Metabolites in the fruits of edible plants include sweet sugars, visually appealing pigments, various products with human nutritional value, and biologically active plant hormones. Although quantities of these metabolites vary during fruit development and ripening because of cell division and enlargement, there are few reports describing the actual dynamics of these changes. Therefore, we appli...

For robotic harvesting of sweet-pepper fruits in greenhouses a sensor system is required to detect and localize the fruits on the plants. Due to the complex structure of the plant, most fruits are (partially) occluded when an image is taken from one viewpoint only. In this research the effect of multiple camera positions and viewing angles on fruit visibility and detectability was investigated....

Pepper species of the genus Capsicum have been cultivated over centuries, producing both pungent and sweet fruit; the pungency is caused by alkaloids called capsaicinoids. Among the five cultivated species, Capsicum chinense is one of the most popular, being native to the Amazon basin. This species is characterized by a wide variety of fruit sizes, shapes and colors, with different capsaicinoid...

IODINE IS A TRACE ELEMENT THAT IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR HUMAN HEALTH its deficiency affects about two billion people worldwide. Fruits and vegetables are usually poor sources of iodine; however, plants can accumulate iodine if it is either present or exogenously administered to the soil. The biofortification of crops with iodine has therefore been proposed as a strategy for improving human nutrition....

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and the polyphenolic content of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. leaves and fruits. The leaves are an important source of flavonoids (35.10 ± 1.23 mg RE/g plant material). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the polyphenolic compounds were achieved using a HPLC-UV-MS method. The main flavonoid from the l...

The phenolic compounds in fruits are secondary plant metabolites and are mainly associated with the nutritional as well as the sensorial properties of fruits. These compounds not only affect the aroma of the fruits, but are also found to have profound effects on human health due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Berry fruits, including blueberry, cranberry, rasp...

Teen Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Linked with Parent Consumption Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adolescents eat 1.5 to 2 ...

The antimicrobial effect of tannic acid and raw material of Acacia nilotica fruits and leaves (tannin-rich plant) on Clostridium perfringens were comparatively evaluated. Different concentrations) 10 mg to 10 μg/ml)of tannic acid; fruits, and leaves were tested on Cl. perfringens. The obtained results revealed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations were 156, 75 and 100 μg/ml for tannic acid...

Increasing epidemiological and experimental data now emphasize that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits confers many health benefits. Functional products containing elevated levels of bioactive compounds are attracting considerable attention due to their potential to lower the risk of chronic diseases and their associated huge healthcare costs. On a global scale, there is an increasing demand ...