Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 8-2015 Investigating Annual Variation in Fruit Quality Using Nutrient Assays and Multidimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy Harshita Sood Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Sood, Harshita, "Investigating Annual Variation in Fruit Quality Using Nutrient Assays and Multidimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy" (2015). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Investigating Annual Variation in Fruit Quality Using Nutrient Assays and Multidimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy By Harshita Sood A Thesis submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Environmental Science ______________________________________ Environmental Science Program Gosnell School of Life Sciences College of Science Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY 14623 August, 2015 ______________________________________ Approved By ___________________________________ Susan Smith Pagano, Ph.D. Thesis Advisor ___________________________________ Todd Pagano, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Elizabeth Hane, Ph.D. Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi Thesis Abstract ........................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Important Dietary Nutrients for Migratory Birds ................................................................. 3 The Impact of Climate Change on Miratory Bird Habitat Quality ....................................... 4 Fruits Available in the Western New York Region .............................................................. 5 Study Goals ........................................................................................................................... 8 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 9 Study Sites .......................................................................................................................... 10 Collecting, Drying, and Storing Fruits ................................................................................ 10 Measuring the Water Content of Fruits .............................................................................. 11 Measuring the Energy Density of Fruits ............................................................................. 12 Measuring the Percent Fat Content of Fruits ...................................................................... 12 Measuring the Percent Ash Content of Fruits ..................................................................... 12 Measuring the Acid Detergent Fiber Content of Fruits ...................................................... 13 Measuring the Total Soluble Solids Content of Fruits ...................................................... 13 Collecting Temperature and Precipitation Data .................................................................. 13 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Temperature and Precipitation Data for 2012 and 2013 ..................................................... 14 Variation in Nutritional Quality of Fruits ........................................................................... 16 Energy Density of Fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 ......................................................................... 18 Fat Content of Fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 ............................................................................... 19 Total Soluble Solids Content of Fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 .................................................... 21 Acid Detergent Fiber of Fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 ................................................................ 22 Ash Content of Fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 .............................................................................. 22 Water Content of Fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 ........................................................................... 23 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Data Trends with respect to Ecological and Taxonomic Considerations ........................... 25 Management and Conservation Implications ...................................................................... 28 Scope for Further Research ................................................................................................. 29 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 32 Methods......................................................................................................................................... 35 Collecting, Drying, and Storing Fruits ................................................................................ 35 Fruit Extraction ................................................................................................................... 35 Obtaining EEMs of Fruits ................................................................................................... 35 Obtaining a PARAFAC Model ........................................................................................... 36 ii Measuring the Total Phenol Content of Fruits .................................................................... 37 Measuring the Monomeric Anthocyanin Content of Fruits ................................................ 37 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 38 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 39 The Four Component Model ............................................................................................... 39 PARAFAC Scores and Annual Variation in Fluorescence of Fruits .................................. 41 Fluorescence Profiles of Select Fruits................................................................................. 45 Monomeric Anthocyanin Content....................................................................................... 46 Total Phenol Content .......................................................................................................... 46 Correlating Components with Phenol and Monomeric Anthocyanin Content ................... 47 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 48 Identifying Components...................................................................................................... 48 Annual Variation in Fluorophore Concentration of Fruits ................................................. 50 PARAFAC as a Tool for Determining Nutritional Quality of Fruits ................................. 52 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 53 References ..................................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 62 iii List of Figures Chapter 1 Figure 1-1: Average Energy density of fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 .................................................... 19 Figure 1-2: Fat content of fruits in 2012 vs. 2013. ..................................................................... 20 Figure 1-3: Percent total soluble solids content of fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 .................................. 21 Figure 1-4: Average % acid detergent fiber content of fruits in 2012 vs. 2013 .........................