1. KAUTIR (Kerala Agricultural University Theses Information and Retrieval)
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Item Nutraceutical properties of selected edible plants consumed by tribals of western ghats.(Department of Postharvest management, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2025-08-07) Sharon Jacob; Saji GomezWild foods or wild edible plants are considered as nutritional supplements rather than dietary staples. These plants are neither cultivated nor domesticated but utilised as food by tribal communities. Wild edible plants are said to be rich in nutrients as well as medicinal values. Nutraceuticals are nutrients or bioactive components found in foods that possess medicinal or health benefits. The present study has been formulated with the view of scientific assessment of the health protective properties of selected wild edible plants consumed by tribal communities and to preserve and utilise the valuable knowledge. The study assessed the nutraceutical properties of nine wild edible plants belonging to three categories such as leafy greens, fruits and tubers/rhizomes. The selected wild edible plants were Cassia tora L. now known as Senna tora L., AcalyphafruticosaForssk. and Talinumportulacifolium (Forssk.) Asch. ex Schweinf. among leafy greens, Ardisaelliptica Thunberg., Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum (Lam.) Wang. and Solanum nigrum L. among fruits, and Dioscoreapentaphylla L., Curcuma angustifoliaRoxb. and Asparagus racemosusWilld. among roots/tubers/rhizomes. These wild edible plants were collected from different parts of Western Ghats. The first experiment was to determine the phytochemical screening of the selected wild edible plants in four solvents viz., hexane, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol. Various phytochemicals were detected in the extracts of the wild edible plants such as phenols, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, proteins, terpenoids, carbohydrates and steroids depending on the solvents used. Majority of the phytochemicals were detected in methanol extract as compared to other solvents. In the second experiment, the bioactive compounds like anthocyanins, lycopene, ꞵ-carotene, ascorbic acid, total phenols and total flavonoids were determined in all the selected wild edible plants. The highest anthocyanin content among the nine plants was recorded in Ardisaelliptica (140.33 mg/100 g), followed by Talinumportulacifolium (23.62 mg/100 g), and Curcuma angustifolia (1.52 mg/100 g). The lycopene content was highest in Cassia tora (12.61 mg/100 g) among leafy greens, Ardisiaelliptica (7.98 mg/100 g) in fruits and Curcuma angustifolia (13.09 mg/100 g) among rhizomes. Similarly, ꞵ-carotene was highest in Cassia tora (13.80 mg/100 g) among leafy greens, Ardisiaelliptica (7.58 mg/100 g) among fruits and Curcuma angustifolia (13.39 mg/100 g) among rhizomes. Cassia tora (37.34 mg/100 g) exhibited highest ascorbic acid content among leafy greens, whereas Ardisiaelliptica (34.28 mg/100 g) and Curcuma angustifolia (14.84 mg/100g) recorded the highest among fruits and rhizomes, respectively. The highest total phenolic content was recorded in Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum (39.46 mg GAE/g), Acalyphafruticosa (23.22 mg GAE/g) and Curcuma angustifolia (24.18 mg GAE/g) among fruits, leafy greens and rhizomes, respectively whereas the highest total flavonoid content was obtained in Cassia tora (0.73 mg QE/g), Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum (3.07 mg QE/g) and Curcuma angustifolia (6.22 mg QE/g) among leafy greens, fruits and rhizomes respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined in these wild edible plants by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays. In all the three assays, highest antioxidant activity was obtained in Cassia tora, Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia among leafy greens, fruits and rhizomes respectively. In the DPPH assay, the lowest IC50 values were obtained in Cassia tora (431.94 μg/mL), Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum (209.43 μg/mL) and Curcuma angustifolia (47.19 μg/mL). Similarly, in FRAP assay, the lowest IC50 values were obtained in Cassia tora (30.58 μg/mL), Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum (4.32 μg/mL) and Curcuma angustifolia (10.72 μg/mL). The same trend was observed in the ABTS assay also, with IC50 values of 107.60 μg/mL, 29.44 μg/mL and 8.36 μg/mL in Cassia tora, Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia respectively. The wild edible plants with highest antioxidant activity were subjected to HR LCMS (High Resolution Liquid chromatography Mass Spectrometry) analysis to identify the various compounds present in them. The methanolic extract of Cassia tora contained quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, Quercetin-3ꞵ-D-glucoside, trifolin, diosmetin, genistein, myricitrin, apigenin, arecoline, trigonelline, vindoline, guvacoline, chlorogenic acid, catechin, ferulic and isoferulic acid. The methanolic extract of Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum revealed various compounds such as quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, eriodictyol (flavonoids), atropine, salsolinol, piperine, papaverine, laudanosine, 8-hydroxyquinoline (alkaloids), 4 Methoxycinnamic acid and 4-Hydroxyindole (phenols) etc. Various carboxylic acids, amino acids and fatty acids were also identified. In the methanolic extract of Curcuma angustifolia the presence of various polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, amino acids and peptides like curcumin, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, piperine, linoleoylethanolamide, 8-hydroxyquinoline, nootkatone, 6-methylquinoline, 1-stearoylglycerol, cuminaldehyde, salsolinol, (+)-ar-turmerone, 2-methoxyflavone, methyl cinnamate, acetphenone, pyridoxine and carvone in positive mode and curcumin, 4-oxoproline, azelaic acid, 2-hydroxycinnamic acid and ferulic acid in negative mode were recorded. The immunomodulatory properties of the three selected wild edible plants viz., Cassia tora, Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia, were studied in the experimental animal model (balb/c mice). The immunomodulatory properties of mice treated with low (100 mg/kg bw), medium (150 mg/kg bw) and high (200 mg/kg bw) doses of aqueous extracts of these wild edible plants were studied along with a control, immunosuppressant (Cyclophosphamide) and positive control (Cyclophosphamide+Mesna). The various parameters recorded were weight of lymphoid organs (g), weight of lymphoid organs with reference to the body weight (%), bone marrow cellularity (BMC/femur/mL), α-esterase activity (no. of positive cells/400BMC), heamoglobin count (g/dL), total WBC count (cells/mm3), total RBC count (million/mm3), differential count (%) and total platelets count (lakh/mm3). Animals fed with extracts of wild edible plants recovered their immunity in spite of being treated with cyclophosphamide. Most of the above said parameters observed in groups treated with plant extracts were comparable with that of the positive control and some parameters were better than that of positive control. But, mortality of a mouse was observed in the experiment group treated with high dose of Cassia tora and in this group the haemoglobin count and RBC were above the reference range for mice. Therefore, Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia were selected for the subsequent experiment. The last experiment was to develop functional gummies by using powders of Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia. Other ingredients used to prepare the gummies were black pepper powder, ginger extract, palm sugar, gelatin, sodium benzoate, propylene glycol, citric acid and water. Gummies prepared with 1 g each of Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia were found organoleptically best. The physical, nutritional and biochemical properties of the product were determined. The pH, moisture content and water activity (aw) of the product was recorded as 3.50, 41.17 % and 0.949 respectively. The colour values obtained for the product were L* value of 39.55, a* value of 2.88 and b* value of 34.07. The hue and chroma values of the product were 34.20 and 85.16 respectively. With regard to the nutritional properties, gummies contained 1.9 % total carbohydrate, 72.6 mg/100 g total protein, 41.19 % total sugar, 2.01 % fat and 4.54 % ash content. Biochemically, TSS, titrable acidity, total phenolics, total carotenoids and total flavonoid content of the product were 20°B, 1.32 %, 16.80 mg GAE/g, 3.36 mg/g and 0.21 mg QE/g, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the product estimated in terms of IC50 value was 10 μg/mL (DPPH assay) and 5.99 μg/mL (FRAP assay). The gummies were sealed in LDPE (Low density polyethylene) pouches and stored in refrigerated condition for one month. The sensory evaluation at the end of the storage period of one month did not reveal any significant variation from that in the beginning. The microbial analysis was carried out at 15 days interval for one month and the total bacterial count was found to decrease during storage and was within the limits of the product (9 × 104 colony forming units [cfu]/g initially to 11 × 103 cfu/g at the end of storage period). Fungi and yeast were not detected during the entire storage period. The wild edible plants in this study were found to contain major bioactive compounds and had good antioxidant potential especially, Cassia tora, Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia. Among these, Alangiumsalviifolium subsp. hexapetalum and Curcuma angustifolia, were good immunopotentiating agents and there is ample scope to utilise these plants by including them in our diet.Item Post harvest studies in Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl cv. 'Massangeana'(Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agricultue,Vellanikkara, 2023-03-25) Amrutha Lakshmi.; Anupama ,T VCut foliages are important components of the floricultural industry, and are largely used as fillers in floral decorations. In 2021-22, India has exported 23,597.17MT of floriculture products to the world for the worth of Rs. 771.41crores. In recent times, the international trade of cut foliage from Kerala has expanded enormously and cut foliage is being exported on a large scale from the state. Despite this, research studies on post harvest management of ornamental cut foliage are meagre compared to cut flowers. Dracaena fragrans cv. ‘Massangeana’, belonging to the family Asparagaceae is a popular foliage plant and is characterized by its swordshaped dark green leaves with a yellow stripe along the centre. The main problem in the cut foliage industry is its highly perishable nature and deterioration in quality before reaching the customer. The vase life progressively declines with the duration of the storage and increased storage temperature. Hence standardisation of post harvest practices can help in extending vase life and increasing the export potential of Dracaena fragrans cv. „Massangeana’. Keeping the above facts in view, the present study entitled ‘Post harvest studies in Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl cv. ‘Massangeana’ was undertaken in the Department of Postharvest Management with the objective to standardise and develop a cost-effective storage protocol for the cut foliage species Dracaena fragrans cv. ‘Massangeana’. The first experiment was conducted in completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications each. The leaves were precooled for six hours in both cold storage and refrigerated conditions under both dry (sealed in polyethylene sleeves) and wet (in bottles filled with distilled water) conditions. The control was maintained in ambient conditions without precooling treatment. Significantly highest vase life of 16.67 days was exhibited by leaves that were precooled under dry storage in cold storage conditions. All the treatments showed distinct differences in the percentage of weight loss over the vase life, and lower values of weight loss (5.25%) and transpiration (7.51µl/g/day) were observed in the control. A constantly increasing amount of water was absorbed by the leaves that were precooled under dry storage in cold storage conditions. The lowest ethylene evolution rate (0.10 ppm) and the maximum amount of chlorophyll (1.50 mg g-1 ) at the end of the vase life were also observed in this treatment. The respiration rate declined gradually in all treatments and the lowest rate of respiration (0.30%) at the end of vase life was observed in treatments that were precooled in cold storage conditions under both wet and dry storage. The second experiment was conducted in completely randomised design with two factors, namely the storage conditions and the packaging materials. The precooling treatment in dry storage under cold storage conditions resulted in significantly higher vase life and quality of leaves, and all the leaves in the second experiment were precooled in this method. The various packaging materials used were non-vented polyethylene and polypropylene sleeves, and perforated polyethylene and polypropylene sleeves. These were stored in ambient, cold storage and refrigerated conditions. There was significant interaction effect between the two factors in all the observations. Significantly higher vase life was exhibited by leaf samples which were packed in non-vented polypropylene sleeves and stored in cold storage conditions for one week (20.50 days). The vase life studies revealed that the minimum loss in weight (18.64%) and rate of transpiration (26.64µl/g/day) at the end of vase life was observed in leaves packed in perforated polyethylene sleeves and stored under cold storage conditions. As the storage duration increased, the rate of water uptake gradually decreased, coinciding with the end of the vase life. The maximum amount of chlorophyll throughout storage for four weeks was observed in the leaves which were packed in both non-vented polyethylene (1.69 mg g-1 ) and polypropylene sleeves (1.60 mg g-1 ) and stored under cold storage conditions which were on par with each other. The respiration and ethylene evolution rate declined gradually in all treatments and after four weeks of storage, the leaves in polypropylene sleeves and control under ambient conditions showed the lowest rate of respiration (0.00%). The BC ratio for the sale of leaves stored for one week in polypropylene sleeves under ambient conditions was 0.56 and under cold storage, 0.34. The leaves fetch better prices in the export market and the BC ratio can increase up to 1.63, depending on the destination. The most desirable characteristics were observed in leaves stored under cold storage conditions and the storage under refrigerated conditions resulted in damages due to chilling injury. A reduction in vase life and other parameters was also observed in all the treatments as the storage duration increased. Precooling of Dracaena fragrans cv. ‘Massangeana’ leaves for six hours in dry storage under cold storage conditions increased the vase life of the leaves. Packaging in non-vented polypropylene sleeves and storage for one week under cold storage conditions resulted in better vase life and reduced metabolic activities, which is desirable to enhance the export potential of the leaves.Item Formulation of Jackfruit based functional fruit bar(Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2025-02-06) Sariga, T S; Athulya S KumarThe study entitled “Formulation of jackfruit based functional fruit bar” was conducted at the Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the period of 2022-2024, with the objective of development and quality analysis of jackfruit based functional fruit bar. The study was conducted as two parts viz., development of blended fruit bar and development of functional fruit bar. Good quality, fresh and uniformly ripe fruits of jackfruit (varikka and koozha types) and papaya (red lady) free from visual defects were collected from the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. The collected fruits were washed, surface sanitized using ozonation (100 ppm), inedible parts were removed and pulp was extracted. The extracted pulp of jackfruit (J) and papaya (P) were blended in different ratios viz., B1 (90J:10P), B2 (80J:20P), B3 (70J:30P), B4 (60J:40P), B5 (50J:50P) and B6 (Control) (100J) independently for each type and utilized for the production of fruit bars. The blended fruit pulp was dried at 50-60°C temperature till the fruit bar attained a moisture content of 15-20%. The developed blended fruit bars were analyzed for chemical, nutritional and organoleptic quality parameters and superior blend from each type of jackfruit was selected. In varikka type, blended fruit bar prepared with 50% jackfruit pulp and 50% papaya pulp (B5) recorded the highest TSS (55.53o Brix), total sugar (67.58%), reducing sugar (42.86%), ascorbic acid (29.76 mg 100g-1), carotenoid content (1.41 mg 100g-1), antioxidant activity (86.04%), crude fibre (9.30%), lowest acidity (0.93%) and protein content (0.20 mg 100g-1) with superior sensory scores. In koozha type, blended fruit bar prepared with 50% jackfruit pulp and 50% papaya pulp (B5) recorded the highest TSS (55.40o Brix), total sugar (66.37%), reducing sugar (43.48%), ascorbic acid (29.72 mg 100g-1), carotenoid content (1.20 mg 100g-1), antioxidant activity (86.04%), crude fibre (11.27%), lowest acidity (1.36%) and protein content (0.21 mg 100g-1) with superior sensory scores. Hence 50% jack fruit pulp and 50% papaya pulp (B5) was selected as the best blending ratio of fruit bar for both varikka and koozha types. In second part of the study, the blended fruit bar prepared with 50% jackfruit pulp and 50% papaya pulp selected from each type was mixed with crushed flax seed and peanuts in different proportions viz., 1% flax seed and 1% peanut (P1), 3% flax seed and 3% peanut (P2), 5% flax seed and 5% peanut (P3) and without addition (control - P4) for the development of functional fruit bars. The functional fruit bars were initially evaluated for organoleptic quality parameters for selection of the best formulation. The maximum sensory score for overall acceptability (7.40) was recorded in functional fruit bar (50J:50P) supplemented with 3% flax seed and 3% peanut (varikka type) (T3), which was on par with the functional fruit bar (50J:50P) supplemented with 3% flax seed and 3% peanut (koozha type) (T4), blended fruit bar with 50% jackfruit pulp and 50% papaya pulp (koozha type) (T8) and functional fruit bar (50J:50P) supplemented with 1% flax seed and 1% peanut (koozha type) (T2). Koozha type jackfruit has less consumer acceptability due to its poor texture after ripening and wastage is more compared to varikka type. Considering the effective utilization of koozha type jackfruit in product preparation, functional fruit bar (50J:50P) supplemented with 3% flax seed and 3% peanut (koozha type) was selected as the best formulation and utilized for further storage studies. The selected best organoleptically superior functional fruit bar (50J:50P) supplemented with 3% flax seed and 3% peanut (koozha type) was packaged in laminated pouches along with two control samples (blended fruit bar (50J:50P - koozha type) and pure jackfruit bar (100 J) - koozha type) and stored under ambient conditions for two months to study the storage stability. Chemical, nutritional and organoleptic quality parameters were evaluated initially and at monthly intervals till the end of shelf life. Chemical, nutritional and organoleptic quality parameters were significantly influenced by treatments and storage period. Acidity (1.16 to 1.54%), reducing sugar (42.97 to 47.43%), moisture content (16.76 to 21.59%) and crude fibre content (10.15 to 12.94%) of fruit bars were increased with storage period; whereas, TSS (55.33 to 50.01o Brix), total sugar (59.54 to 52.30%), vitamin C (27.60 to 24.84 mg 100g-1), carotenoid content (0.97 to 0.78 mg 100g-1), antioxidant activity (85.72 to 83.24%) and protein content (0.29 to 0.21 mg 100g-1) were decreased with storage period. Functional fruit bar (50J:50P) supplemented with 3% flax seed and 3% peanut exhibited superior chemical, nutritional and organoleptic quality parameters at the time of storage and one month after storage. Jackfruit (koozha type) based functional fruit bar prepared by blending 50% jackfruit pulp and 50% papaya pulp and supplemented with 3% flax seed and 3% peanut, packaged in laminated pouches were microbiologically safe with superior chemical, nutritional and organoleptic quality parameters upto 1 month under ambient conditions. The present study could develop an acceptable and quality functiotnal fruit bar from koozha type jackfruit with good functional properties at reasonable cost.Item Chitosan based coating for extending shelf life of banana(Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 2024-12-24) Aparna, M.; Geetha Lakshmi, P RThe present investigation entitled ‘Chitosan based coating for extending shelf life of banana’ was conducted at Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the year 2022-2024 with the objective to evaluate edible coating with chitosan and papaya leaf extract as postharvest treatment for extension of shelf life and quality of nendran and red banana. Nendran banana bunches of uniform size and optimum maturity were dehanded and sanitised with ozonisation (2ppm). The ozonised fruits were dipped in different concentrations of edible coating with chitosan (0.25%, 0.5%. and 1%), papaya leaf extract (PLE 0.25%, 5% and 10%) and combinations of chitosan and papaya leaf extract for 10 minutes along with fruits without any treatment as control. The fruits were kept in CFB boxes and were evaluated for physical, physiological and sensory parameters at an interval of 2 days till the end of shelf life. Among the treatments, Nendran treated with chitosan 1% + PLE 10% recorded 70.28% pulp, 29.71% peel, 2.36 pulp to peel ratio, 22.43 °Brix TSS with the lowest decay percentage (37.50%), PLW (15.20%), highest marketability (74.00%), better colour and texture (5.64 N) with higher sensory scores after 12 days of storage and recorded an extended shelf life of 12.50 days compared to control (6.33 days). In chitosan treatments, nendran banana treated with chitosan 1% recorded 69.68% of pulp, 30.31% peel, pulp to peel ratio of 2.30, 21.46°Brix TSS with least decay percentage (58.20%), PLW (15.36%) highest marketability (41.80%), texture (7.00N), better colour and acceptable sensory scores at the end of shelf life of 10.00 days. Based on physical, physiological, biochemical and sensory qualities chitosan 1% + PLE 10% and chitosan 1% were selected for storage study along with salicylic acid (2mM) as postharvest treatments. The ozonised nendran fruits at optimum maturity were subjected to postharvest treatments as dipping for 10 minutes and were stored in CFB boxes at room temperature (28±2°C) and refrigerated storage (14±1°C) conditions along with untreated fruits as control. The fruits were analysed for physical, physiological, biochemical and 149 sensory qualities at an interval of 3 days in room temperature and 5 days in refrigerated storage respectively. The nendran banana treated with chitosan 1%+ PLE10% + SA 2mM recorded an extended shelf life of 15.16 days and recorded 70.21% of pulp, 29.78% peel, 2.34 pulp to peel ratio, TSS of 23.23°Brix with the lowest decay percentage (39.60%), PLW (15.11%), highest marketability (60.40%), texture (6.43 N), flavonoids (10.11 μg QUE g-1) with acceptable sensory scores under room temperature storage. Under refrigerated storage, nendran banana treated with chitosan 1%+PLE10%+ SA 2mM exhibited pulp % of 70.13, 29.87 % peel, pulp to peel ratio of 1.44, 21.58 °Brix TSS, TSS Acid ratio of 44.95, 13.15% total sugars, 10.58 % reducing sugars, 4.00% starch with least PLW (17.89%), decay percentage (20.23%), titratable acidity (0.48%), highest marketability (79.77 %), texture (5.34N), ascorbic acid (9.75 mg 100g-1) and flavonoids (11.00 μg QUE g-1) and better colour with acceptable sensory scores after 30 days of storage and extended shelf life of 29.50 days The experiment was conducted for Red banana and uniform sized and optimum maturity fruits after ozonisation (2ppm) were dipped for 10 minutes in different concentrations of chitosan (0.25%, 0.5%. and 1%), papaya leaf extract (0.25%, 5% and 10%) and combinations of chitosan and papaya leaf extract along with fruits without any treatment as control. The coated fruits were stored in CFB boxes at room temperature and evaluated for physical, physiological and sensory parameters at 2 days intervals till the end of shelf life. Among the treatments, Red banana treated with chitosan 0.5%+PLE 10% extended shelf life of 11.33 days, as compared to 5.06 days of shelf life in the untreated fruits, with pulp to peel ratio of 2.22, 20.29 °Brix TSS with the least PLW (14.13 %) and highest texture (10.00 N), and better colour with acceptable sensory scores after 10 days of storage. Among chitosan treatments, red banana treated with chitosan 0.5% exhibited TSS (21.13°Brix) with least decay percentage (30.67%), PLW (14.96%), highest marketability (69.33%), better colour and texture (8.83 N) with higher sensory scores with a shelf life of 10.06 days. The chitosan 0.5%+PLE 10% and chitosan 0.5% were selected as the best treatments for storage studies along with salicylic acid (2mM) and the postharvest treated red banana 150 fruits were stored in CFB boxes at room temperature (28±2°C) and refrigerated storage (14±1°C) conditions till the end of shelf life. The effectiveness of the treatments was observed based on physical, physiological, biochemical and sensory qualities at an interval of 3 days at room temperature and 5 days in refrigerated storage, respectively. At room temperature, red banana treated with chitosan 0.5%+PLE10%+ SA 2mM exhibited pulp % of 70.03, 2.34 pulp to peel ratio, 8.28% reducing sugars, 20.42 °Brix TSS with least decay percentage (16.67 %), highest marketability (83.33%), better colour, texture (6.40 N), ascorbic acid (9.43 mg 100g-1) and flavonoids (11.95 μg QUE g-1) with higher sensory scores after 12 days of storage and extended shelf life of 11.66 days compared to control (5.00 days). At refrigerated storage, red banana treated with chitosan 0.5%+PLE10%+ SA 2mM recorded pulp % of 70.48%, 2.38 pulp to peel ratio, 11.24 % reducing sugars, 21.56°Brix TSS with least decay percentage (13.12 %), PLW (9.68%), highest marketability (86.88%), better colour and texture (6.85 N), ascorbic acid (7.68 mg 100g-1) and flavonoids (9.56 μg QUE g-1) with acceptable sensory scores after 35 days of storage with an extended shelf life of 34.66 days compared to untreated fruits which recorded a shelf life of 18.66 days. Based on physical, physiological, biochemical and sensory qualities it is revealed that chitosan based edible coating extended the shelf life and quality of nendran and red banana. The postharvest treatment of chitosan 1%+PLE 10% was the best treatment for extending shelf life and quality of nendran banana whereas chitosan 0.5%+PLE 10% was found as the best concentration for red banana fruits. The postharvest treatment with chitosan 1%+PLE10%+SA 2mM for 10 minutes recorded as the best combination for nendran banana which recorded a shelf life of 15.16 days and 29.50 days under room temperature and refrigerated storage respectively. The red banana fruits treated with chitosan 0.5%+PLE10%+SA 2mM was standardized as the best postharvest treatment which extended the shelf life under room temperature and refrigerated storage conditions as 11.66 days and 34.66 days respectively, with better quality.Item Nata de pina production from pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) variety mauritius(Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture,Vellanikkara, 2024) Nima Jose.; Maya, TPineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) is an extensively cultivated fruit in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, serving as a key source of essential sugars, organic acids, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fibre that contribute significantly to human nutrition. Due to the increased demand for pineapple fruits and processed products in recent years, this sector has witnessed a substantial increase in waste generation. Inadequate postharvest management of fruits and improper handling of market rejected fruits have intensified the waste burden affecting the environmental quality. Utilisation of these wastes as substrates for the development of sustainable and innovative products facilitates a circular bioeconomy approach. Nata de pina or pineapple gel is a translucent, chewy substance produced through the bacterial fermentation of pineapple juice by Acetobacter xylinum. In this context, the present study entitled “Nata de pina production from pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) variety Mauritius” was conducted in the Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara and Pineapple Research Station, Vazhakkulam with an objective to evaluate yield and properties of Nata de pina from different substrates of pineapple variety Mauritius. Physico- chemical properties of substrates (pineapple peel and juice) were analysed, the effect of different nitrogen sources and substrates on yield of nata de pina was assessed and nutrient profiling of nata de pina was done in this research programme. Overripe and discarded pineapple fruits were sourced from Vazhakkulam pineapple market and physico-chemical properties viz., moisture content, ascorbic acid, sugars, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, starch, total carbohydrates, crude fibre, dietary fibre and pectin of of juice and peel were analysed. The juice extracted from these fruits was diluted with water (1:2) supplemented sucrose (10%) was used to study the effect of nitrogen sources on the yield and physico-chemical properties of nata. The treatments studied were without addition of nitrogen source (N0), 0.5% ammonium sulphate (N1), 0.7% ammonium sulphate (N2), 10% green gram sprout extract (N3) and 10% moringa leaf extract (N4). Juice from the pulp and peel from these overripe fruits were diluted in 1:2 (S1 and S2) and 1:3 (S3 and S4) ratios for evaluating the effect of substrates on yield and physico-chemcial properties of nata. Nata de pina harvested from the optimum combination was analysed for various physico chemical and microbial quality analyses. Sensory evaluation of nata de pina was conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale and benefit cost analysis was performed. The results of physico-chemical characterisation of overripe and discarded pineapple fruits showed that pineapple juice had the highest pH (5.43) and total soluble solids (15.32) while pineapple peels had the highest acidity (2.43 %). Reducing sugars (7.89 %), non-reducing sugars (3.20 %) and total sugars (11.10 %) were the highest in pineapple juice. Pineapple peels had the highest cellulose (43.6 %), hemicellulose (19.91 %) and lignin (8.18 %) content whereas starch content was undetectable in both juice and peels. The highest total carbohydrate content (14.5 g/100 g) was observed in pineapple juice. Dietary fibre (13.97 %), total fibre content (34.2 %) and pectin (11.65 %) were also higher in pineapple peels. The maximum thickness, highest yield and weight of nata de pina was obtained from pineapple broth with addition of 0.5% ammonium sulphate (N1, 10.605 mm). The differences in acidity levels across treatments were non-significant. Assessment of impact of substrates on yield and properties of nata indicated that maximum thickness was observed in nata from pineapple juice diluted with water in 1:2 ratio (S1, 9.48 mm) which was comparable with nata from pineapple peel diluted with water in 1:2 ratio (S2, 9.27 mm). The highest nata yield was given by S2 (28.03 %). The highest TSS and pH was observed in nata produced from pineapple peel diluted with water in 1:3 ratio (S4, 14.58) and S1 (2.84) respectively. Nata from pineapple juice and peel diluted in 1:2 ratio (1.66 %) had higher acidity than substrate diluted in 1:3 ratio (0.89 %). Nata de pina obtained from pineapple peel diluted in 1:2 ratio with addition of 0.5% ammonium sulphate recorded 91.6 % moisture content, 1.28 % titratable acidity, 4.05 % crude fibre, 0.28 % dietary fibre, 5.04 mg/100 g ascorbic acid, 0.06 % total minerals, 18.13 g/100 g total carbohydrates, and 0.12 g/100 g crude protein. The total sugar content was 6.20 %, comprising 5.02 % reducing sugars and 1.18 % non- reducing sugars. Hunter color analysis showed L, a, and b values of 84, 0.63, and 7.70 respectively. Microbial analysis showed a bacterial count of 2.3 x 102 cfug-1 and yeast count 0.6 x 102 cfug-1 with no fungi detected. Sensory evaluation of nata de pina demonstrated a significant overall trend of agreement among the judges. Benefit cost analysis (BC ratio >1) indicated that nata production from overripe and discarded pineapple fruits is profitable. This research demonstrates an efficient approach for transforming pineapple waste into nutritious nata.Item Post harvest studies in Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl cv. 'Massangeana'(Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2023-03-25) Amrutha Lakshmi.; Anupama, T V; Soni, K BCut foliages are important components of the floricultural industry, and are largely used as fillers in floral decorations. In 2021-22, India has exported 23,597.17MT of floriculture products to the world for the worth of Rs. 771.41crores. In recent times, the international trade of cut foliage from Kerala has expanded enormously and cut foliage is being exported on a large scale from the state. Despite this, research studies on post harvest management of ornamental cut foliage are meagre compared to cut flowers. Dracaena fragrans cv. ‘Massangeana’, belonging to the family Asparagaceae is a popular foliage plant and is characterized by its swordshaped dark green leaves with a yellow stripe along the centre. The main problem in the cut foliage industry is its highly perishable nature and deterioration in quality before reaching the customer. The vase life progressively declines with the duration of the storage and increased storage temperature. Hence standardisation of post harvest practices can help in extending vase life and increasing the export potential of Dracaena fragrans cv. „Massangeana’. Keeping the above facts in view, the present study entitled ‘Post harvest studies in Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl cv. ‘Massangeana’ was undertaken in the Department of Postharvest Management with the objective to standardise and develop a cost-effective storage protocol for the cut foliage species Dracaena fragrans cv. ‘Massangeana’. The first experiment was conducted in completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications each. The leaves were precooled for six hours in both cold storage and refrigerated conditions under both dry (sealed in polyethylene sleeves) and wet (in bottles filled with distilled water) conditions. The control was maintained in ambient conditions without precooling treatment. Significantly highest vase life of 16.67 days was exhibited by leaves that were precooled under dry storage in cold storage conditions. All the treatments showed distinct differences in the percentage of weight loss over the vase life, and lower values of weight loss (5.25%) and transpiration (7.51µl/g/day) were observed in the control. A constantly increasing amount of water was absorbed by the leaves that were precooled under dry storage in cold storage conditions. The lowest ethylene evolution rate (0.10 ppm) and the maximum amount of chlorophyll (1.50 mg g-1 ) at the end of the vase life were also observed in this treatment. The respiration rate declined gradually in all treatments and the lowest rate of respiration (0.30%) at the end of vase life was observed in treatments that were precooled in cold storage conditions under both wet and dry storage. The second experiment was conducted in completely randomised design with two factors, namely the storage conditions and the packaging materials. The precooling treatment in dry storage under cold storage conditions resulted in significantly higher vase life and quality of leaves, and all the leaves in the second experiment were precooled in this method. The various packaging materials used were non-vented polyethylene and polypropylene sleeves, and perforated polyethylene and polypropylene sleeves. These were stored in ambient, cold storage and refrigerated conditions. There was significant interaction effect between the two factors in all the observations. Significantly higher vase life was exhibited by leaf samples which were packed in non-vented polypropylene sleeves and stored in cold storage conditions for one week (20.50 days). The vase life studies revealed that the minimum loss in weight (18.64%) and rate of transpiration (26.64µl/g/day) at the end of vase life was observed in leaves packed in perforated polyethylene sleeves and stored under cold storage conditions. As the storage duration increased, the rate of water uptake gradually decreased, coinciding with the end of the vase life. The maximum amount of chlorophyll throughout storage for four weeks was observed in the leaves which were packed in both non-vented polyethylene (1.69 mg g-1 ) and polypropylene sleeves (1.60 mg g-1 ) and stored under cold storage conditions which were on par with each other. The respiration and ethylene evolution rate declined gradually in all treatments and after four weeks of storage, the leaves in polypropylene sleeves and control under ambient conditions showed the lowest rate of respiration (0.00%). The BC ratio for the sale of leaves stored for one week in polypropylene sleeves under ambient conditions was 0.56 and under cold storage, 0.34. The leaves fetch better prices in the export market and the BC ratio can increase up to 1.63, depending on the destination. The most desirable characteristics were observed in leaves stored under cold storage conditions and the storage under refrigerated conditions resulted in damages due to chilling injury. A reduction in vase life and other parameters was also observed in all the treatments as the storage duration increased. Precooling of Dracaena fragrans cv. ‘Massangeana’ leaves for six hours in dry storage under cold storage conditions increased the vase life of the leaves. Packaging in non-vented polypropylene sleeves and storage for one week under cold storage conditions resulted in better vase life and reduced metabolic activities, which is desirable to enhance the export potential of the leaves.Item Utilization of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)peel as a natural food colourant(Department of postharvest management, college of agriculture , Vellayani, 2023-12-22) Deena Bijoy; Mini, CThe present study titled “Utilization of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel as a natural food colourant” was carried out in the Department of Postharvest Management,College of Agriculture,Vellayani during the period 2021-2023, with the objective of standardizing food formulations using pomegranate peel as a natural colourant. The study was carried out as two experiments with anthocyanin pigment extracted by acidified ethanolic maceration of dehydrated peels of pomegaranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits which were collected as a byproduct from processing unit. Three processed food products viz., lime squash, jackfruit jelly and ashgourd candy, each of liquid, semisolid and solid nature were prepared with incorporation of anthocyanin pigment at 1%, 2% and 3% concentration along with control in the first part of the experiment and were subjected to evaluation of chemical, nutritional and sensory quality parameters for selecting the most acceptable pigment concentration. Lime squash with 2% anthocyanin pigment had highest antioxidant activity (89.44%) and higher anthocyanin content (7.42 mg100g-1 ) with highest mean scores for appearance (7.86), colour (8.22) and overall acceptability (7.52); hence, 2% was selected as the optimum concentration of anthocyanin pigment for incorporation in lime squash. Jackfruit jelly incorporated with 3% anthocyanin pigment had lowest acidity(0.89%), highest anthocyanin content (5.52 mg100g-1 ) and a comparatively higher antioxidant activity (41.00%) with maximum mean score of appearance (8.30), colour(8.70) and overall acceptability score (8.13) and hence 3% was selected as the optimum concentration of anthocyanin pigment for incorporation in jelly. The optimum concentration of anthocyanin pigment for candy preparation was found to be 2%, as it had high antioxidant activity (59.09%), higher anthocyanin (6.24 mg 100g-1 ) and highest ascorbic acid content (65 mg 100g-1 ) as well as best appearance (7.80), color (7.90), and overall acceptability (8.0) score among the colored candies. Anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity were lowest for colourless candy and pigment incorporation did not adversely affect the flavour, taste and texture, but colour and appearance of candies with no pigment were highest. Computation of overall acceptability also showed the superiority of colourless candy with highest overall acceptability score (8.30). Among the coloured candies, candy with 2% pigment recorded the highest overall acceptability of 8.00; hence 2% was selected as the optimum concentration of anthocyanin pigment for incorporation in candy. Incorporation of anthocyanin pigment resulted in production of products rich in anthocyanin contents and antioxidant activity. As the concentration increased from 1- 3%, anthocyanin content was increased and antioxidant activity was same for all the pigment incorporated products. The three products were prepared by incorporating the respective optimum concentration of anthocyanin and pigment stability in products was assessed by storing the products in glass containers under ambient and low temperature condition for a period of 3 months in the second part of the study. Ascorbic acid, anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity were higher under low temperature compared to ambient storage in all the three pigment incorporated products. The quality parameters of all the products were affected by storage period. A reduction of 11.02%, 6.32% and 3.53% anthocyanin content was recorded in lime squash, jackfruit jelly and ashgourd candy respectively, indicating a reasonably higher pigment stability during storage. The present study could formulate three different antioxidant rich processed products incorporated with natural anthocyanin from pomegranate peel, with comparatively better pigment stability for a period of three months, proving the potential of pomegranate peel as a natural colourant in processing industry.Item Utilization of dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) peel as a natural colourant in valorisation(Department of postharvest management, college of agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2023-11-16) Athira.; Mini, CThe present experiment entitled "Utilization of dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) peel as a natural colourant in valorisation" was conducted at Department of Postharvest Management, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the period of 2021-2023, with the objective to extract the dragon fruit peel colour and to utilize it as a source of natural colourant in valorisation. The study was carried out as three different continuous experiments utilizing good quality ripe dragon fruit types of white flesh with pink skin (Hylocereus undatus) and purple flesh with red skin ( Hylocereus polyrhizus) of uniform maturity. In the first part of the study, colour extracts were prepared from peels of both white and purple dragon fruits by different maceration techniques viz., hydromaceration, maceration in ethyl alcohol, hydromaceration of freeze-dried peel, low temperature hydromaceration and low temperature ethyl alcohol maceration for 24 hours adopting 1:2 peel to solvent ratio. Hydromaceration of purple dragon fruit peel produced extracts with the highest betalain content (67.14 mg L-1) and had an antioxidant activity of 62.49%. Highest total antioxidant activity of 83.61% was found in extracts prepared by low temperature hydromaceration of purple dragon fruit peel with a betalain content of 53.8 mg L-1. Cost of production of 100 mL extract was least (Rs. 51.25) for hydromaceration of the peels of white dragon fruit. Extracts prepared by hydromaceration and low temperature hydromaceration were subjected to ambient and low temperature (4 to 7 ⁰C) storage for three months for analyzing storage stability in the second part of the experiment. In general, storage of colour extract for three months resulted in reduction in betalain content and antioxidant activity. The reduction was comparatively less in hydromacerated samples stored under low temperature 112 (4 to 7 ⁰C) condition. Hydromaceration of the purple dragon fruit peel was selected as the extraction procedure for betalain content for utilization in squash preparation. The peel colour extract prepared by hydromaceration of purple dragon fruit peel was incorporated into white and purple fleshed dragon fruit squash prepared with and without seed for analysis of chemical and sensory quality parameters in the last part of the experiment. Squash prepared from purple fruit had higher betalain content where as antioxidant activity was higher in white fruited squash. The squash prepared with seed had higher antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid, but had lower betalain content. Peel colour extract incorporated squash had higher betalain content and antioxidant activity compared to squash without addition of peel colour. Incorporation of seed and or peel had resulted in enhanced antioxidant activity in both the fruit types. Seedless purple fleshed dragon fruit squash incorporated with peel colour extract had highest betalain content (58.86 mg L-1) with maximum overall acceptability score (8.3); hence subjected to a storage period of three months. Betalain content and antioxidant activity of squash were considerably reduced by three months. Appearance, colour and flavor of the squash did not change during storage period whereas the overall acceptability score was improved. Hydromaceration of purple- fleshed dragon fruit peels for 24 hours using 1:2 peel solvent ratio and storage at low temperature of 4 to 7 ⁰C can be recommended as the best maceration method for betalain pigment extraction. Incorporation of this pigment into white or purple fleshed dragon fruit squash significantly increased the betalain content, proving the potential of purple dragon fruit peel as a natural food colour source.Item Evaluation and utilization of plant pigments as natuaral food colourants(Department of postharvest management,College of Agriculture,Vellanikkara, 2023) NETRAVATI; Saji Gomez