Some of the key components that contribute to the acceptance of high-quality fresh mangoes by consumers are its flavour, odour, texture and chemical constituents that depend mainly on level of maturity. In the European market, the demand for tree-ripened fruit has increased in recent decades. Nevertheless, the qualitative response and the marketable characteristics of tree-ripened mango fruit grown in the Mediterranean area are not yet studied. Tree-ripened fruits of cv Keitt, Glenn, Osteen, Maya, Kensington Pride and Tommy Atkins were submitted to analytical (fruit weight, transversal diameter, longitudinal diameter, flesh firmness, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, seed weight, peel weight, percentage of flesh and fibre, ash content, fat content, carbohydrate content, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn contents, ascorbic acid and vitamin A) and sensory evaluations. Significant differences were observed for sensory and physicochemical characteristics in a cultivar-dependent manner. The mango Keitt, in addition to its interesting physicochemical traits, content of protein and vitamin, has a higher sensory appeal. Glenn fruit showed more suitable weight, flesh firmness, soluble solids, vitamin content, total antioxidant activity and total polyphenolics content; Maya had the lowest titratable acidity and the highest soluble solid content, whereas Tommy Atkins revealed preferable ground colour, total antioxidant activity, and vitamin B2 and vitamin C contents. Tree-ripened fruits grown in the Mediterranean climate show interesting peculiarities in regard to fresh market requirements. The analytical-sensory approach established a qualitative characterization of the six observed cultivars.

The qualitative characteristics of mango fruits change throughout their development process and are also influenced by their duration. Harvesting at different times after the fruit set affects external and internal quality and the post-harvest behavior and management possibilities of the fruits. The objective of this study was to assess the evolution of the most important physicochemical and organoleptic parameters of cv. Osteen fruits concern the length of their stay on the plant and also to their post-harvest management. For this reason, fruits were harvested progressively in ten pickings. The study showed that mango fruits that are kept on the tree reach the best quality traits, corresponding to their physiological maturation. The length of the storage period needed to reach the consumption point varies greatly according to the harvesting moment and to the different environmental parameters, which also affect the organoleptic and physicochemical quality of the fruits. The number of days after full flowering were confirmed to be the primary information to consider when planning harvest with commercial use of the fruit, but interesting indications can be acquired through the definition of non-destructive (hardness, color) or destructive (dry matter) parameters. The data collected help improve mango fruit′s post-harvest management practices, to provide a product with constant quality and homogeneity to the consumer.

In this work, the food quality of four international (Campas, Chaffey, Fino de Jete and White) and three local (Daniela, Torre1 and Torre2) cultivars of Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill) was investigated. With this aim, pomological traits, sensorial attributes, physiochemical parameters (pH, total soluble content and total acidity), nutritional composition (macro- and micro-nutrients) and nutraceutical values (bioactive compounds, radical scavenging and antioxidant properties) were evaluated. Among the seven observed cultivars, Fino de Jete was identified as the best, not only for its commercial attributes such as pomological traits and physiochemical values, but also for its nutritional composition. On the other hand, Chaffey and Daniela were the cultivars with the highest content of polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, and with the strongest antioxidant capacity. Concerning the two local ecotypes, Torre1 and Torre2, they displayed a balanced nutritional profile that, if combined with their discrete nutraceutical, physicochemical and pomological values, may result in a reassessment of their commercial impact. In conclusion, our data provide interesting information about the pomological, nutritional, and nutraceutical properties of cherimoya fruits. Our results, in addition to promoting the commercial impact of local cultivars, may increase the use of individual cultivars in breeding programs.

Results of research on the Celtis tournefortii subsp. aetnensis (Celtidaceae-Cannabaceae) populations in Sicily, based on the monitoring of the various nuclei distributed in the territory, are presented. In particular, two new important unpublished stations located in the southern part of the Sicani Mountains, widespread over an area of approximately 75 hectares, are reported. It is highlighted that the species, besides the lava flows of the western slope of Mount Etna (Catania\ud province), is tied to conoids present in five other disjointed sub-ranges, often with fragmentary and relictual stations: (1) Nebrodi Mountains inland (Cesarò territory, Messina province); (2) Madonie Mountains inland (Gangi territory, Palermo province); (3) northwestern sector, in the Palermo province (Rocca Busambra); (4) southwestern Sicani Mountains (Pizzo\ud Telegrafo, in Contrada S. Biagio and in the Caltabellotta territory, Agrigento province); (5) southeastern Sicani Mountains (S. Stefano di Quisquina at Pizzo Castelluzzo, Agrigento province). In addition to a herbarium exsiccata census, the survey led to a biological and autoecological characterization, to the definition of the current distribution, to an estimate of the number of individuals and to an analysis of its conservation status. The risk status was also assessed and the species was ascribed to the category Endangered (EN), in accordance with the B1ab(iii) and B2ab(iii) IUCN criteria

Studying mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit development represents one of the most important aspects for the precise orchard management under non-native environmental conditions. In this work, precision fruit gauges were used to investigate important eco-physiological aspects of fruit growth in two mango cultivars, Keitt (late ripening) and Tommy Atkins (early-mid ripening). Fruit absolute growth rate (AGR, mm day⁻¹), daily diameter fluctuation (ΔD, mm), and a development index given by their ratio (AGR/ΔD) were monitored to identify the prevalent mechanism (cell division, cell expansion, ripening) involved in fruit development in three (‘Tommy Atkins’) or four (‘Keitt’) different periods during growth. In ‘Keitt’, cell division prevailed over cell expansion from 58 to 64 days after full bloom (DAFB), while the opposite occurred from 74 to 85 DAFB. Starting at 100 DAFB, internal changes prevailed over fruit growth, indicating the beginning of the ripening stage. In Tommy Atkins (an early ripening cultivar), no significant differences in AGR/ΔD was found among monitoring periods, indicating that both cell division and expansion coexisted at gradually decreasing rates until fruit harvest. To evaluate the effect of microclimate on fruit growth the relationship between vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and ΔD was also studied. In ‘Keitt’, VPD was the main driving force determining fruit diameter fluctuations. In ‘Tommy Atkins’, the lack of relationship between VPD and ΔD suggest a hydric isolation of the fruit due to the disruption of xylem and stomatal flows starting at 65 DAFB. Further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.