Blueberry fruits from 45 commercial cultivars (39 northern highbush and 6 half highbush blueberry) grown in Suwon, Korea were analyzed for fruit size, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. Fruit characteristics varied widely among the 45 blueberry cultivars. Fruit weight ranged from 0.9 to 3.6 g, soluble solids content from 8.3 to 14.3 °Brix, and titratable acidity from 0.8% to 3.6%. Antioxidant activity ranged from 0.7 to 2.1 mg of quercetin equivalents per gram of fresh berries in different blueberry cultivars. Among the 45 blueberry cultivars, high amounts of anthocyanins and polyphenols, and high antioxidant activity were observed in 'Elliott', 'Rubel', 'Rancocas', and 'Friendship'.

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Postharvest treatment of strawberry fruit with an elevated pCO2 induces transient increases in the fruit firmness. The mechanism responsible for this firmness increase is not clearly understood. This study addressed the physiological responses of strawberry fruit to CO2 treatment to understand the factors to induce firmness increase. High CO2 treatment induced modification of pectic polymers, the decrease of water-soluble pectins (WSP) and increase of chelatorsoluble pectins (CSP), which are the major factors for firmness increase. The shift of WSP to CSP is related with calcium binding to WSP. The calcium binding to wall polymers was induced without changes of PME activity and methoxy content of WSP and CSP. Our results suggested that fruit firmness increase of strawberry by postharvest CO2 treatment occurred primarily through pectin polymerization mediated by calcium.Additional key words: calcium, electrolytes, methoxy content, pectin, pectin methyesterase Hort.

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