Antioxidant activity determines on‐tree maturation in ‘Golden Smoothee’ apples

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUND: Harvest date clearly determines the postharvest storage behaviour and sensitivity of fruit to physiological disorders. Generally fruit are picked following their maturity indexes but often these indexes poorly represent the physiological state of the fruit. With this in mind, this work aimed to determine a biochemical marker capable of predicting on‐tree maturation in ‘Golden Smoothee’ apples. Changes in the non‐enzymatic and in enzymatic antioxidant potential of fruit were assessed for different harvest dates.RESULTS: Significant differences in antioxidant levels, especially ascorbate and catalase, were found. These changes were related to climatic variations, especially relating to temperature, that appeared to determine the capability of the fruit to produce ethylene. Fruit exposed to higher temperature produced less ethylene and exhibited a significant delay in the induction of their climacteric. In both seasons, changes in quality parameters during on‐tree ripening were not related to the capability of the fruit to produce ethylene, but rather to endogenous levels of antioxidants, especially catalase and ascorbate, at the earliest picking date.CONCLUSION: We hypothesize that ascorbate and antioxidant activity play a role in changes in maturity patterns exhibited by apples in orchards. Both parameters appear to be interesting markers to follow these changes. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry