Comparison of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid, Abscisic Acid and Anthocyanin Content of Some Apple Cultivars during Fruit Growth and Maturation.

Abstract

The changes in 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), abscisic acid (ABA), internal ethylene concentration (IEC), anthocyanin and sugar content of the apple cultivars, Tsugaru, Senshu and Fuji, which have different harvest times, were investigated. The relation between these changes and maturation are discussed.1. The sucrose content became greater than that of glucose at 95 days after full bloom (DAFB) in 'Tsugaru', 107 DAFB in 'Senshu' and 124 DAFB in 'Fuji'. The increase in IEC also initiated at about the same times.2. The increase in ACC content in the pulp and peel coincided with that of IEC in 'Tsugaru'. However, this relationship was not evident in the late-harvest cultivar.3. The ABA content differed among the cultivars. In the early-harvest cultivar, the changes in ABA content in the pulp showed a similar pattern to the increases in ACC and IEC. A concomitant rise in ABA and anthocyanin content was also noted in the peel. Thus, this suggested that ABA, as well as ethylene, might be related to maturation and/or senescence, and might play a role in the coloring of apple in the early-harvest cultivar.