Greenhouse-grown tree ripe (TR) and mature green (MG) mangoes (cv. Irwin) were exposed to high electric field treatment before 20 and 30 days of storage at 5 degrees C. MG fruits were allowed to ripen at room temperature after low-temperature storage. Fruit physical quality attributes, ascorbic acid, carotene, quercetin, total phenols, and antioxidant capacity were estimated before and after the storage period. Antioxidant capacity of fruit juice was estimated using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Fruit firmness decreased significantly during storage. Titratable acidity decreased 20 days after storage. Total soluble solids did not change during storage. Antioxidant capacity of fruits remained unchanged up to 20 days of storage period and decreased thereafter. Total phenol and carotenes increased during storage. Antioxidant capacity of fruits was significantly correlated only to ascorbic acids. Peel color and carotenes were higher in TR fruits, whereas titratable acidity and firmness were higher in MG fruits. There was no significant difference in other parameters between the stages of picking. Electric field pretreatment affected the respiration and antioxidant capacity of TR fruits and did not have any significant affect on other parameters. TR mangoes of cv. Irwin are more suitable for low-temperature storage and can be successfully stored for up to 20 days at 5 degrees C without any significant losses in functional properties and quality attributes.

Tomato meets the dietary nutrient and antioxidant requirements of diverse populations. Being a C 3 crop and an important vegetable, it is likely to be influenced by increased CO 2 concentrations under climate change situation. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of elevated CO 2 on overall physiology, water relations, growth, yield, and fruit quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) cv. Arka Ashish. Plants were grown at elevated CO 2 [550 (EC 550 ) and 700 (EC 700 ) ppm of CO 2 ] in open top chambers. Increased assimilation rate, decreased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were observed at elevated CO 2 (EC) concentrations. Reduced leaf osmotic potential and increased water potential were observed at EC compared with the control (380 ppm of CO 2 ) in flowering and fruiting stages. Lower total chlorophyll content was recorded at EC 700 . Plant height was significantly higher at EC 550 compared with EC 700 . Higher number of branches was observed at EC 700 as compared with plants grown at EC 550 and the control. Leaf area was lower at EC 700 compared with EC 550 but specific leaf mass was higher at EC 700 . Due to higher leaf dry mass and root dry mass, the plants grown at EC 700 exhibited higher total dry mass compared to EC 550 and the control. Increased number of flowers and fruits together with higher fruit set led to higher fruit yield at both EC concentrations. The highest yield increase was observed at EC 700 . The fruits showed a lower content of phenols, flavonoids, ferric reducing antioxidant potential, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity in plants grown at EC as compared with the control. The ascorbic acid content was high at both EC 700 and EC 550 . Carotenoids and lycopene content was low at EC 700 compared to higher content observed at EC 550 and the control.

Tomato line IIHR-249-1 can be used for improving antioxidant capacity, total carotenoids and lycopene in tomato breeding programmes. Cherry tomato lines IIHR-2866, 2865 and 2864 can be used for improving β-carotene content. LA-1777 and interspecific hybrids could be used for developing tomato lines rich in antioxidants as well as TSS.

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Mango (Mangiferaindica L.) fruits are generally classified based on peel color into green, yellow, and red types. Mango peel turns from green to yellow or red or retain green colors during ripening. The carotenoids and anthocyanins are the important pigments responsible for the colors of fruits. In the present study, peels of different colored cultivars at three ripening stages were characterized for pigments, colors, and gene expression analysis. The yellow colored cultivar "Arka Anmol" showed higher carotenoid content, wherein β-carotene followed by violaxanthin were the major carotenoid compounds that increased during ripening. The red colored cultivars were characterized with higher anthocyanins with cyanidin-3-O-monoglucosides and peonidin-3-O-glucosides as the major anthocyanins. The gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR showed the higher expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes viz. lycopene-β-cyclase and violaxanthin-de-epoxidase in yellow colored cv. Arka Anmol, and the expression was found to increase during ripening. However, in red colored cv. "Janardhan Pasand," there is increased regulation of all anthocyanin biosynthetic genes including transcription factors MYB and basic helix loop. This indicated the regulation of the anthocyanins by these genes in red mango peel. The results showed that the accumulation pattern of particular pigments and higher expression of specific biosynthetic genes in mango peel impart different colors.