Microbial agents of tomato spoilage in Onitsha metropolis, Nigeria were investigated. A total of 80 tomatoes were sampled, out of which 40 were fresh healthy intact tomatoes and the other 40 were spoilt tomatoes sold in 4 local markets within the zone. They were cultured on blood agar, MacConkey agar, tomato juice agar and Sabourand dextrose agar. No organism was isolated from fresh healthy int...

The interactive effects of CO2 elevation, N fertilization, and reduced irrigation regimes on fruit yield (FY) and quality in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were investigated in a split-root pot experiment. The plants were grown in two separate climate-controlled greenhouse cells at atmospheric [CO2] of 400 and 800 ppm, respectively. In each cell, the plants were fertilized at either 100 or 20...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most popular vegetable crops grown in the world, next to potato. It is used as a fresh vegetable and also can be processed and canned as a paste, juice, sauce, powder or as a whole (Barone and Frusciante, 2007). The ripe fruits are good source of vitamin A, B and C which add wide varieties of colour and flavour to the food. Recently, it started gai...

Salmonella remains a leading cause of bacterial food-borne disease, sickening millions each year. Although outbreaks of salmonellosis have traditionally been associated with contaminated meat products, recent years have seen numerous disease cases caused by the consumption of produce. Tomatoes have been specifically implicated, due to the ability of Salmonella spp. to enter the tomato fruit and...

Alternaria species are capable of producing several secondary toxic metabolites in infected plants and in agricultural commodities, which play important roles in food safety. Alternaria alternata turn out to be the most frequent fungal species invading tomatoes. Alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), and tentoxin (TEN) are some of the main Alternaria mycotoxins that can be found...

Levels of free D-amino acids were compared in 11 vinegars produced from different sources or through different manufacturing processes. To analyze the D- and L-amino acids, the enantiomers were initially converted into diastereomers using pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde plus N-acethyl-L-cysteine or N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-L-cysteine. This was followed by separation of the resu...

Both A1 and A2 mating types of Phytophthora infestans were detected in El-Behera governorate and the surrounding area where potato and tomato were intensively cultivated during the 2005-2006 growing season. The A2 mating type constituted 14.8% of the total isolates recovered (162) while A1 mating type constituted 83.9%. A 7.4% of the total potato and tomato fields (94) surveyed yielded A2 matin...