ISHS Acta Horticulturae 713: VI International Peach Symposium
BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS FOR THE EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT PEACH FLESH TYPES |
| Authors: | I. Mignani, C. Ortugno, D. Bassi |
| Keywords: | firmness, texture, ethylene, pectin, calcium, melting, non melting, stony hard |
| Abstract:
The features of quality in peach fruits include both organoleptic and postharvest traits. Flesh texture is one of the main peach quality parameters and different flesh phenotypes have been described: the melting (M), with a range of firmness from very low to very firm (MVF), the stony hard (SH), that has long-lasting, very firm flesh and the non melting (NM), that produces a rubbery texture that is distinct from melting. Fruits from twenty four cultivars or selections with the above flesh types were assessed for ethylene production rate, total, soluble, and insoluble pectins, and calcium content in the cell wall. SH fruits showed no or a very low ethylene production, always less than 10 µL/kg h, while the M and NM flesh produced more than 10 µL/kg h and the latter often more than 25 µL/kg h. Ethylene level seemed a useful index also because of its rather simple and fast measurement. Calcium and pectin content was also different, particularly the ion bound to the insoluble pectin fraction. SH showed a high pectin content with a low soluble/insoluble pectin ratio, while the NM had the highest total pectin and high calcium content in the cell walls. MVF presented a low pectin content but with a low soluble/insoluble pectin ratio and the highest amount of total and insoluble pectin-bound calcium. | |
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