ISHS Acta Horticulturae 297: II International Symposium on Kiwifruit
VITAMIN C IN ACTINIDIA |
| Authors: | A.R. Ferguson, E.A. MacRae |
| Keywords: | Ethrel, ethylene, fruit, ripening, species, storage, vitamin C |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.297.63 |
| Abstract:
Actinidia species vary greatly in fruit ascorbic acid content from about 20 mg ascorbic acid/100 g fresh weight to more than 1000 mg/100 g f.w. (1% f.w.). There is likewise great infraspecific variation: in A. deliciosa, we have found fruit ascorbic acid to vary from 40–260 mg/100 g f.w., and in the named cultivars from about 60–120 mg/100 g f.w. Freshly-harvested ‘Hayward’ fruit contain about 85 mg/100 g f.w. ascorbic acid, but in orchard blocks of apparently clonal plants on the one rootstock there can be unexplained variation from vine to vine in average fruit ascorbic acid content. Some factors affecting ascorbic acid content of ‘Hayward’ fruit have been examined. Maturity at harvest had little effect. When fruit were placed in coolstore after harvest there was an initial small drop of about 10% in ascorbic acid content but then essentially no change for up to seven months. Likewise there was little if any decrease in ascorbic acid when fruit were allowed to ripen on the vine, were allowed to ripen immediately after harvest or after periods in coolstore. Exposure of fruit to ethylene after harvest accelerated ripening but did not affect ascorbic acid content. Preharvest sprays of Ethrel also accelerated ripening but had no effect on ascorbic acid content. | |
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