QUALITY OF PINK LADY ® BRAND APPLE
Apple (Malus domestica Borkh, ‘Pink Lady ® brand’) fruit were harvested from one California orchard in 2002, 2003 and 2004 at two or three different maturity stages each year. Fruit were evaluated for background color, firmness, fruit size, percentage of blush, starch index (CTIFL chart), soluble solids, titratable acidity and carbon dioxide (CO2) production and immediately stored at 33 oF in air or in controlled atmosphere (CA). In 2003, additional treatments included 1 ppm of SmartFresh ® (1-MCP) or 2200 ppm of diphenylamine (DPA). Firmness, CO2 production, external condition and internal browning were determined after storage in CA or air and 5 days at 68 oF. Fruit stored in CA conserved higher firmness and produced less CO2. Internal browning was not seen in fruit stored in air, but appeared in fruit after two months storage in CA. The incidence did not increase after longer storage times. SmartFresh ® worked as well as CA in conserving the quality of the fruit. It did not affect the incidence of internal browning, but DPA inhibited internal browning completely. When comparing similar storage atmospheres for all three seasons, the incidence of internal browning was significantly different, being much higher in 2002 and 2004. A mineral analysis of the apple flesh showed differences among the seasons. Concentrations of calcium (Ca), boron (B) and magnesium (Mg) were significantly higher in 2003, corresponding with a lower incidence of internal browning.
Influence Of Storage Duration, Harvesting Stage And Calcium Treatment On The Storage Performance Of Apple Cultivars
The “Influence of storage duration, harvesting stage and calcium treatment on the storage performance of apple cultivars” was conducted at Department of Horticulture, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan during the years 2007-10 to optimize the storage duration and calcium treatments for apple fruit. The fruit of apple (Pyrus domestica L.) cultivars:Royal Gala, Mondial Gala, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious were harvested at optimum maturity and stored at 5±1°C with 60-70% relative humidity. Physico-chemical changes in fruit were determined at 30 days interval during storage.Significant differences were observed among apple cultivars. Cultivar Red Delicious had the highest juice content (58.47%), TSS/Acid ratio (23.12), ascorbic acid (13.12 mg/100g), fruit firmness (5.98 kg/cm2), fruit density (0.82 g/cm3) as well as the least weight loss (2.22%) but also had the highest bitter pit (11.86%) and soft rot (13.53%) incidence. Titratable acidity was the highest (0.55%) in cultivar Mondial Gala and starch score was the maximum (5.22) in cultivar Golden Delicious. 
Storage resulted in significant increased in weight loss, total soluble solids, total sugar, pH, TSS/Acid ratio, bitter pit incidence and soft rot, while juice content, starch score, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, firmness and density of fruit decreased with increasing storage duration. 
Physico-chemical characteristics of apple fruit varied significantly with harvesting stage and storage duration.The juice content (47.68%), total soluble solids (10.07), total sugar (9.31%), pH (3.71),TSS/Acid ratio (18.73), ascorbic acid (10.11 mg/100g) and soft rot (9.52%) recorded with early mature fruit, increased to 59.33%, 12.92, 12.98%, 4.23, 29.29, 12.50% and 15.22% accordingly in late mature fruits, while weight loss (3.34%), starch score (4.95), titratable acidity (0.59%), fruit firmness (5.88 kg/cm2), density of fruit (0.82 g/cm3) and bitter pit incidence (11.69%) recordedat early maturity stage, declined with delaying the harvesting to 1.93%, 3.21, 0.49%, 4.81 kg/cm2, 4.81 g/cm3 and 6.63% respectively at late maturity stage. Dipping in calcium solution declined the storage related changes but the influence was dependant on concentration as well as dipping duration.The juice content (60.63%), starch score (5.05), ascorbic acid (12.67 mg/100g), firmness (5.98 kg/cm2) and density of fruit (0.81 mg/100g) recorded in fruits dipped in 0% CaCl2 solution (control), increased to 64.34%, 5.68, 13.87 mg/100g, 6.54 kg/cm2 and 0.84 mg/100g accordingly in fruits dipped in 9% CaCl2 solution. By contrast, weight loss (1.95%), total soluble solids (12.01), total sugar (10.95%), TSS/Acid ratio (28.09), bitter pit incidence (15.18%) and soft rot (15.33%) incidence recorded in control, decreased to 1.31%, 11.88, 10.76%, 23.88, 3.80% and 2.10% in fruits treated with 9% CaCl2 solution.The starch score (5.30), firmness (6.13 kg/cm2) and density of fruit (0.82 mg/100g) recorded in fruits dipped for 3 minutes in CaCl2 solution, increased to 5.50, 6.49 kg/cm2 and 0.84 mg/100g accordingly in fruits dipped for 12 minutes in CaCl2 solution, whereas weight loss (1.81%), TSS/Acid ratio (27.21), bitter pit incidence (11.92%) and soft rot (7.07%) incidence recorded in fruits dipped for 3 minutes in CaCl2 solution, reduced to 1.41%, 25.27, 5.60% and 6.28% respectively in fruits treated CaCl2 solution for 12 minutes.It can be concluded that cultivar Red Delicious had superior quality but more susceptible bitter pit and soft rot with prolong storage.Harvesting at mid mature stage and calcium chloride (9%) treatment for 9 minutes resulted in enhanced storage performance.
Activation of Glyoxylate Cycle Enzymes in Cucumber Fruits Exposed to CO2
Cucumber fruits exposed to a 60% CO2 environment for 3 d at 20 degrees C showed a higher respiration rate, a lower respiratory quotient, and lower levels of malate, citrate + isocitrate, and glyoxylate than did control fruits. Moreover, in the CO2 treatment, fumarate and succinate increased dramatically on the first day and after the second day, respectively, while 2-oxoglutarate showed a temporary increase on the first day and a subsequent decrease. Isocitrate lyase and malate synthase activity tended to increase throughout the experimental period of the CO2 treatment. These results appear to point to a rapid operation of glyoxylate cycle due to high CO2.