Search Results (10)

Kiwiberries, an emerging fruit variety with increasing consumer demand, face significant commercialization challenges due to their short shelf life. This study evaluates the effectiveness of edible alginate-based coatings in extending the shelf life of kiwiberries. Two emulsion types—coarse (Coarse) and nanoemulsions (Nano)—and two application methods—spraying (Spray) and dipping (Dip)—were tested. Additionally, the use of visible/near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy for non-destructive quality monitoring was explored. Coatings were prepared with 2% (w/v) alginate (SAlg) enriched with eugenol (Eg) and citral (Ct) at their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.10% and 0.15%, respectively, as well as at double these concentrations. This resulted in a total of ten different treatments. The fruits were stored at approximately 5 °C, with evaluations conducted after 5 days, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Quality parameters, including color, firmness, soluble solid content (SSC), dry matter, weight loss, decay, total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoids, DPPH, FRAP, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, were analyzed. Over the storage period, color and SSC increased, while firmness decreased. Weight loss and MDA levels showed the most significant changes, particularly in treatments with higher essential oil concentrations. Notably, treatments such as SAlg Spray, SAlg Dip, SAlg Ct 0.15 + Eg 0.1 Nano Spray, SAlg Ct 0.15 + Eg 0.1 Nano Dip, and SAlg Ct 0.15 + Eg 0.1 Coarse Dip demonstrated superior preservation of kiwiberry quality. Moreover, Vis-NIR spectroscopy proved valuable for distinguishing between coating treatments, highlighting its potential for non-destructive quality assessment. Full article

More than ten species of the Actinidia Lindl. genus bear edible fruits rich in biologically active compounds, which are essential and beneficial for human health. The most popular cultivars today are the large-fruited Actinidia species, A. deliciosa and A. chinensis, commonly known as kiwi. However, small-fruited kiwi cultivars are gaining prominence due to their high nutritional value, superior cold resistance, and suitability for temperate climates. In Russia, these are represented by Far Eastern species: A. arguta, A. kolomikta, and A. polygama. Despite increasing consumer interest, Russian Actinidia cultivars remain little studied, with fragmented genetic data available for breeding purposes. Our objective was to analyze the Actinidia collection at the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology, and Nursery and the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden (MBG RAS, Moscow), which includes samples from four species, A. kolomikta, A. arguta, A. polygama, A. purpurea, interspecific hybrids, and derived varieties, using RAD sequencing. We assessed the genetic variability of all species, identified population groups within A. kolomikta and A. arguta based on origin, determined ploidy levels across the collection, and identified a set of SNP markers associated with valuable agronomic traits. Full article

In fruit storage, new methods are being sought to extend the distribution period while maintaining the highest quality parameters of the fruit, i.e., the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruit, but also the health-promoting properties. One method is to treat the fruit with 1-MCP, which effectively inhibits fruit ripening, since the main reasons for limiting the distribution of minikiwi fruit are rapid ripening and the loss of firmness. It is also highlighted that minikiwi is a source of antioxidants, which, as highly reactive compounds, are quickly degraded during storage. This study evaluates the effectiveness of using 1-MCP to reduce minikiwi softening and maintain the high antioxidant properties of the fruit. In the experiment, minikiwi fruits of the ‘Ananasnaya’ cultivar were used. After harvesting, the fruits were treated with 1-methylcyclopropene at a concentration of 0.65 µL/L. Fruits treated in this way were stored in ordinary cold storage (NA) and under low oxygen concentration (ULO) conditions for a period of 12 weeks. The fruits’ physicochemical properties, sugar and acid contents and antioxidant potential, which consisted of ascorbic acid, polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonols and flavan-3-ols, were evaluated. The application of 1-MCP is effective in reducing the loss of firmness in the minikiwi during storage, but the blocking of minikiwi ripening by 1-MCP makes the fruit less sweet and more acidic. Fruits treated with 1-MCP had higher antioxidant activity and a higher content of biologically active compounds. The effect of 1-MCP is stronger for flavan-3-ols, but slightly weaker for phenolic acids. Fruits treated with 1-MCP have a higher antioxidant potential than untreated fruit after a long period of storage. Full article

Hardy kiwifruit fits into consumer expectations, especially in terms of taste and nutritional value. The main reason for the loss of quality is that the fruit softens too quickly, but storage at low temperatures (0–1 °C) is not effective enough in maintaining high fruit quality. Two cultivars were evaluated for storage quality, i.e., ‘Geneva’ and ‘Ananasnaya’. Minikiwi were harvested at two stages of maturity. The fruit were treated with 1-methylcyclopropene at a concentration of 0.65 µL/L and then stored under common cold storage, ULO, and CA conditions. Fruit evaluation was carried out for 12 weeks, and firmness, soluble solids content, and titratable acidity were evaluated. Post-harvest treatments, as well as the conditions under which the fruit is stored, determine its quality after storage. The application of 1-MCP decisively inhibits the softening of mini kiwi even under normal atmospheric conditions. Full article

The dietary properties of minikiwi make them, along with other fruits and vegetables, suitable as the basis for many slimming and pro-health diets. Prolonging the availability of minikiwi can be provided by different storage technologies. This experiment focused on evaluating the effect of various O₂ and CO₂ concentrations, i.e., low-oxygen atmosphere (DCA, 0.4% CO₂:0.4% O₂; ULO, 1.5% CO₂:1.5% O₂) or high-CO₂ (CA, 5% CO₂:1.5% O₂) storage, in order to provide the consumer with fruits with comparable high nutritional values. Evaluation gave the basic characteristics of the fruits that characterize their health-promoting properties, i.e., total polyphenols (TPC), phenolic acids and flavonols, antioxidant activity (AA), monosaccharides, and acid content. The atmosphere with a higher CO₂ content of 5% (CA) effectively influenced the high value of ascorbic acid even after 12 weeks of storage. DCA technology contributed to a significant inhibition of phenol loss but not as effectively as CA technology. In contrast, glucose and fructose contents were found to be significantly higher after storage in ULO or DCA, while sucrose content was more stable in fruit stored in CA or DCA. CA technology conditions stabilized the citric acid content of minikiwi, while DCA technology was less effective in inhibiting acid loss. The nutritional value of the fruit after storage in CA or DCA was not significantly reduced, which will allow the supply of fresh minikiwi fruit to be extended and provide a valuable component of the human diet. Full article

The rapid increase in the production of hardy kiwi fruit (A. arguta) since the beginning of the 21st century has required the development of new cultivation technologies and postharvest handling procedures in order to extend the supply and transport of the fruit to distant markets. Fruit storage focuses on the inhibition of ripening processes regulated by ethylene activity or respiration. Both of these are effectively regulated by appropriate concentrations of O₂ and CO₂ in the atmosphere surrounding the fruit. In this study, the effect of the concentration of both gases in the cold room on the physico-chemical indices of fruit quality, i.e., mass loss, firmness, soluble solids and monosaccharides content, titratable acidity and acid content, and color of the peel was evaluated. Studies have shown that high CO₂ concentrations inhibit ripening processes more effectively than low O₂ concentrations. Softening of berries as well as an increase in soluble solid contents was recorded during the first 4 weeks of storage in the fruit. However, the increase in monosaccharides was fairly stable throughout the study period. The increase in soluble solids content as well as the loss of acidity were more strongly determined by CO₂ than O₂, although the acid content in a 10% CO₂ atmosphere did not change. Additionally, the fruits were greener after storage in 10% CO₂, but the weakness was skin dulling and darkening. The results indicate that the use of high CO₂ concentrations (5–10%) effectively inhibits ripening processes in fruit. After 12 weeks of storage, the fruit was still not suitable for direct consumption, which suggests that the storage period can be extended further. Full article

Actinidia arguta (Siebold and Zucc.) Planch.ex Miq, called “hardy kiwifruit”, “baby kiwi” or “kiwi berry”, has a unique taste, is rich in nutrients and has high economic value and broad market prospects. Active research on the potential geographic distribution of A. arguta in China aims to provide a reference basis for its resource investigation, conservation, development and utilization and introduction of cultivation. In this study, the Maxent model was used to combine climatic factors, soil factors and geographical factors (elevation, slope and aspect) to predict the current and future (2041–2060 and 2081–2100) potential distribution of A. arguta and to analyze the impact of climate change on it. The results showed that the suitable distribution range of A. arguta in China was 23–43 N and 100–125 E, with a total area of about 3.4451 × 10⁶ km². The highly suitable area of A. arguta was mainly concentrated in the middle and low mountain areas of the south of Shaanxi, the east of Sichuan, the middle and west of Guizhou and the west of Yunnan, presenting a circular distribution. The Jackknife test was used to calculate the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of A. arguta. The first four main factors were annual mean temperature (bio_1), precipitation of the warmest quarter (bio_18), elevation (ELE) and mean temperature of the warmest quarter (bio_10), which provided a contribution up to 81.7%. Under the scenarios of three representative concentrations (SSP1_2.6, SSP2_4.5 and SSP5_8.5) in the future, the area of low and moderate suitable habitat decreased, while the area of highly suitable habitat increased. The migration direction of the centroid in the highly suitable habitat moved to the southwest in the future scenario period. Full article

The consumer acceptability of the fruit is very important aspect of distribution. Consumers expect high-quality fruit with high pro-health values. The intention of the research was to assess the quality of hardy kiwi fruit changes during storage in order to provide consumers with high-quality fruit and nutraceutical content. A particular challenge was to assess the storage capacity of the new Polish variety ‘Bingo’^PBR. This is a protected Plant Breeder’s Right (PBR) cultivar in accordance with the Union Internationale pour la Protection des Obtentions Vegetates (UPOV). The storage quality of the fruit of the ‘Bingo’ cultivar was assessed in contrast to the fruit of the ‘Ananasnaya’ cultivar, the basic minikiwi cultivar. The experiment assessed the effect of the fruit ripeness phase during harvest (°Brix −7.7 and 9.0) and the effect of the storage conditions, i.e., normal atmosphere cold store (0.1% CO₂: 21% O₂) versus controlled atmosphere (1.5% CO₂: 1.5% O₂). In the fruit evaluation, the focus was concentrated on changes in the basic color of the peel, firmness, soluble solids content, acidity, as well as the main health-promoting attributes, i.e., antioxidant activity, vitamin C content and total polyphenols. In the experiment, it was found the fruits of ‘Ananasnaya’ variety were almost 40% harder than the fruits of ‘Bingo’^PBR variety. The CA technology (1.5% CO₂: 1.5% O₂) allows for the acceptable firmness of the fruit for up to 56 days of storage. The earlier harvest with an extract content of 7.0–7.5°Brix also promotes higher fruit firmness. Fruits stored in a normal atmosphere cold store ripen faster and are fully ripe after 28 days. ‘Bingo’^PBR variety is characterized by fruits with a higher ascorbic acid content than the fruits of ‘Ananasnaya’ variety. The vitamin C content in fruits increases up to 28 days, regardless of the conditions in which they are stored. The content of polyphenols does not change significantly during storage, which reflects the higher stability of these compounds in fruits. Full article

Linear partial least square and non-linear support vector machine regression analysis with various preprocessing techniques and their combinations were used to determine the soluble solids content of hardy kiwi fruits by a handheld, portable near-infrared spectroscopy. Fruits of four species, namely Autumn sense (A), Chungsan (C), Daesung (D), and Green ball (Gb) were collected from five different areas of Gwangyang (G), Muju (M), Suwon (S), Wonju (Q), and Yeongwol (Y) in South Korea. The dataset for calibration and prediction was prepared based on each area, species, and in combination. Half of the dataset of each area, species, and combined dataset was used as calibrated data and the rest was used for model validation. The best prediction correlation coefficient ranges between 0.67 and 0.75, 0.61 and 0.77, and 0.68 for the area, species, combined dataset, respectively using partial least square regression (PLSR) method with different preprocessing techniques. On the other hand, the best correlation coefficient of predictions using the support vector machine regression (SVM-R) algorithm was 0.68 and 0.80, 0.62 and 0.79, and 0.74 for the area, species, and combined dataset, respectively. In most cases, the SVM-R algorithm produced better results with Autoscale preprocessing except G area and species Gb, whereas the PLS algorithm shows a significant difference in calibration and prediction models for different preprocessing techniques. Therefore, the SVM-R method was superior to the PLSR method in predicting soluble solids content of hardy kiwi fruits and non-linear models may be a better alternative to monitor soluble solids content of fruits. The finding of this research can be used as a reference for the prediction of hardy kiwi fruits soluble solids content as well as harvesting time with better prediction models. Full article

The metabolomic screening of potential anti-inflammatory compounds in the leaves of Actinidia arguta was performed by using LC-MS/MS. Ethanol extracts were prepared, and the anti-inflammatory effects were investigated based on nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. The 75% ethanol extract showed the highest inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production, and it was further separated by in vitro bioassay-guided fractionation using preparative LC with reversed-phase column separation. Through multiple steps of fractionation, sub-fraction 1-3 was finally purified, and caffeic acid derivatives, such as caffeoylthreonic acid and danshensu (salvianic acid A), were successfully identified as key anti-inflammatory compounds by LC-MS/MS and metabolomics analyses. This is the first study identifying anti-inflammatory compounds in A. arguta (Actinidia arguta) leaves through bioassay-guided fractionation and metabolomics screening. Results of this study would be useful for the application of A. arguta leaves as a nutraceutical. Full article