Sodium carbonate treatment induces scoparone accumulation, structural changes, and alkalinization in the albedo of wounded citrus fruits.

Following sodium carbonate treatment, accumulation of scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) but not scopoletin (6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin) was found in the albedo of wounded fruit from different Citrus sp. and cultivars. Treating wounded mandarin fruit cv. Fairchild with 5% Na(2)CO(3) (SC) lead to a scoparone accumulation in the albedo of 310, 361, and 382 microg g(-1) fresh weight after 7, 10, and 15 days, respectively. Scoparone accumulation was associated with a decrease in decay severity. When oranges cv. Biondo comune wounded and treated with 5% SC were inoculated with Penicillium digitatum or Penicillium italicum conidia 3 days posttreatment, the decay percentage as compared to untreated wounds was reduced by 97.2 and 93.9%, respectively. Observations by scanning electron microscopy of wounded Citrus fruits treated at 20 degrees C with 2, 3, 4, or 5% (w/v) solutions of sodium carbonate showed structural modifications to the albedo as well as damage to 24-48 h old mycelia of P. digitatum, the cause of citrus green mold. Modifications were more evident in orange, lemon, and grapefruit as compared to mandarin fruit. The efficacy of the treatment was strictly related to the SC interaction with the albedo tissue that, in addition to structural changes, significantly increased tissue pH, affecting P. digitatum pathogenicity. The SC remaining as a film on unwounded flavedo had no effect in preventing contact infection by the Penicillia.

Effect of drying conditions and storage period on polyphenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and ascorbic acid of prunes.

In this study the main chemical parameters, ascorbic acid and polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity of two varieties of prunes, dried by high-temperature (85 + 70 degrees C) and low-temperature (60 degrees C) procedures, were monitored during storage. Ascorbic acid content was higher in the prunes dried at 60 degrees C but significantly decreased in both varieties during storage. The different classes of polyphenols analyzed (cinnamates, anthocyanins, flavonols) showed different stabilities during storage. Neochlorogenic acid decreased only in the President variety, whereas chlorogenic acid increased in both varieties; anthocyanins, present only in the President prunes, disappeared in the first months of storage, and the flavonol content fell significantly in both cultivars during the year of the study. Drying temperature significantly affected the polyphenol content, with different effects according to the class of polyphenols. Antioxidant activity showed a significant increase at the end of the storage period and in the President variety was higher in the sample dried at the higher temperature.

Changes in phenolic compounds, colour and antioxidant activity in industrial red myrtle liqueurs during storage.

The results of a study on the evolution of phenolic compounds, colour and antioxidant activity in two industrial red myrtle liqueurs during storage in bottles under different bottle headspace (constant or increasing) and exposure to light are reported. In the year of the study, the phenolic compounds showed considerable changes even in the liqueurs stored with constant headspace. The anthocyanins in particular, both free and combined, tended to decrease. As expected, the same phenomena were observed in an accelerated form in the product stored in bottles with increasing headspace. The colour, evaluated according to the classic spectrophotometric parameters of intensity and hue, showed marked variability, especially in samples in which headspace was progressively increased. The two liqueurs showed antioxidant capacity values, expressed as mM of Trolox, comparable to those of red wine. They significantly decreased during storage in the bottles with increasing headspace, while values remained almost constant in the others.