces large amounts of mannitol in
photosynthesizing leaves. Leaf mannitol shows large variation among olive genotypes
and Sicilian cultivars with different leaf mannitol content were used in our trials to see
whether mannitol may function as an additional non-enzymatic system to protect cells
from oxygen radicals and photosystem damage. In one experiment, entire shoots of
‘Passulunara’, ‘Castriciana’, ‘Nocellara del Belice’, and ‘Moresca’ olive trees were
taken to a greenhouse, and mature leaves were treated with paraquat solution, which
generates oxygen radicals in presence of light. After 48 hours leaves were sampled,
photographed and percent of necrosis was quantified by digital image analysis.
Mannitol content was determined in control non-treated leaves positioned in the same
node as the paraquat-treated ones. The same experiment was repeated using fieldgrown
trees under full sun light. In both cases, a significant inverse relation was found
between leaf necrosis and mannitol content suggesting that mannitol may provide
some scavenging action on paraquat-generated oxygen radicals. In another experiment,
leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured on field-grown
‘Castriciana’ (higher mannitol) and ‘Nocellara del Belice’ (lower mannitol) trees in the
morning, at noon, and in the afternoon to quantify partitioning of absorbed energy
among net photosynthesis (JCO2), photoprotection by heat dissipation (non-photochemical
quenching, JNPQ) and by alternative electron transport and photorespiration
(JNC), formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heat re-emission inactive
photosystem (PSII). ‘Nocellara’ reported higher JCO2 and JNC than ‘Castriciana’,
whereas JNPQ was similar in the two cultivars. Despite a greater amount of energy for
ROS formation, ‘Castriciana’ yielded a smaller percentage of inactive photosystems
compared to ‘Nocellara’. Also in this case mannitol may act as an additional oxygen
radical scavenger and explain the differences in photosystem inactivation between the
two olive cultivars
Methods for early forecasting apple size at harvest.
No full textTwo methods for of forecasting fruit size at harvest between 50 and 80 days after full bloom (DAFB) were applied to several apple fruit growth datasets derived from studies conducted over many years with the cultivars Gala, Golden Delicious and Fuji. The degree day accumulation at 50 DAFB, and fruit size at 50 DAFB were correlated with the fruit size at harvest, with R 2 values of up to 0.78. The second method for forecasting involved the extrapolation to the date of actual harvest of an estimate of the slope of the linear phase of apple growth, as depicted by the expolinear model, obtained between 50 and 80 DAFB. The R 2 for this estimate was 0.87. Despite the good performance, the accuracy of the second method, as tested in any single year/cultivar combination, was variable, e.g. from 7% to 22% for two 'Golden Delicious' datasets. Combining the fruit growth data with a study of the absolute growth rate (AGR) might in some cases improve the forecast, since AGR often shows trends that may become apparent in terms of fruit weight only later. It also appears that a two-pronged approach, based on a combination of both methods, might be the most desirable, particularly in view of the effort required of the grower
Effects of rootstock on pear photosynthetic efficiency
No full textThe effect of rootstock on scion photosynthesis can be quite marked. Reduced hydraulic conductivity at the graft union can negatively affect stomata conductance, which in turn may diminish gas exchanges and photosynthesis. Under high light intensities this condition can worsen, as a proportionally smaller fraction of intercepted photons can be utilized in the photosynthetic process. The excess photons are dissipated either via photoprotective mechanisms (Non-Photochemical-Quenching; Alternative Transports; Photorespiration), or photooxidation, with the production of Active Oxygen Species (AOS). Under reduced photosynthetic activity, the defense mechanisms and photooxidation reactions increase, to cope with excess energy which cannot be utilized for carboxylation. This paper reports a study conducted on leaves of the pear ‘Bosc’ grafted on seedling and quince EMC rootstocks, detailing their behavior under conditions of same light and temperature. Stomata conductance and transpiration were consistently higher in the trees on seedling than on EMC, which resulted in greater photosynthetic activity in the leaves of the former. Because of the stomata limitation, trees on EMC allocated less energy to the photosynthetic process, as a greater proportion of intercepted photons was dissipated via the Non-Photochemical Quenching (NPQ) cycle and leaded the Photosystem II (PSII) damage. Somewhat surprisingly Alternative Transports (Water-Water Cycle; Cyclic Transport around PSI; Glutathione-Ascorbate Cycle) and Photorespiration in quince was consistently lower than in seedling-grafted trees during the first measurement. In conclusion, rootstocks can affect the photosynthetic potential of the grafted tree, in relation to their graft compatibility, although more work is needed to understand the degree of reduction due to photo-oxidative stress
Quenching partitioning through light-modulated chlorophyll fluorescence: A quantitative analysis to assess the fate of the absorbed light in the field
No full textPlants use a small part of the total absorbed light energy for net carboxylation, while the remaining amount is dissipated via alternative pathways involving thermal processes, fluorescence and non- carboxylation photochemistry in order to limit the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other photooxidative risks. The commonly used analysis of the Photosystem II (PSII) fluorescence signals gives qualitative information about absorbed light energy management by plants, but it is difficult to appreciate the relative contribution of each pathway in energy partitioning. This study reports the application of quenching partitioning through a chlorophyll fluorescence approach performed on peach leaves subjected to three different light intensities for four durations of exposure in absence of recovery from photo-damage. This methodology was compared with the P700 redox kinetic method for determining the functional PSII fraction in leaves. In the absence of recovery processes the active PSII concentration decayed with an increase in photon exposure (the product of irradiance and the time of exposure), following an exponential pattern according to the reciprocity law. The photoprotective thermal dissipation ( ̊NPQ ) was proportional to irradiance up to 30 min of photoin- hibitory treatment. Afterwards ̊NPQ was limited by the increasing competition for the absorbed energy re-emitted by the inactive PSII ( ̊NF ). ̊NF increased with the photon exposure dissipating up to 70% of the total incoming energy. The energy funnelled to photochemistry ( ̊PSII ) decreased with increasing exposure time or intensity, becoming zero after 120 min of photoinhibitory treatment at the maximum irradiance (2100 mol photon m−2 s−1 ). The relation between the fraction of energy dissipated by the inactive PSII (derived from the quenching partitioning) and the inactive PSII fraction (measured with the P700 redox kinetic method) was linear. The quenching partitioning through light-modulated chlorophyll fluorescence is a useful tool to anal- yse plant energy management and gives also a reasonable estimation of the active PSII fraction. This methodology can easily be used in the field as measurements are rapid, non-destructive and detection devices are portable
Beneficial effect of secondary treated wastewater irrigation on nectarine tree physiology
No full textIrrigation with secondary treated wastewater (STW) as a support to traditional irrigation management is becoming a necessary alternative to addressing issues of water shortage and fertilizer saving. The application of STW on young potted plants of Prunus persica (L.); cv: Big Top, grafted on GF 677, was studied outdoors on two consecutive seasons, during which three different irrigation treatments were compared: 1) irrigation with STW; 2) irrigation with tap water with the addition of mineral fertilizer (TW + MF) and 3) irrigation with tap water (TW). To assess the effects of the different irrigation treatments, tree nutritional status, shoot growth, Stem Cross Sectional Area (SCSA), Trunk Cross Sectional Area (TCSA), leaf gas exchanges, plant water status, fruit growth, fruit yield and quality were monitored during both seasons. Tree nutritional status, vegetative growth, TCSA, cumulative plant photosynthesis, fruit growth and yield were positively influenced by STW irrigation, compared to TW. TW + MF trees showed the highest vegetative growth and vegetative/reproductive ratio. This induced a rise in their water use and a consequent decrease in stem water potential, indicating the onset of water stress conditions. Results indicated that there was no negative effect of STW application on any of the monitored parameters. STW partially improved the plant physiological, nutritional and productive performances due to its intrinsic fertilizing effect. These results encourage further studies on the possibilities to directly use STW as an alternative source for irrigating and fertigating fruit crops even in open field conditions
An overview of sensory quality of apple fruit
No full textSensory analysis performed by trained assessors or consumers is the only direct approach to measure perceptible properties of food products and to interpret consumer’s responses. Over the last 30 years different sensory techniques, alone or in combination with instrumental characterization of related physical and chemical parameters, have been proposed to study the eating quality of apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) as affected by breeding activities, crop management and post-harvest practices. Cultivar has been defined as the most important source of variability. The study of post-harvest apple sensory quality demonstrated that different sensory patterns were developed by different cultivars during storage. Breeding programs, in general, adopt sensory evaluation as a fundamental tool to study the acceptability of new apple cultivars and their performance in real market conditions, even if not always by application of rigorous sensory science criteria. Texture and taste properties were found to be the most important characteristics driving consumer preferences, even if they appeared to be strongly influenced by external factors. In this review particular attention is also given to correlation studies between sensory properties and instrumental parameters, since sensory analysis requirements, in terms of facilities, commitment by panelists and time, have made the relationships between sensory and instrumental data of considerable interest to researchers wishing to find more convenient ways to describing the sensory profiles of apple
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