Modeling and optimization of red currants vacuum drying process by response surface methodology (RSM)

Nanotechnology is an emerging field of science, and nanotechnological concepts have been intensively studied for potential applications in the food industry. Nanoparticles (with dimensions ranging from one to several hundred nanometers) have specific characteristics and better functionality, thanks to their size and other physicochemical properties. Polyphenols are recognized as active compounds that have several putative beneficial properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity. However, the use of polyphenols as functional food ingredients faces numerous challenges, such as their poor stability, solubility, and bioavailability. These difficulties could be solved relatively easily by the application of encapsulation. The objective of this review is to present the most recent accomplishments in the usage of polyphenol-loaded nanoparticles in food science. Nanoparticles loaded with polyphenols and their applications as active ingredients for improving physicochemical and functional properties of food, or as components of active packaging materials, were critically reviewed. Potential adverse effects of polyphenol-loaded nanomaterials are also discussed.

Application of Polyphenol-Loaded Nanoparticles in Food Industry.

Morphological characterization of ‘Oblačinska’ sour cherry by multivariate analysis

This study gave empirical evidence on sixteen agro-morphological data that were collected from one hundred and twenty three rice germplasm comprising of Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima lines including checks. The data was collected from thirteen villages in two States in Nigeria and were characterized using ANOVA model. Among the studied traits, high coefficients of variation were observed for number of unfilled grain per head (45.8%), grain weight (29.1%), 1000 grain weight (23.0%), tiller number at three weeks after planting (22.5%), and tiller number at maturity (20.9%). Seven out of the sixteen phenotypic traits measured were statistically significant at (P = 0.001 and P = 0.05), and 7 phenotypic variables also showed significant differences when subjected to univariate statistics at (P = 0.001 and P = 0.05). The association of all morphological traits was estimated by phenotypic correlation coefficient and showed that eight dependent variables were positively related. Cluster analysis using Ward's method classified the 123 populations into seven distinct groupings. A large number of genotypes was placed in cluster 5 (65 genotypes) followed by cluster 1 (20), cluster 4 (14) and cluster 3 (9), cluster 2 (8) and cluster 6 (7). Cluster 6 includes five checks with few sativa lines, cluster 5 with large grouping of sativa lines with only FARO 56 in that group. Cluster 1 consists of only the O. glaberrima. Clusters 2, 3 and 4 consisted of only O. sativa groups indicating no association between clustering pattern and eco-geographical distribution of genotypes. The maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters indicating the possibility of high heterosis if individuals from these clusters are cross-bred. Principal component analysis resulted in the first two components with Eigen value greater than 1 accounting for 78% of the total variation. The results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were closely in line with those of the cluster analysis. These results can now be used by breeders to develop high yielding rice varieties and new breeding protocols for rice improvement.

	 

	Key words: Principal component analysis, germplasm characterization, correlation coefficient, correlation matrix, cluster analysis, genetic variability.

Application of principal component analysis for rice germplasm characterization and evaluation

Pre-harvest factors influencing the quality of berries

The objective of this work was to evaluate variability in reproductive biology traits and the correlation between them in genotypes of 'Oblacinska' sour cherry (Prunus cerasus). High genetic diversity was found in the 41 evaluated genotypes, and significant differences were observed among them for all studied traits: flowering time, pollen germination, number of fruiting branches, production of flower and fruit, number of flowers per bud, fruit set, and limb yield efficiency. The number of fruiting branches significantly influenced the number of flower and fruit, fruit set, and yield efficiency. In addition to number of fruiting branches, yield efficiency was positively correlated with fruit set and production of flower and fruit. Results from principal component analysis suggested a reduction of the reproductive biology factors affecting yield to four main characters: number and structure of fruiting branches, flowering time, and pollen germination. Knowledge of the reproductive biology of the 'Oblacinska' genotypes can be used to select the appropriate ones to be grown or used as parents in breeding programs. In this sense, genotypes II/2, III/9, III/13, and III/14 have very good flower production and satisfactory pollen germination.

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Características da biologia reprodutiva que afetam a produtividade de cereja ácida

Large amounts of fruit seeds, especially peach, are discarded annually in juice or conserve producing industries which is a potential waste of valuable resource and serious disposal problem. Regarding the fact that peach seeds can be obtained as a byproduct from processing companies their exploitation should be greater and, consequently more information of cultivars’ kernels and their composition is required. A total of 25 samples of kernels from various peach germplasm (including commercial cultivars, perspective hybrids and vineyard peach accessions) differing in origin and ripening time were characterized by evaluation of their sugar composition. Twenty characteristic carbohydrates and sugar alcohols were determined and quantified using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC/PAD). Sucrose, glucose and fructose are the most important sugars in peach kernels similar to other representatives of the Rosaceae family. Also, high amounts of sugars in seeds of promising hybrids implies that through conventional breeding programs peach kernels with high sugar content can be obtained. In addition, by the means of several pattern recognition methods the variables that discriminate peach kernels arising from diverse germplasm and different stage of maturity were identified and successful models for further prediction were developed. Sugars such as ribose, trehalose, arabinose, galactitol, fructose, maltose, sorbitol, sucrose, iso-maltotriose were marked as most important for such discrimination.

Sugar Profile of Kernels as a Marker of Origin and Ripening Time of Peach (Prunus persicae L.)

In this paper, during a 4-year period (2003-2006) effects of six pollenizers
 (President, Italian Prune, Stanley, Cacanska Rodna, Agen 707, and California
 Blue) on the degree of fruit set in the plum cultivar Cacanska Najbolja were
 examined. Besides the controlled pollination of this cultivar, open
 pollination was investigated. Functional pollen ability in
 pollenizer-cultivars was established by in vitro pollen germination. Degree
 of fruit set was determined comparing the number of fruit set (10 days after
 pollination, 21 days after pollination and number of harvested fruits)
 against the number of pollinated flowers. The results indicated that all
 pollenizer cultivars, studied in this paper, possessed satisfactory in vitro
 pollen germination (30.1-67.4%). The number of fruit set determined 10 days
 after pollination was very high and did not differ among pollenizers. Highly
 significant differences were found between the pollenizers in the number of
 fruit set 21 days after pollination and significant ones in relation to the
 number of harvested fruits. Compared to open pollination, higher number of
 fruit set 21 days after pollination and higher number of harvested fruits
 were obtained when cultivars Stanley (17.0%; 7.6%) and Italian Prune (14.6%;
 6.9%) were used as pollenizers, therefore those cultivars are recommendable
 as good pollenizers for the cultivar Cacanska Najbolja.

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The effect of pollenizer on the fruit set of plum cultivar Čačanska Najbolja.

SummaryEight apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars and selections were self- and cross-pollinated in order to determine their pollen and stylar compatibility. Overall, 40 pollination combinations were examined. Pollen-tube growth in pistils pollinated in the laboratory was analysed using fluorescence microscopy. Three inter-incompatiblity groups of cultivars were found, of which two had not been described previously, while an existing group was expanded with one additional cultivar. The first group consisted of three Hungarian cultivars (‘Ligeti Orias’, ‘Cegledi Orias’, and ‘Szegedi Mammut’) and a Moldavian cultivar (‘Kostjuzhenskyi’). The second group consisted of two American cultivars (‘Stark Early Orange’ and ‘Nugget’). The third group consisted of two Serbian selections (‘Novi Sad Early’ and ‘Frushka Gora Early’). In the incompatible cultivar combinations, pollen-tube growth stopped in the style with the formation of the characteristic swelling. In the compatible combinations, the pollen tubes reac...

Cross-(in)compatibility in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.).

The mode of inheritance and the degree of phenotypic correlation between some more important agronomic traits in two offsprings obtained by direct and reciprocal crossing of cultivars ‘Smederevka’ and ‘Gewurztraminer’ were investigated in this study. In 62 genotypes from direct crossing (Smederevka  Gewurztraminer) and 66 genotypes from reciprocal crossing (Gewurztraminer  Smederevka), the traits evaluated were as follows: time of bud burst, flowering time, ripening time, bunch weight, berry weight, grape yield, sugar content of must and total acidity of must. The genotypes of F1 generation for the investigated traits were arranged into a number of categories by the OIV method. In both crossing combinations (direct and reciprocal) for most traits, the same mode of inheritance (partial dominance, dominance or heterosis) was determined. Differences in the mode of inheritance, depending on whether the parental varieties were used as a father or mother, were found only for ripening time (partial dominance and intermediate inheritance). The prevailing mode of inheritance established for most of studied traits, regardless of the crossing method, was negative heterosis. From all examined traits, a significant influence of maternal effect was determined for the inheritance of flowering time and ripening time. In both crossing combinations, statistically significant phenotypic correlations were found between some studied traits.

Vera Rakonjac

Papers

Características da biologia reprodutiva que afetam a produtividade de cereja ácida

Sugar Profile of Kernels as a Marker of Origin and Ripening Time of Peach (Prunus persicae L.)

The effect of pollenizer on the fruit set of plum cultivar Čačanska Najbolja.

Cross-(in)compatibility in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.).

Inheritance and phenotypic correlations of agronomic traits in grapevine offsprings.