Browsing by Author "Ambuko, Jane"

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    Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) on the Shelf Life and Postharvest Quality of Purple Passion Fruit (Passiflora Edulis Sims)
    (2014-07-03) Yumbya, Peninah; Ambuko, Jane; Shibairo, Solomon I.; Owino, Willis
    Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) being highly perishable is susceptible to rapid water loss after harvest leading to diminished quality. This study evaluated the efficacy of activebag® which is a new modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) product in the Kenyan market. Fruits harvested at 60-65 and 75-80 days after anthesis were either packaged in activebag® or ordinary polyethene bags and allowed to ripen under ambient room conditions. MAP maintained the quality of fruits harvested at both stages of maturity and prolonged their shelf life by at least 14 days compared to the unpackaged controls. Packaging significantly slowed weight loss, which was lower at 7% compared to the unpackaged controls that lost up to 26% of the weight. Both MAP packages reduced ethylene production and respiration rate and slowed other physicochemical changes associated with passion fruit ripening. Although the ordinary polythene bag packaging prolonged the fruits’ shelf life compared to unpackaged control, their positive effect was negated by high incidence of rotting evident after 14 days of storage. These results indicate that use of activebag® can prolong the shelf life by maintaining quality attributes and external appearance of purple passion fruits and hence extend their marketing period.
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    Variation of nutritional and anti-nutritional contents in finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) genotypes
    (2014-11) Shibairo, Solomon I.; Nyongesa, Oliver; Onwonga, Richard; Ambuko, Jane
    Variation in nutritional and anti-nutritional contents among six finger millet genotypes was determined. Improved finger millet genotypes Gulu-E and FMV-1 from Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, KNE-479 and KNE 1034 from International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and local landraces Ateso and Nyaikuro, were compared. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in calcium (Ca), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents among the genotypes. Genotypes Ateso and Gulu-E had the highest crude fat contents while KNE-479 had the lowest. Genotypes KNE-479 and Nyaikuro had the highest crude protein content. Lowest crude protein contents were observed in genotypes Gulu-E and Ateso. Genotype Ateso followed by FMV-1 and Nyaikuro had high isoleusine, leusine, methionine, threonine and cysteine amino acid contents. High levels of phenylalanine were observed in genotypes Nyaikuro and Ateso. Ateso had the highest Phydroxybenzoic, sinapic and syringic acids, while Nyaikuro had high ferulic and vanilic acids. Except for genotype KNE-479 with highest sinapic acid contents, the ICRISAT developed genotypes had the lowest antinutritional contents. Anti-nutrients tannins, vanilic acid and ferulic acid were negatively correlated to Fe and Zn contents. Ther