Monday, February 20, 2012

Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca )


Fruit Warehouse | Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca ) | The leaves are ovate, 5-9 centimetres (2.0-3.5 in) long and 4-8 centimetres (1.6-3.1 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin.


Although the apricot is native to a continental climate with cold winters region, it can grow in Mediterranean climates if there is some cool winter weather to allow a proper dormancy. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than the peach, tolerating winter temperatures as cold as -30 ° C or lower if healthy. A limiting factor in apricot culture is spring frosts: They flower very early to growing niche, meaning spring frost can kill the flowers. Furthermore, the trees are sensitive to temperature changes during the winter season. Hybridisation with the closely related Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to -50 ° C but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.


Apricot cultivars are most Often grafted on plum or peach Rootstocks. The Scion from an existing apricot plant provides the fruit characteristics Such as flavor, size, etc., But the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant. Apricots and plums can hybridize with each other and Produce fruit That are variously called plumcots, apriplums, pluots, or apriums. Apricots have a chilling requirement of 300 to 900 chilling units. There is an old adage That an apricot tree will not grow far from the mother tree; the implication is that? Apricots are particular about the soil conditions in the which They are grown . Scattered granular fertilizer should be Beneath the branches of the tree. Apricots are susceptible to bacterial diseases Including Numerous bacterial canker and blast, bacterial spot and crown gallOther problems for apricots are nematodes and viral diseases, graft-transmissible Including problems.


Cyanogenic glycosides (found in most stone fruit seeds, bark, and leaves) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. Laetrile, a purported alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. Apricot seeds were used against tumors as early as AD 502. In 2005, Scientists in the Republic of Korea found That human prostate cancer cells treating with programmed cell death induces amygdalin.


A 2006 systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded: "The claim That has beneficial effects aetrile for Cancer Patients is not supported by data from controlled clinical trials. This systematic review has Cleary Identified the need for randomized or controlled clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of  aetrile or amygdalin for cancer treatment.  The study concluded that "Patients exposed to this agent should be instructed about the danger of cyanide poisoning, and Their blood cyanide levels should be carefully monitored. Amygdalin (Laetrile) is a toxic drug That is not effective as a cancer treatment". Research shows That of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids. Although initial studies suggested antioxidant supplements That Might promotes health, later large clinical trials did not detect any benefit and suggested instead That excess supplementation may be harmful. In traditional Chinese medicine, apricots are Considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst.

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