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Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most significant and frequently produced vegetable crops. However, because of its high perishability, keeping its quality from the farm to the market is a challenging problem. Various techniques have been employed to reduce postharvest losses and to extend the shelf life of vegetables and fruits. Recently, another approach is the application of eco-friendly elicitors as essential oils-EOs to prevent fruit decay and enhance its quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an environmentally friendly product (EP) based on rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils and two distinct application techniques (vapor and dipping) on maintaining quality characteristics of cucumber fruits during storage at 11 °C and ~90% relative humidity (RH) for two weeks. The results showed that the EP was successful in preserving cucumber fruit quality. Vaporized cucumbers did not show any significant weight losses, whereas dipped cucumbers showed a greater weight loss at 0.4% EP (3.5%) compared with the control (3%). Fruit treated with EP (vapor or dipping) or chlorine maintained firmness and ripening index during storage. Total soluble solids (TSS) levels were similar in all vapor-treated fruit while dipping application of chlorine increased TSS (4 oBrix) after 7 days of storage. Vapor or dipping application of EP or chlorine had a slight effect on cucumber color. Vaporized (EP or chlorine) cucumbers had comparable total phenols and antioxidant activity when compared with the control treatment, while dipped fruit had lower total phenols content and antioxidant activity at 0.8% EP after 7 days of storage. These findings indicate that the evaluated EP (vapor or dipping) can be a potential natural alternative to be used to preserve fresh produce instead of the common sanitizing agent (chlorine). Nevertheless, the application method and conditions should be further optimized for every product.

This study aims to prolong the shelf-life and inhibit enzymatic browning of fresh-cut potatoes using mild processing methods, specifically osmotic dehydration and ohmic heating. Osmotic dehydration was refined by varying solution concentrations and immersion times, while ohmic heating was optimized by adjusting electric field strength and heating time using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and full factorial design. Potatoes treated with osmotic dehydration, ohmic heating, and their combination under optimal conditions were assessed for weight loss, color change, enzymatic activity, microbial load, and sensory attributes. Results showed that osmotic dehydration alone produced the best outcomes in shelf-life, with minimal weight loss (5.2%), slight color change, reduced enzymatic activity (PPO activity reduced by 50%), effective microbial control (microbial load reduction of 3 log CFU/g), while ohmic heating led to superior sensory quality (overall acceptability score of 8.5). Conversely, the combination of osmotic dehydration and ohmic heating did not improve quality attributes and performed suboptimally. This research underscores the efficacy of osmotic dehydration in food preservation while recognizing the significant role of ohmic heating in enhancing sensorial quality, a critical factor for the commercial viability of food products. Graphical Abstract

Prickly pear consumption is increasing across the world due to its rich variety of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Yet, it is a seasonal and highly perishable fruit, and the application of edible coatings emerges as an alternative to extend its shelf life. In this work, the effects of alginate, starch, chitosan, and pectin as coatings on the physicochemical, bioactive, microbiological, and textural properties of two prickly pear varieties (orange and red), kept under refrigeration (5 ± 2 °C) were evaluated for 6 weeks. Coatings proved to be helpful in the maintenance of the fruits’ color and textural properties, especially when pectin was applied. Overall, starch and chitosan can be considered the most effective coatings in preserving the quality of prickly pears among the options studied. A lower weight loss (8–10%) in fruits was achieved when starch and chitosan were applied, while in control fruits (without coating), the loss was 18–23%. Starch and chitosan also contributed to preserving the bioactivity of red fruits and showed good results in the preservation of total phenolic content in the orange fruits. In addition, starch and chitosan coatings also presented the best performance for the reduction of microbial contamination (both yeasts and molds and total mesophilic aerobic microorganisms). These findings highlight the role of edible coatings in preserving prickly pears, for a longer period, meeting consumers’ demand for fresh fruit.

Purpose: Several applications require the super-resolution of noisy images and the preservation of geometrical and texture features. State-of-the-art super-resolution methods do not account for noise and generally enhance the output image’s artefacts (e.g., aliasing, blurring). Methods: We propose a learning-based method that accounts for the presence of noise and preserves the properties of the input image, as measured by quantitative metrics, e.g., normalised crossed correlation, normalised mean squared error, peak-signal-to-noise-ration, structural similarity feature-based similarity, universal image quality. We train our network to up-sample a low-resolution noisy image while preserving its properties. We perform our tests on the Cineca Marconi100 cluster, at the 26th position in the “ top500 ” list. Results: The experimental results show that our method outperforms learning-based methods, has comparable results with standard methods, preserves the properties of the input image as contours, brightness, and textures, and reduces the artefacts. As average quantitative metrics, our approach has a PSNR value of 23.81 on the super-resolution of Gaussian noise images with a 2X up-sampling factor. In contrast, previous work has a PSNR value of 23.09 (standard method) and 21.78 (learning-based method). Conclusion: Our learning-based and quality-preserving super-resolution improves the high-resolution prediction of noisy images with respect to state-of-the-art methods with different noise types and up-sampling factors.

Phlorotannin–alginate extracts from brown seaweeds offer promising natural solutions for food preservation. This study investigated the extraction, characterization, and application of phlorotannins and alginate from two brown seaweed species, Sargassum cristaefolium and Nizimuddinia zanardinii, for inhibiting melanosis and preserving quality in Pacific white shrimp during ice storage. Preliminary screening identified N. zanardinii methanol extract as superior, yielding the highest phlorotannin content (19.14 ± 0.65 mg Phloroglucinol/g) with potent antioxidant (98.95 ± 0.74% DPPH inhibition) and copper-chelating (73.44 ± 1.64%) activities. Consequently, N. zanardinii was selected for subsequent extraction and application studies. Alginate extraction efficiency was 4.73 ± 0.38 g/100 g seaweed, demonstrating moderate antioxidant properties. The extracts effectively inhibited shrimp polyphenol oxidase, with 2% phlorotannins + 1% alginate showing 84.51% inhibition. When applied to shrimp, this combination significantly delayed melanosis development, suppressed microbial growth, and maintained lower pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and lipid oxidation values during 16 days of ice storage compared to untreated controls. Sensory evaluation confirmed better retention of quality attributes in treated shrimp. These findings demonstrate the potential of N. zanardinii phlorotannin–alginate extracts as effective natural preservatives for maintaining shrimp quality during cold storage, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic additives in seafood processing.

Citrus, belonging to the Rutaceae family, is a commercial fruit worldwide, and it is mainly recognized for its nutritional, anti-oxidant, and significant medicinal properties. Citruses are a group of multifaceted fruit crops with a rich traditional knowledge, deeply rooted in ethnic culture, and the fruits have been considered to be health-protecting and health-promoting food supplements since ancient times. The presence of secondary metabolites and their bioactivities has led to the development of new alternative drugs in recent years. Diverse secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and essential oils and their high bioactive properties have imparted great value to human health based on their anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, cardiovascular protective, and neuroprotective effects. The indigenous Citrus species of India—mainly Northeast India—have distinctive and valuable genetic traits, such as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, distinctive aroma, flavor, etc. Hence, these species are considered to be repertoires of valuable genes for molecular breeding aimed at quality improvement. There is a need for awareness and understanding among the citrus-producing countries of the exploitation of biodiversity and the conservation of Citrus for sustainable development and bioprospecting. The current review presents a holistic view of Citrus biodiversity from a global perspective, including phytochemical constituents and health benefits. Advanced biotechnological and genomic approaches for Citrus trait improvement have also been discussed to highlight their relevance in Citrus improvement.

The present study assessed the effectiveness of high pressure processing (HPP) for the quality maintenance of pitted sour cherries, with special regard to microbial stabilization and the maintenance of color and of chemical–nutritional properties. The HPP treatment (600 MPa for 3 min at 4 °C) was effective at minimizing the initial microbial load, which remained at negligible levels throughout 5 months of refrigerated storage. The color and total phytochemical content of sour cherries were not influenced by the HPP treatment and were maintained at levels comparable with the fresh product for 3 months of refrigerated storage. For longer storage periods, the typical red color decreased, in agreement with the content of total anthocyanins, which showed a significant decrease (up to 65% after 5 months). The antioxidant activity, measured by the ABTS and DPPH assays, was not affected by the HPP treatment, but slightly reduced during refrigerated storage. The study suggests that HPP may be exploited to extend the shelf life, while maintaining the fresh-like features of sour cherries, thus offering an alternative option to current preservation techniques (based on freezing or heating) commonly applied to this product.

Seriguela (Spondias purpurea L.) is a tropical climacteric fruit characterized by high metabolic activity and rapid postharvest deterioration, which limits its shelf life and commercial distribution. Non-thermal technologies such as ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation have been explored to delay ripening and improve the quality of fresh produce; however, information on the response of S. purpurea to UV-C treatment remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of different UV-C doses (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 kJ·m−2) on the postharvest quality and antioxidant properties of seriguela fruits stored at ambient temperature for eight days. Physical, physicochemical, and functional parameters were analyzed, including mass loss, firmness, color attributes (L*, chroma, and hue angle), soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, vitamin C, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS). UV-C treatment significantly affected most quality attributes during storage. Intermediate doses (1–4 kJ·m−2) reduced mass loss, delayed softening, and improved color stability compared with untreated fruits. In addition, UV-C irradiation promoted the accumulation of bioactive compounds, with higher vitamin C levels at 1 kJ·m−2 and increased phenolic content and antioxidant activity at 2–4 kJ·m−2. Multivariate analysis confirmed that intermediate UV-C doses were associated with better preservation of overall fruit quality.

The preservation of fresh produce quality is a major aim in the food industry since consumers demand safe and of high nutritional value products. In recent decades there has been a turn towards the use of eco-friendly, natural products (i.e., essential oils-EOs) in an attempt to reduce chemical-based sanitizing agents (i.e., chlorine and chlorine-based agents). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an eco-friendly product (EP—based on rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils) and two different application methods (vapor and dipping) on the quality attributes of tomato fruits throughout storage at 11 °C and 90% relative humidity for 14 days. The results indicated that overall, the EP was able to maintain the quality of tomato fruits. Dipping application was found to affect less the quality attributes of tomato, such as titratable acidity, ripening index and antioxidant activity compared to the vapor application method. Vapor application of 0.4% EP increased fruit’s antioxidant activity, whereas tomatoes dipped in EP solution presented decreased damage index (hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation levels), activating enzymes antioxidant capacity (catalases and peroxidases). Moreover, higher EP concentration (up to 0.8%) resulted in a less acceptable product compared to lower concentration (0.4%). Overall, the results from the present study suggest that the investigated EP can be used for the preservation of fresh produce instead of the current commercial sanitizing agent (chlorine); however, the method of application and conditions of application must be further assessed for every commodity tested.

Melatonin (MT) treatment (100 M, 2 h) was applied to four mango fruit cultivars (‘Langra’, ‘Chaunsa’, ‘Dashehari’, and ‘Gulab Jamun’), before being stored at 5 1 C for 28 d, in order to alleviate chilling injury (CI). Maximum CI reduction was observed in ‘Langra’ mangoes, and minimum in ‘Gulab Jamun’ mangoes. This positive effect on quality preservation was associated with an increased concentration of endogenous MT, which prevented the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (H2O2 and O2 􀀀) and stimulated non-enzymatic antioxidants (total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids), possibly due to higher activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and tyrosine ammonia lyase. Increased antioxidant activity was also documented in MT-treated ‘Langra’ mangoes, according to four different assays (DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, and CUPRAC) and higher activity of six antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase). In contrast, ‘Gulab Jamun’ mangoes showed minimal or no positive effects on the aforementioned variables in response to the exogenous MT application. ‘Chaunsa’ and ‘Dashehari’ mangoes had some intermediate effects on their antioxidant system (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) and alleviation of CI, when treated with exogenous MT.We conclude that exogenous MT exerts a cultivar-dependent stimulating effect on the antioxidant system of mangoes, which results in an increase in the fruits’ resistance to low temperature.