The Effect of Cultivation Method of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. Honeoye on Structure and Degradation Dynamics of Pectin during Cold Storage

Abstract

The high quality and long shelf life of strawberry fruit are largely dependent on the cultivation method. The goal of this experiment was to study the effect of different cultivation methods on molecular structure and rheological properties of pectin extracted from strawberry quality parameters during cold storage. Three methods of cultivation of strawberry cv. Honeoye were tested: organic cultivation on raised beds, organic cultivation with the flat-planted method and conventional cultivation with the flat-planted method. The nanostructure of pectin (AFM), its chemical structure (FT-IR) and rheological properties were studied. The fruits were also tested by size, dry matter, firmness, acidity and the content of soluble solids, anthocyanin, phenolics, vitamin C and galacturonic acid. Pectin isolated from organic strawberries was more rapidly degraded than conventional strawberry pectin, which limits the possibilities for their processing and use as gelling or stabilizing agents at 20 °C. The differences in fruit quality were particularly noticeable with respect to the anthocyanin content, which was significantly higher for organic strawberry. The organic fruit also had better sensory properties because of its lower acidity and higher soluble solid content (SSC). These and other results from this experiment showed that strawberries produced by organic farming methods had better biochemical properties compared to conventional fruit; however, pectin transformation undergone faster limits their further technological applications.

Application of Processing and Packaging Hurdles for Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables Preservation

“…Enzymes, such as β-galactosidase, polygalacturonase, pectin methyl esterase, cellulose, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, peroxidase, and cellulase, may lead to cell-wall modification and significant pectin degradation. Examples of such textural defects involve pectin degradation in strawberries [ 40 ] and tomatoes [ 39 , 40 ], toughness development in asparagus [ 33 ], loss of crispness in lettuce and spinach [ 41 ], hardness increase in carrot [ 19 , 42 ], firmness decrease in celery [ 38 ], mushiness in cantaloupe [ 43 ], changes in broccoli [ 32 ], etc. [ 44 ].…”

“…The browning of apples, peaches, pears, avocados, etc., is considered a major defect of these commodities and depends on the presence of phenolic compounds (the necessary substrate), the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and the concentration of antioxidants within the fruit cells [ 46 ]. Bhatia et al [ 30 ], Zhao et al [ 36 ], Massolo et al [ 31 ], Paulsen et al [ 32 ], Kumar et al [ 39 ], Sucheta et al [ 40 ], and Lwin et al [ 33 ] have studied the color changes of minimally processed fresh-cut produce as an index to describe product degradation.…”

“…These losses are mainly caused by physical damage of the cell wall, inappropriate conditions of temperature and relative humidity during storage, and chilling injury of sensitive commodities [ 45 ]. In Massolo et al [ 31 ], Sucheta et al [ 40 ], Zou et al [ 22 ], Rodríguez-Arzuaga et al [ 23 ], and Avalos-Llano et al [ 24 ] sensory changes of selected fresh produce have been extensively studied.…”

Applications of lemon or cinnamon essential oils in strawberry fruit preservation: A review

“…Pectin, a complex biopolymer, has a major role in fruit firmness in many fruits, including strawberries (Posé et al, 2012). Firm fruit is easier to store, more attractive to consumers, and less susceptible to rotting (Drobek et al, 2020).…”

“…Firmness is also considered to be an essential factor related to consumer acceptance (Barrett et al, 2010;Drobek et al, 2020). The texture of strawberry is also highly influenced by endogenous enzyme activities during ripening.…”