Title: | Short anaerobiosis period prior to cold storage alleviates bitter pit and superficial scald in Granny Smith apples |
Author(s): | Pesis E; Ebeler SE; de Freitas ST; Padda M; Mitcham EJ; |
Address: | "Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, The Volcani Center, PO Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. epesis@agri.go.il" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1097-0010 (Electronic) 0022-5142 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "BACKGROUND: Californian Granny Smith apples are very susceptible to bitter pit (BP) and superficial scald symptoms that develop during cold storage. The main preventive means are diphenylamine dipping and/or gaseous application of the ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcylclopropene (1-MCP), which is effective against superficial scald but not against BP. This study investigated the efficacy of a non-chemical alternative, low-O(2) (LO2) stress, in preventing these two physiological disorders. RESULTS: Application of LO2 stress at 20 degrees C for 10 days prior to cold storage of Granny Smith apples reduced superficial scald and BP incidence and severity during 8 months at 0 degrees C. LO2 treatments induced volatile alcohols and reduced ethylene and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (MHO-on) production, thereby reducing superficial scald development after 4 months at 0 degrees C. In addition, LO2-treated fruits had higher pectin methyl esterase (MdPME) gene expression, similar to that of 1-MCP-treated fruits, associated with their higher firmness. Conversion of MHO-on to 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol (MHO-ol) in LO2-treated fruits may explain the lower scald development. CONCLUSION: The ratio between MHO-on and MHO-ol might serve as an index of superficial scald severity. Reduction of BP symptoms in LO2-treated fruits could be due to accumulation of volatile alcohols in the peel tissue" |
Keywords: | "Adaptation, Physiological Anaerobiosis Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases/genetics/metabolism Cold Temperature Ethylenes/biosynthesis Food Handling/*methods Food Preservation/*methods Fruit/metabolism/*standards Gene Expression Ketones/metabolism *Malus/genetics;" |
Notes: | "MedlinePesis, Edna Ebeler, Susan E de Freitas, Sergio Tonetto Padda, Malkeet Mitcham, Elizabeth J eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/07/08 J Sci Food Agric. 2010 Sep; 90(12):2114-23. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.4060" |