FIRMNESS LOSS AND CELL WALL DEGRADATION AFTER AIR- OR CA-STORAGE OF ‘RICH LADY’ PEACHES

In this work, ‘Rich Lady’ peaches were picked at commercial maturity, stored at 2°C and 92% RH under air or CA (3 kPa O₂:10 kPa CO₂) for 3 or 15 days, and subsequently kept in air 1 day at 7°C to simulate refrigerated transport.
After cold storage, samples were placed at 20°C, and fruit firmness, cell wall composition and some cell wall-degrading enzyme activities were analysed 0 and 3 days thereafter.
In the light of the results obtained, no significant differences in the flesh firmness were found between air- and CA-stored ‘Rich Lady’ peaches.
Firmness of these fruit was mainly dependent on the yield of covalently-bound pectin in the cell wall, rather than total amount of cell wall materials.
Among the enzymes herein assessed, α-L-arabinofuranosidase and β-galactosidase are suggested to play a key role in the softening process, probably through its capacity to cleavage covalent linkages between pectin side-chains and other cell wall materials and thus facilitating solubilisation of this cell wall polysaccharides.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on the Challenge for a Sustainable Production, Protection and Consumption of Mediterranean Fruits and Nuts

A. Ortiz, P. Sopeña, E. Comabella, I. Lara

Prunus persica L. Batsch, controlled atmosphere, pectin, β-galactosidase, α-L-arabinofuranosidase

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.940.68