Articles
CELL WALL-MODIFYING ENZYME ACTIVITIES AFTER CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE OF CALCIUM-TREATED ‘FUJI’ APPLES
Article number
858_28
Pages
213 – 216
Language
English
Abstract
In this work, ‘Fuji Kiku-8’ apples were treated with 2% (w/v) CaCl2 and stored at 1°C and 92% RH under either air or two different controlled atmosphere (CA) regimes for 7 months.
Different cell wall-modifying enzyme activities were determined 7 d after removal from storage in order to assess relationships, if any, to changes in fruit firmness and cell wall composition induced by CaCl2 treatment and/or storage atmosphere.
Applied calcium was effective in preserving firmness of air-stored fruit but no significant differences in this attribute were found for samples kept under CA regardless of calcium treatment.
Results showed high correlation between firmness and covalently-bound pectin content.
To a lesser extent, non covalently-bound pectin content was also related to firmness.
Solubilisation of pectins, which leads to loss of fruit firmness, may require a previous release of neutral sugar residues from the side-chains of wall-bound pectins by the action of a number of glycosidases such as ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal) or ß-xylosidase (ß-Xyl), which in turn was partially inhibited by CA-conditions during cold storage.
Different cell wall-modifying enzyme activities were determined 7 d after removal from storage in order to assess relationships, if any, to changes in fruit firmness and cell wall composition induced by CaCl2 treatment and/or storage atmosphere.
Applied calcium was effective in preserving firmness of air-stored fruit but no significant differences in this attribute were found for samples kept under CA regardless of calcium treatment.
Results showed high correlation between firmness and covalently-bound pectin content.
To a lesser extent, non covalently-bound pectin content was also related to firmness.
Solubilisation of pectins, which leads to loss of fruit firmness, may require a previous release of neutral sugar residues from the side-chains of wall-bound pectins by the action of a number of glycosidases such as ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal) or ß-xylosidase (ß-Xyl), which in turn was partially inhibited by CA-conditions during cold storage.
Authors
A. Ortiz, G. Echeverría, J. Graell, I. Lara
Keywords
Malus ×domestica, pectin, firmness, pectolytic enzymes, calcium
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