ISHS Acta Horticulturae 326: International Symposium on Pre- and Postharvest Physiology of Pome-fruit
STUDIES ON CELL WALL MEDIATED CHANGES DURING STORAGE OF CALCIUM-INFILTRATED APPLES |
| Authors: | S. Siddiqui, F. Bangerth |
| Keywords: | β-D-galactosidase, pectin fractions, hemicelluloses |
| Abstract:
Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) of cv. 'Golden Delicious' were vacuum infiltrated with 300 mM mannitol, with or without 50 and 150 mM CaCl2. The fruits were kept under conventional cold storage for four months. The fruits were sampled for flesh firmness and transmission electron-microscopy. The flesh of the fruits were freeze-dried and used for cell wall analysis. It was observed during storage that the fruits infiltrated with 150 mM CaCl2 retained higher firmness with respect to control fruits. The activity of  -D-galactosidase showed a direct negative and pectin and hemicellulosic contents of walls a direct positive correlation with the fruit firmness.
The electron micrographs revealed that most the changes appeared to involve the middle lamella.
The probable mode of action of applied calcium in maintaining higher fruit firmness is discussed.
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