Work

Cell Membrane Stability and the Role of Calcium Infiltration in Postharvest Quality of Apples

Year: 1995

Type: article

Abstract: Postharvest CaCl 2 pressure infiltration improves firmness and storage quality of apples but is still in the experimental stages. Its effectiveness could be increased if we had a better understanding of how Ca affects the tissue at the cellular level. `Golden Delicious' fruit were harvested from a commercial orchard and were pressure-infiltrated with CaCl 2 (0%, 2%, or 4% w/v), stored for 6 months at 0C, and then for 7 days at 20C. Between harvest and the end of storage at 20C, the net breakdown of galactolipids and phospholipids decreased with increasing CaCl 2 in infiltration solutions. During 0C storage, CaCl 2 -infiltrated fruit maintained greater concentrations of conjugated sterol lipids, and these lipid classes are thought to be closely associated with the plasma membrane. As membrane lipid alterations are viewed as a central factor in the senescence of fruits, Ca (from postharvest infiltration) may serve a major role in regulating fruit quality losses through its interactions with cell membranes.

Source: HortScience

DOI: 10.21273/hortsci.30.4.815

Authors: G.A. Picchioni, A.E. Watada, W.S. Conway, B.D. Whitaker, C.E. Sams