ISHS Acta Horticulturae 398: Postharvest Physiology of Fruits
REGULATION OF MUSKMELON FRUIT SENESCENCE BY CALCIUM |
| Author: | G. Lester |
| Keywords: | Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud., Chlorophyll, H+-ATPase, Phospholipids, Proteins |
| Abstract:
Hypodermal mesocarp tissue of postharvest muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud.) disks were compared for senescence associated chemical changes before and after floating disks in 0.00, 0.04 or 0.16 M CaCl2 plus 0.35 M mannitol for 10 days at 22°C in the dark. Chlorophyll loss in whole fruit disks incubated in 0.04 M CaCl2 was delayed, but hastened in 0.16 M CaCl2 vs. no CaCl2 treatment. Also total phospholipid, protein, and H+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.35) loss of the plasma membrane were delayed in 0.04 M CaCl2 and hastened in 0.16 M CaCl2 vs. no treatment. These findings suggests that muskmelon fruit senescence is affected by calcium treatment, by affecting the plasma membrane, possibly involving the regulation of lipid composition and content. | |
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