Assessment of the optical properties with physicochemical properties and cell wall polysaccharides of ‘Korla’ pear flesh during Alternaria alternata-induced disease development

Abstract

Cell wall polysaccharides and physicochemical properties are the major quality characteristics of fruit, but they are significantly affected by the postharvest disease. In this study, the influence of Alternaria alternata-induced disease on the contents of cell wall polysaccharides and physicochemical properties in ‘Korla’ pear flesh during storage, as well as their relationships of the optical absorption (μa) and reduced scattering (μs') were explored. The infected pear had lower individual sugars, covalent-soluble pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents than the healthy ones. The successive decreases of μa and increases of μs' in pears were observed while the process of pathogen infection. Path-coefficient analysis indicated the ionic-soluble pectin was the main reason responsible for the change of μs' in infected pear at 675 nm and 980 nm. This study indicated the optical properties have the possibility to present the physicochemical characteristics and cell wall polysaccharides of pears during postharvest pathogen infection.