Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:36:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andre_Luiz_Piva.pdf: 811588 bytes, checksum: 97234f5dc9e691064476da1dcbc72daa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The main methods of obtaining quality seedlings of cape gooseberry involve propagation by seed, softwood and micropropagation, being one of the most important factors for the establishment of new orchards. Given the above, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the soaking of seeds, germination temperature and asexual propagation of cape gooseberry, the production of quality seedlings. The experiments were conducted during the period from October/2011 to May/2012, the Station of Horticulture and Biological Control "Mário César Lopes," at the State University of West Paraná, Marechal Cândido Rondon Brazil. The experimental design used in the experiment with seeds was randomized with the following treatments 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 °C. The absorption curve was performed using three methods; paper soaked in water, seed submerged in water and paper roll chamber at 30 °C for 72 hours). In asexual propagation experiments used the experimental design in randomized blocks, factorial 3x3 (cutting length of 5, 10 and 15 cm x three species of cape gooseberry, Physalis angulate, P. peruviana and P. pubescens) and a 3x3 factorial (hardwood cuttings, semi-woody and herbaceous x three species of cape gooseberry, Physalis angulata, P. peruviana and P. pubescens), with four replications and 10 cuttings per replicate. At 60 days after implantation of the experiments were carried out assessments phytotechnical. To seeds of P. angulata, are considered optimum temperature for germination in the range 22 to 32 °C, minimum and maximum to 15 °C and 35 °C respectively. Seed imbibition present cape gooseberry raised to 10 ° hour, and early germination from the 48th hour. The size and type of cuttings affect the asexual propagation of cape gooseberry. Cuttings of 15 cm are suitable for the production of seedlings propagated asexually cape gooseberry. Hardwood cuttings show better results in the propagation of cape gooseberry / Os principais métodos de obtenção de mudas de qualidade de fisális envolvem a propagação por sementes, estacas herbáceas e micropropagação, sendo um dos fatores mais importantes para a implantação de novos pomares. Diante do exposto, objetivou-se com o presente trabalho avaliar a embebição de sementes, temperatura na germinação e propagação assexual de fisális, na produção de mudas de qualidade. Os experimentos foram conduzidos durante o período de outubro/2011 a maio/2012, na Estação de Horticultura e Controle Biológico Professor Mário César Lopes , da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste), Campus Marechal Cândido Rondon, PR. O delineamento experimental utilizado no experimento com sementes foi inteiramente casualizado, com os seguintes tratamentos 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 e 40°C. A curva de embebição foi realizada empregando-se três métodos, sendo papel embebido em água, semente submersa em água e rolo de papel em BOD a 30°C por 72 horas). Nos experimentos de propagação assexuada utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso, fatorial 3x3 (comprimento de estacas de 5, 10 e 15 cm x três espécies de fisális, sendo Physalis angulata, P. peruviana e P. pubescens) e fatorial 3x3 (estacas lenhosas, semi-lenhosas e herbáceas x três espécies de fisális, sendo Physalis angulata, P. peruviana e P. pubescens), contendo quatro repetições e 10 estacas por repetição. Aos 60 dias após a implantação dos experimentos, realizaram-se as avaliações fitotécnicas. Para sementes de P. angulata, são consideradas como temperatura ótima para a germinação na faixa de 22 a 32°C, mínima e máxima como 15°C e 35°C respectivamente. Sementes de fisális apresentam embebição elevada até à 10° hora, e início de germinação a partir da 48° hora. O tamanho e o tipo das estacas afetam a propagação assexual de fisális. Estacas de 15 cm são apropriadas para a produção de mudas de fisális propagadas assexuadamente. Estacas lenhosas apresentam melhores resultados na propagação vegetativa de fisális

La microfiltration est largement utilisée pour la clarification, la stabilisation et la concentration de nombreuses suspensions à base de fruits (jus de fruits, agro-déchets, vin, etc.). Malgré ses divers avantages, la microfiltration présente néanmoins un inconvénient majeur qui est le phénomène de colmatage qui s’installe pendant l’opération de filtration et entraîne une diminution de la perméabilité membranaire. Si de nombreux mécanismes de colmatage (adsorption, blocage de pores, etc.) sont observés pendant la filtration de suspensions polydisperses comme les jus de fruits ou certains coproduits liquides, le dépôt de particules sur la membrane est souvent supposé être le mécanisme limitant. La formation de ce dépôt est fortement dépendante de l’équilibre entre forces convectives (imposées par le flux de perméat), qui attirent les particules de la suspension à proximité de la membrane, et forces de rétrotransport, qui éloignent les particules de la surface membranaire. La stratégie la plus employée pour maitriser le colmatage membranaire par dépôt est la filtration tangentielle qui permet d’imposer de forts cisaillements à la surface membranaire qui favorisent les mécanismes de rétrotransport des particules. Si cette stratégie de maîtrise du colmatage est amplement utilisée à l’échelle industrielle pour la microfiltration des suspensions à base de fruits, elle nécessite des coûts d’investissement et de fonctionnement non négligeables qui limitent son implantation aux industries présentant de fortes capacités de production et d’investissement. Au regard de cela, l’utilisation d’une configuration de filtration à membranes immergées pour la microfiltration de suspensions à base de fruits pourrait être une alternative intéressante. Cette configuration repose sur l’immersion de la membrane (modules plans ou fibres creuses) dans la suspension à filtrer, et est associée à un mode de filtration externe-interne, frontal ou quasi-frontale. Si l’absence de conditions hydrodynamiques intenses au voisinage de la membrane est associée à des flux relativement bas, les nombreux avantages de ce mode opératoire (coûts de fonctionnement réduits, simplicité opérationnelle, forte compacité, etc.) pourraient favoriser son emploi par les petits producteurs de jus de fruits et/ou les industries de valorisation des coproduits présentant des capacités limitées d’investissement et enclins à minimiser leurs couts opérationnels. Ce travail a ainsi étudié pour la première fois la possibilité d’utiliser un tel système pour la microfiltration de suspensions à base de fruits variées (jus de fruits et coproduits vinicoles). Ce travail de thèse a ciblé ainsi plusieurs objectifs : (i) caractériser le potentiel et le comportement colmatant de suspensions à base de fruits, en lien avec les caractéristiques physicochimiques propres à chaque suspension et au regard de leur filtration par membranes immergées, (ii) étudier des performances d’un système de microfiltration de suspensions à base de fruits par membranes immergées, performances en termes de productivité et de sélectivité et enfin (iii) dégager des pistes de réflexion qui conduiraient à une choix pertinent de conditions de filtration (mode immergé ou tangentiel) pour un type de suspension ciblé. Ce travail fournit ainsi des résultats d’identification de paramètres physico-chimiques clefs qui pourraient constituer un premier guide pour le choix de la configuration membranaire la plus adaptée au produit, permettant d’assurer une productivité acceptable lors de la microfiltration de suspensions à base de fruits. / Microfiltration is widely used to ensure clarification, stabilization, and concentration of various fruit-based suspensions (e.g. fruit juices, food by-products, wine). However, the performances of membrane filtration remain highly challenged by membrane fouling. During microfiltration of polydisperse suspensions, such as fruit-based suspensions, membrane fouling is generally associated to the deposition of particles on the membrane layer. This type of fouling is mainly governed by the equilibrium between convective forces (permeate flow), leading particles to flow towards the membrane, and back-transport forces, removing particles away from the membrane surface. The filtration performances depend strongly on this equilibrium, which is mostly governed by the hydrodynamic conditions of the filtration process and the particles size distribution of the suspension. In food industries, cross-flow microfiltration is generally used to limit membrane fouling. In this configuration, high cross-flow velocities are applied in order to enhance the back-transport forces limiting the deposition of foulant materials on the membrane surface. However, this working mode is well known to be highly energy consuming and might not always be relevant depending on the suspension characteristics. In the light of this, using immersed membranes configuration for the microfiltration of fruit-based suspensions might be an interesting alternative, especially for small producers with limiting investment capacity. In this configuration, widely used in other fields, the membranes are immersed in the suspension and filtration is performed in operating conditions close to that of dead-end filtration with limited back-transport forces and low operating costs. However, the performances of this filtration configuration remain little studied for the microfiltration of fruit-based suspensions. In this respect, this work investigated for the first time the possibility of using immersed membranes configuration for the microfiltration of various fruit-based suspensions (fruit juices and winery byproducts). Firstly, a characterization of the fouling potential of various suspensions during their microfiltration using immersed membranes filtration was performed in relation with their physicochemical properties (particle size distribution). Then, this work allowed highlighting the promising performances of immersed membranes configuration when used for the microfiltration of fruit-based suspensions, in terms of productivity and in terms of selectivity (clarification, concentration of bioactive compounds). Finally, it allowed drawing preliminary results about the relation between the physicochemical characteristics of a suspension and its fouling behavior while using (i) immersed membranes filtration or (ii) conventional cross-flow filtration. These results might be of great interest for the identification of relevant physicochemical parameters to predict the usefulness of using high cross-flow velocity to prevent membrane fouling during the microfiltration of fruit-based suspensions.

Nos últimos anos a participação do Brasil no mercado externo vem avançando de forma constante, especialmente no competitivo setor de frutas frescas. Diante disso, entender como a imagem do produto importado é percebida pelo público-alvo no exterior é um dos pré-requisitos para que a oferta seja destacada entre os concorrentes. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho é estudar o posicionamento das frutas brasileiras, comparativamente à concorrência internacional, do ponto de vista do consumidor estrangeiro. Neste estudo exploratório foram aplicados questionários on-line em universidades da Holanda, principal país europeu importador de frutas frescas brasileiras, totalizando 112 respondentes. Os dados foram trabalhados com ferramentas estatísticas, destacando-se a análise de correspondência, que permitiu construir mapas perceptuais relacionando tipos de frutas frescas e atributos com quatro países de origem. A Costa Rica mostrou ser o concorrente direto do Brasil no segmento de frutas tropicais, enquanto que a África do Sul concorre com o Chile por maçãs e uvas. A banana, e atributos de primeiro impacto como aparência, sabor, nutrição e marca foram associados ao Brasil, sugerindo haver um posicionamento de atratividade. Contudo, outros atributos importantes, como preço e segurança relacionaram-se, respectivamente, com Costa Rica e África do Sul. Consumidores de mais idade aparentaram valorizar as responsabilidades ambiental e social, mostrando que elas podem ser trabalhadas pela fruticultura brasileira para aumentar a confiabilidade da oferta e sua participação de mercado no exterior. / In recent years, Brazil\'s share in the international market comes advancing constantly, especially in the competitive fresh fruit segment. One of the prerequisites for a product to stand out among other similar goods in the foreign market relies on understanding how this product is perceived by the target. Accordingly, the goal of the present work is to analyze the positioning of Brazilian fruits, compared to international competitors, from the consumer\'s perspective. In this exploratory study, an online survey was developed and applied to 112 subjects in universities of Holland, main import country of Brazilian fruits. Data were subjected to statistical interpretation, and correspondence analysis allowed the development of perceptual maps correlating types of fresh fruits and attributes to four countries of origin. Costa Rica emerged as Brazil\'s chief competitor in the tropical fruits segment, while South Africa and Chile share the market of fruits such as apples and grapes. Bananas, and first impact attributes such as appearance, flavor, nutrition and brand were associated to Brazil, suggesting to exist a positioning of attractiveness. However, other important attributes, namely price and safety were correlated with Costa Rica and South Africa, respectively. Older consumers displayed awareness in terms of environmental and social responsibility, which shows that they could be specifically addressed in order to increase the offer\'s trustworthiness and the participation of Brazilian fruits in the international market.

abstract: Most American children consume less than the recommend amount of fruits and vegetables (F&V), 74% and 84%, respectively. Eating too few F&V in childhood is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, respiratory symptoms, and some cancers later in life. Adequate F&V consumption favorably impacts antioxidant status, gut flora, mood, and cognitive functioning. Nutrients such as vitamin C and fiber are only naturally occurring in plant foods. For many children, school lunches are an important source of F&V. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of providing condiments to increase children’s consumption of salad bar F&V in an elementary school cafeteria at lunchtime. The trial site was a single Title 1 elementary school in a large, urban district in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Taste tests were conducted on three convenience samples of children in grades 3 – 7, aged 8 – 12 years (n=57) to identify the most popular condiment flavors. The five highest rated flavors were made available daily at a “flavor station” in the school’s lunchroom for three consecutive weeks during the Fall 2018 semester. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. A cost analysis was conducted for capital outlays related to the flavor station. School employee perceptions of F&V and the flavor station were assessed via posttest online surveys. Peanut butter was rated the best tasting condiment by children and was the only condiment that increased in popularity throughout the intervention. Overall, daily F&V consumption increased 17 g per child. There was a linear increase in F&V consumption during the study (r=0.986; P=0.014). As a proportion of the total F&V selected, F&V waste decreased by nearly 3%. The average daily cost of providing the flavor station was $0.09 per student. Sixty-five percent of school staff felt that the flavor station should continue at their school. Peanut butter is an affordable, nutrient-dense food that accommodates the USDA Food and Nutrition Service meal patterns and nutrition standards, and thus, is a viable strategy for increasing F&V consumption and decreasing F&V waste. The results herein inform the development of future interventions to improve the palatability of F&V for children. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Exercise and Nutritional Sciences 2019

The effect of processing water quality, specifically calcium and magnesium salt content (0-500 mg/1) and the addition of chelating agents (0- 250 mg/ 1 of aminopolycarboxylic acids, polyphosphates, hydroxycarboxylic acids or phytates), upon physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of canned Jonathan and Delicious apple slices, Montmorency cherries and Blue Lake green beans was investigated. Physical determinations: shear values, turbidity of syrup or brine measured via light transmittance, Hunter color and color difference meter readings and internal can corrosion; chemical composition: pectin as calcium pectate, volatile reducing substances, total acidity, pigment determinations, nitrate-nitrogen values; and sensory measurements: texture, shape, flavor, aroma, color value and uniformity of product and color value and turbidity of product brine or syrup were ascertained. Analyses of variance, Duncan's multiple mean comparison range tests and correlation or coefficients were calculated when appropriate. Use of hard water (300 mg/1) as a processing medium for canned apple slices and sour cherries decreased color and flavor acceptability but increased firmness and shear values. Excessive hardness toughened cherry epidermis making texture undesirable. Addition of 250 mg/1 CaNa2EDTA to Delicious apple slices canned in water containing 300 mg/1 salts improved color and flavor while firmness was retained. Delicious apple slices were firmer, and higher shear, nitrate-nitrogen and aroma scores and caused less detinning than Jonathan samples in all storage groups. As corrosion increased, nitrate-nitrogen, shear, firmness, flavor, aroma, and pigment values decreased. Color acceptability, reflectance, flavor and volatile reducing substance were higher and redness lower for Jonathan apple slices than Delicious samples stored at 35 and 75 F for 1 and 3 months, respectively, but not necessarily for samples stored at 100 F for 4 months. EDTA was ineffective in maintaining or improving Jonathan apple or Montmorency cherry quality, probably due ot the acidity of these cultivars. Apple and cherry quality decreased as storage temperature and duration increased from 35, 75 to 100 F for 1, 3 and 4 or 5 months, respectively, for all samples except Delicious apple slices with CaNa2EDTA. EDTA did provide most color protection in sour cherries, and citric acid, best flavor and aroma scores, while commercial and tap water processed sour cherries showed most deterioration, but none were of acceptable commercial quality after 5 month storage at 100 F. When comparing 1 month storage at 35 F with 3 months at 75 F, analyses of variance showed significant differences for every cherry characteristic measured except texture judged subjectively. All F values for apple storage variables were significant. Blue Lake green beans canned using distilled water or with 250 mg/ 1 CaNa2EDTA had higher color and greenness values, less turbidity, generally better flavor and aroma, but lower shear, shape and firmness scores than tap or hard water or commercially processed green beans. Addition of 250 mg/1 ascorbic acid to hard water used to process green beans retained greenness, clarity of brine, flavor and aroma while reducing slough and splitting of pods, when stored 4 months at 75 F.

The local food environment plays an important role in the health of adolescents, especially in rural areas. Often, rural areas lack the accessibility and availability of healthy food choices, making a healthy lifestyle difficult to achieve. This study presents a cross-sectional survey of rural adolescents in 8 counties in Kentucky and North Carolina to determine the association between food store choice, body mass index (BMI), and key dietary outcomes. Although BMI had no association with food store choice, those who infrequently shopped at gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants consumed significantly less added sugar (p < 0.05) than those who shopped at those stores more regularly. Increasing the availability and accessibility of food venues with healthy food options such as supermarkets may decrease added sugar intake among rural adolescents.

Low-income populations in the United States consume less healthful diets than higher-income populations, specifically relating to fruit and vegetable consumption. The supplemental nutrition program Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is intended to bridge this gap by providing nutrition education and vouchers for nutritious foods. The purpose of this study was to determine if the 2009 WIC food package revisions impacted fruit and green vegetable consumption in 18 to 24-year-old females in California. Using the social ecological model as a guide, a population of WIC (N = 115) and non-WIC (N = 276) participants from the California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey were analyzed for trends on daily fruit and green vegetable consumption over the period of years 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. ANCOVA analysis showed that WIC and non-WIC populations did not consume significantly different amounts of green vegetables, but did consume significantly different amounts of fruits, p = .120 and p = .028 respectively. Additionally, WIC participant fruit consumption did not significantly increase over the years, p = .376. However, a decrease of .031 (95%CI [.019,.584], p = .037) was identified in green vegetable consumption between 2009 and 2015. Due to mean differences between samples and years it is evident that there are influencing factors driving fruit and vegetable consumption outside of income barriers, such as possible social or environmental factors. This study adds to the literature regarding the WIC food package revisions and may promote positive social change by encouraging future researchers to identify barriers to healthful diets in WIC populations and determine if additional food package revisions may be needed to increase healthful diets in low-income populations.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Plant Protection )) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Crude extracts of wild watermelon (Cucumis africanus) and wild cucumber (C. myriocarpus) fruits are widely used for both medicinal and ritual purposes in South Africa. Fruits are collected fresh from the wild, but have high incidence of post-harvest decay. A study was conducted to isolate and identify the pathogen responsible for post-harvest fruit decay, followed by the pathogenicity tests. Decayed fruits were individually surface-sterilised using 0.5% NaOCl, incubated at 25ºC to allow for decay, small rotten pieces were severed and placed on solidified plates of potato dextrose agar and incubated. At harvest, seven days after incubation, isolated fungus was repeatedly cultured for 21 days for verification of diagnostic characteristics. Based on the morphological characteristics, the pathogen associated with fruit rot of both Cucumis species was identified through the assistance of an expert as Penicillium simplicissimum (Oudem) Thom. Pathogenicity results suggested that P. simplicissimum was responsible for the observed fruit decay in both species, with the higher incidence being in C. africanus, probably due to its low pH. Due to the antibiotics that P. simplicissimum releases and its reduction of medium pH, the culture retained its purity, without any contamination. In conclusion, the pathogen that induces post-harvest fruit decay in C. africanus and C. myriocarpus is P. simplicissimum, which has the ability to reduce the pH of the growing medium and also produce antibiotics. / National Research Foundation

Orientador: Katia Sivieri / Orientador no exterior: Lene Jespersen / Banca: Suzana Marta Isay Saad / Banca: Adriane Elisabete Antunes de Moraes / Banca: Carla Raquel Fontana Mendonça / Banca: Marcia Pinto Alves Mayer / Resumo: Diversos subprodutos de frutas tropicais, os quais são frequentemente descartados pelas indústrias alimentícias, apresentam elevado conteúdo de fibras e de compostos bioativos. Estes compostos, assim como determinadas cepas probióticas e algumas pectinas presentes nos subprodutos, têm o potencial de modular a microbiota intestinal humana, promovendo diversos benefícios à saúde, tais como a atenuação de parâmetros relacionados à obesidade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da pectina do limão, de subprodutos secos de frutas tropicais (acerola e camu-camu) e de diferentes cepas probióticas (Bifidobacterium longum BB-46, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracasei L-431) na microbiota intestinal de indivíduos eutróficos e obesos utilizando o Simulador do Ecossistema Microbiano Humano (SEMH®). Seis artigos foram desenvolvidos a fim de se responder os objetivos propostos. O primeiro artigo trata-se de uma mini-revisão e, os cinco restantes, artigos originais. No primeiro artigo, sumarizou-se os principais achados sobre a composição da microbiota intestinal de obesos e, revisou-se as novas estratégias de modulação da microbiota intestinal em favor do tratamento da obesidade. Foi possível mostrar que a composição da microbiota intestinal é essencial para o entendimento de mecanismos envolvidos na etiologia da obesidade e que, várias estratégias, tais como, o consumo de prebióticos e probióticos, bem como a prática de atividade física moderada e regular, podem modu... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Several by-products of tropical fruits, which are often discarded by the food industry, have high fibre content and bioactive compounds. These compounds, as well as certain probiotic strains and some pectins present in the by-products, have the potential to modulate the human gut microbiota, promoting several health benefits, including the attenuation of obesity parameters. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of lemon pectin, dried by-products of tropical fruits (acerola and camu-camu), as well as of different probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium longum BB-46, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and L. paracasei L-431) on the gut microbiota from healthy-weight and obese individuals using the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®). Six articles were developed in order to meet the proposed aims. The first article is a mini-review and the other five are original articles. In the first article, we summarized the principal findings on obesity-related microbiota composition and reviewed new strategies for gut microbiota modulation in favour of obesity treatment. We showed that the composition of the microbiota is essential for understanding the mechanisms involved in the aetiology of obesity and, that several strategies, such as consumption of probiotics and prebiotics, as well as moderate and regular physical activity, can modulate the gut microbiota in favour of obesity treatment. In the second article, the chemical composition, the total phenolic co... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Resumé: Flere biprodukter fra tropiske frugter, som ofte kasseres af fødevareindustrien, har højt fiberindhold og bioaktive forbindelser. Disse forbindelser, såvel som visse probiotiske stammer og nogle pektiner, der er til stede i biprodukterne, har potentialet til at modulere den humane tarmmikrobiota, der fremmer flere sundhedsmæssige fordele, herunder dæmpning af fedmeparametre. Formålet med dette arbejde var at evaluere virkningerne af citronpektin, tørrede biprodukter fra tropiske frugter (acerola og camu-camu), samt forskellige probiotiske stammer (Bifidobacterium longum BB-46, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 og L. paracasei L-431) på tarmmikrobioten fra raske og overvægtige individer, under anvendelsen af den humane intestinale mikrobielle økosystem simulator (SHIME®). Seks artikler blev udviklet for at opfylde de foreslåede mål. Den første artikel er en mini-anmeldelse, og de andre fem er originale artikler. I den første artikel opsummerede vi de vigtigste fund om fedme-relateret mikrobiota sammensætning og gennemgik nye strategier for tarmmikrobiota modulering til fordel for fedmebehandling. Vi viste, at mikrobiotas sammensætning er afgørende for forståelsen af mekanismerne i fedmens etiologi, og at flere strategier, såsom forbrug af probiotika og præbiotika, samt moderat og regelmæssig fysisk aktivitet kan modulere tarmmikrobiotaten til fordel for fedme behandling. I det anden artikel blev den kemiske sammensætning, de samlede phenolforbindelser og in vitro antioxidantkapac / Doutor

Protein upgrading of orange peel waste was carried out by Solid Substrate Fermentation using an Aspergillus sp. inoculum in a waste peel mixture containing peel waste, potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (KH2 PO4), ammonium sulphate [(NH4)2SO4] and molasses. Fermentation lasted 72 hours at 30C. after which crude protein level in the substrate increased from 5% to 13%. Factors found to be important in determing the efficiency of the fermentation process included fermentable sugar content of the medium, nitrogen and mineral levels, initial temperature, PH, moisture, agitation of the medium, and size of particles constituting the substrate. Protein quality of the fermented peel was evaluated by PEP assay and a PER value of 0.78 was recorded. It is suggested that a low level of total amino acids is the major contributory factor to this low PEP value. Total amino acid level measured 5.75g per 100g fermented peel waste. / Master of Science (Hons)