Stone fruit texture is a key parameter that affects fruit quality and consumer preference. Texture has consequences on post-harvesting management, microbiological safety, shelf-life, consumer acceptability and processing suitability.
Cell wall polysaccharides play an important role in post-harvest fruit texture softening. Technicians from the Henan University of Technology studied the effects of calcium treatment in combination with cold storage on the physical properties, polysaccharide content and nanostracture of apricots.
Apricots were immersed in distilled water (or with 1 or 3% w/v calcium chloride) for 2 minutes, dried, then stored at 5°C for 24-36 days or at 10°C for 18 days. "We carried out analyses every 6 days. Storage at 5°C significantly improved fruit quality and shelf-life."
The considerable changes in the concentration and nano-structure of cell walls pectines and hemicelluloses revealed their disassembly and degradation during storage.
"Changes can be delayed thanks to 1% calcium chloride treatment. Meanwhile, cell wall polysaccharide chain dimensions were 11.7, 31.2 and 39.1 nm per water-soluble pectin; 11.7, 17.6 and 19.5 nm for chelate-soluble pectin and 6.15 and 4.23 nm for hemicellulose. Results suggest that apricot texture can be efficiently maintained treating the fruit with a 1% calcium chloride solution followed by storage at 5°C."
Source: Hui Liu, Fusheng Chen, Shaojuan Lai, Junrui Tao, Hongshun Yang, Zhonggao Jiao, 'Effects of calcium treatment and low temperature storage on cell wall polysaccharide nanostructures and quality of postharvest apricot (Prunus armeniaca)', 2017, Food Chemistry, Vol. 225, pag. 87–97.