Developmental changes in cell wall polysaccharides from sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars with contrasting firmness.

SALATO G, RAFFO D, PONCE A, VICENTE AR, STORTZ C

POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013 vol. 84 p. 66 - 76

0925-5214

Firmness is a major quality attribute of fresh cherries, and is also a main factor affecting the susceptibility to bruising and postharvest rots. In order to identify the factors contributing to the textural differences between genotypes, we analyzed the solubilization, depolymerization and composition of pectin and hemicelluloses from two varieties with contrasting firmness (Sweetheart, firm and Newstar, soft) at four developmental stages..The pattern and extent of wall disassembly was quite similar in both genotypes. No marked pectin or hemicellulose depolymerization was observed and and a similar reduction in tightlybound pectins and hemicellulose was detected in both varieties as they ripened. Firm Sweetheart cherries showed higher contents of cell wall material on a fruit mass basis and presented pectic polymers with lower neutral sugar to uronic acids ratios than Newstar fruit. These results suggest that the differences in the total wall content and the branching of pectins integrated early in development, may contribute to the varietal differences in cherry fruit firmness in a more pronounced way than the sequence of wall disassembly, at least in these varieties