Horticulturae

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Dr. Vitalijs Radenkovs

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Guest Editor

Processing and Biochemistry Department, Institute of Horticulture, Graudu Str. 1, LV-3701 Dobele, Latvia
Interests: apples; biopolymers; by-products; edible coating; enzymatic hydrolysis; GC-MS; hydroxycinnamates; LC-MS; lipophilic compounds; polyphenols; storage; vitamins
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Dr. Dalija Seglina

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Processing and Biochemistry Department, Institute of Horticulture, Graudu Str. 1, LV-3701 Dobele, Latvia
Interests: by-products; development of new products; fruit and vegetable processing technologies; nutritional value

Dr. Karina Juhnevica-Radenkova

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Guest Editor

Processing and Biochemistry Department, Institute of Horticulture, Graudu Str. 1, LV-3701 Dobele, Latvia
Interests: 1-methylcyclopropene treatment; controlled atmosphere; fruit and berry storage; quality criteria; sensory evaluation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural products are regarded as highly perishable by nature. The effectiveness of diverse strategies and technological know-how in diminishing losses during postharvest has been frequently reported on, allowing for choosing the most reliable technology to retain the quality of products. They also include more resistant fruit and vegetable varieties, integrated crop management systems and postharvest handling practices to maintain quality and ensure the safety of horticultural crops. The future is advancing toward new, more market-oriented systems, where scientists and industry join forces to seek management solutions for horticulture product loss along the field-to-fork supply chain. Fruit and vegetable processing is another approach that makes it possible to ensure that consumers' needs are met with horticultural-based products within an entire year. However, inappropriate processing, handling, storage and distribution can substantially lower the nutritional value of the produce. Therefore, the issue of developing new processing technology or optimizing the already existing technology is another subject to be addressed.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to introduce the most recent advancements in postharvest practices, addressing the handling, transportation and temperature control for crops after harvest. Pre-processing and storage technology, suitability of varieties for storage and processing, quality requirements and evaluation criteria, and logistic solutions are integral measures necessary to consider for the longer preservation of horticultural crops postharvest.

Dr. Vitalijs Radenkovs
Dr. Dalija Seglina
Dr. Karina Juhnevica-Radenkova
Guest Editors

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Keywords

fruit treatment
losses
postharvest
quality
shelf-life
storage

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

28 pages, 5022 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Biochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Dried Fruit Produced from Apricot Cultivars Grown in Latvia

by Karina Juhnevica-Radenkova, Inta Krasnova, Dalija Seglina, Edite Kaufmane, Ilze Gravite, Anda Valdovska and Vitalijs Radenkovs

Horticulturae 2024, 10(3), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030205 - 22 Feb 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 837

Abstract

The present study focused on evaluating the biochemical profiles of four apricot cultivars (cv.) (Prunus armeniaca L.) grown in Latvia and demonstrating their processing to obtain the food product, dried candied fruit (DCF). The fingerprinting of apricot fruit approached by LC-MS and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy revealed the abundance of bioactives responsible for the antioxidant activity. The outstanding composition of group compounds, i.e., phenolics, flavonoids, and vitamin C, was observed in the cv. ‘Dimaija’, followed by cv. ‘Gundega’ and cv. ‘Velta’. The lowest values were found in the cv. ‘Boriss’ and fruit from a market of Greek origin. However, the latter two contained the highest carotenoid levels due to a more pronounced maturity. Amongst the 13 individual phenolics detected, rutin, chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids, catechin, and epicatechin prevailed. The concentrations observed were the highest in cv. ‘Dimaija’, followed by cv. ‘Velta’ and cv. ‘Gundega’. Osmotic dehydration and convective drying of apricot fruit variedly influenced the content of bioactives in DCF products. The most substantial decrease due to thermal lability was observed in the vitamin C content in DCF, accounting for a 95.3% loss for all cultivars. The content of total phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids in DCF, on average, was 62.7%, 49.6%, and 87.6% lower than that observed in the raw fruit, respectively. On average, the content of individual phenolics in DCF, such as rutin and chlorogenic acid, decreased by 63.8% and 20.8%, respectively. The decline in the content of bioactives was conditioned by the physical migration of the cell components to the hypertonic solution. However, the increase in the content of cell wall-bound phytochemicals, such as catechin and epicatechin, after osmotic dehydration and convective drying, was observed in DCF, corresponding to a 59.5% and 255.64% increase compared with the raw fruit, respectively. Panelists generally responded positively to the developed DCF; however, greater preference was given to products with a lower phenolic content, such as cv. ‘Boriss’ and those produced from the market fruit. It is believed that the high flavan-3-ols content, along with chlorogenic acid, contributed to the bitter taste of DCF. Overall, apricot fruits represent the abundance of bioactives retained in DCF after osmotic dehydration and convective drying. The findings observed in the current study allow to consider DCF as a functional food; however, given the high sugar content, their consumption should be in moderation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Postharvest and Processing Technologies of Horticultural Crops: New Perspectives and Applications)

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Recent Advances in the Postharvest and Processing Technologies of Horticultural Crops: New Perspectives and Applications

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