Sidr (Ziziphus spina-christi L.) is an underutilized fruit native to arid and semi-arid regions that possesses considerable nutritional and phytochemical value. However, its potential for controlled lactic fermentation and development into value-added fermented products has received limited scientific attention. This study investigated the effects of five brine formulations on the controlled fermentation of Sidr fruit pickles and monitored changes in physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, microbial dynamics, texture, color, and sensory attributes during 90 days of storage at ambient temperature. The treatments consisted of 10% NaCl (control), NaCl supplemented with sodium sorbate, NaCl with sucrose and vinegar, NaCl with sucrose and Lactobacillus plantarum starter culture, and NaCl with sucrose, vinegar, and garlic. Brine formulation significantly influenced fermentation kinetics, microbial succession, and product quality throughout storage. The inoculated treatment containing L. plantarum exhibited the most rapid acidification, reaching a pH of 4.02 and titratable acidity of 0.24%, while maintaining the highest lactic acid bacteria population (>9 log CFU g⁻¹) and enhanced microbiological stability. This treatment also showed superior retention of ascorbic acid, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and texture compared with the non-inoculated treatments. Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) further demonstrated strong associations between starter-culture fermentation, bioactive compound preservation, and overall product quality. Sensory evaluation indicated that all treatments remained acceptable throughout storage; however, the inoculated samples consistently received the highest scores for taste, texture, and overall acceptability. Overall, the results indicate that controlled lactic fermentation using L. plantarum represents an effective approach for enhancing the quality, stability, and bioactive retention of fermented Sidr fruit products, supporting the valorization of this underexploited fruit resource for sustainable food applications.

The development of functional beverages from dairy by-products and underutilized fruits represents a sustainable strategy for improving nutritional quality while reducing food waste. This study aimed to develop and evaluate pasteurized whey–Jamun ( Syzygium cumini L .) beverages with different whey-to-Jamun juice ratios (T1: 100% whey to T5: 100% Jamun). The formulations were standardized to 18 °Brix, pasteurized at 85 °C for 15 min, and stored under ambient conditions for six months. Physicochemical properties, phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, microbiological quality, and sensory attributes were evaluated at 0, 3, and 6 months of storage. Increasing the proportion of Jamun juice significantly improved beverage appearance, color, flavor, aroma, and overall sensory acceptability while reducing the characteristic sensory limitations of whey. Formulations containing higher proportions of Jamun juice, particularly T4 (25% whey + 75% Jamun), achieved the best balance between sensory quality, nutritional value, and storage performance. Although vitamin C, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity declined gradually during storage, Jamun-rich formulations retained higher levels of these bioactive constituents than whey-dominant formulations. Total plate counts remained below 4.3 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹ throughout storage, whereas yeasts, molds, and Escherichia coli were not detected under the analytical conditions employed, indicating satisfactory microbiological quality. Overall, whey–Jamun beverages demonstrated considerable potential as sustainable value-added functional drinks by combining dairy by-product valorization with the utilization of an underexploited fruit resource. The results identify T4 (25% whey + 75% Jamun juice) as the most promising formulation, providing an optimal balance between nutritional quality, sensory acceptability, and microbiological stability during six months of ambient storage. Further studies incorporating instrumental color measurements, alternative preservation technologies, and degradation kinetics are recommended to optimize product shelf life and bioactive compound retention.

Chilling injury is a major problem limiting the postharvest storage and marketability of mango fruit at low temperature. The present study investigated the individual and combined effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), L-arginine (Arg) and salicylic acid (SA) on chilling tolerance, regulation of oxidative stress and the postharvest quality of ‘Keitt’ mango fruit stored at 5 ± 1 °C for 28 days followed by 4 days of shelf life at 23 °C. Fruits were pre-treated with 1 mM SNP, 1 mM Arg, 2 mM SA or their binary combinations before storage. The chilling injury, membrane damage, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and fruit softening were greatly enhanced by cold storage in untreated fruits. In contrast, all the treatments significantly ameliorated these deteriorative changes, and the combined treatments were superiorly effective. Among these, SNP + Arg was the most effective treatment, which reduced the chilling injury index from 4.05 in control fruits to 1.00 after shelf life, completely inhibiting the incidence of decay and reducing electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde accumulation by 47.4 and 48.2%, respectively. The same treatment also maintained higher firmness, titratable acidity, visual appearance and ascorbic acid content than untreated fruits. The enhanced chilling tolerance was accompanied by increased antioxidant defense, as SNP + Arg significantly stimulated the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase, but suppressed the activity of pectin methylesterase. Multivariate analyses, such as PCA, clustered heatmap and integrated stress index, demonstrated a strong negative relationship between oxidative stress markers and antioxidant metabolism. The results showed that combined SNP and Arg treatments enhanced chilling tolerance through increasing antioxidant capacity, preserving membrane integrity, and retarding ripening-related metabolism, which provides an effective way to maintain the postharvest quality of cold-stored mango fruit.

Gum arabic (GA)-based edible coatings enriched with natural bioactive compounds offer a promising strategy for reducing postharvest losses and maintaining fruit quality. This study evaluated the effectiveness of GA coatings supplemented with carvacrol or caffeine in preserving the physicochemical quality, antioxidant status, and marketability of ‘Murcott’ mandarins during cold storage (5 ± 1 °C, 90–95% RH) for 60 days followed by 4 days of shelf life. Fruits were treated with distilled water (control), GA (10%), GA + imazalil (2000 ppm), GA + carvacrol (200 ppm), and GA + caffeine (200 ppm). Key quality parameters, including weight loss, decay incidence, firmness, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX), were evaluated. The results demonstrated that GA-based coatings, particularly GA + carvacrol, significantly reduced weight loss and decay while maintaining firmness and visual quality compared to the control. Coated fruits exhibited lower electrolyte leakage and MDA levels, indicating improved membrane integrity and reduced lipid peroxidation. In addition, the treatments enhanced antioxidant capacity, as reflected by increased phenolic and flavonoid contents and higher CAT and POX activities. Multivariate analysis further confirmed the strong association between coating treatments and improved quality attributes. In conclusion, GA coatings enriched with carvacrol or caffeine effectively improved postharvest quality and extended the shelf life of ‘Murcott’ mandarins, highlighting their potential as safe and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional postharvest treatments.

The objective of this study was to explore the use of doum fruit powder (Hyphaene thebaica L.) as a functional ingredient in gluten-free oat-based cookies. Doum fruit powder (DFP) was used to replace oat flour at 5, 10, 15 and 20% levels, and the resulting cookies were analyzed for nutritional, antioxidant, physical, color and sensory characteristics. DFP had higher dietary fiber, mineral, phenolic compound and antioxidant activity content than oat flour. Increasing the DFP level significantly increased the crude fiber (5.81–8.69%), total phenolic content (37.08–50.04 mg GAE/100 g), antioxidant activity (15.67–24.11%) and mineral content, and decreased the caloric value. Higher substitution levels also produced darker cookies with lower volume and higher density. Although sensory scores decreased with increasing DFP levels, all formulations remained acceptable. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis revealed strong associations between fiber, phenolics, antioxidant activity, and mineral content, while indicating a trade-off between nutritional enhancement and sensory quality. Cookies with 5–10% DFP provided the best compromise between the improved nutritional value and the acceptability by consumers. The results proved that DFP can be successfully employed to produce functional gluten-free cookies with improved health-promoting properties.