Effect of Plum pox virus on chemical composition and fruit quality of plum.

Abstract

The quality of fruit from PPV (Plum pox virus)-infected plum (Prunus domestica L.) trees was investigated during the last 3 weeks of ripening using healthy tree (T3), tree with short-term infection (T2), and tree with long-term infection (T1). The pomological variables (presence of necrosis on fruit, color of fruit, color of flesh, firmness, soluble solids content, and fruit weight) and composition of nutritive compounds (sugars and organic acids) and bioactive compounds (phenolics: anthocyanins, flavonols, and hydroxycinnamic acids) were evaluated. The results indicated that the PPV infection modified the ripening process (the most in T1) and the composition of nutritive and bioactive compounds in the healthy-looking part of the fruit. Long-term infected tree (T1) yielded fruit with the poorest pomological traits and with the most modified composition of nutritive and phenolic compounds. The short-term PPV infected tree also produced fruit with significantly altered phytochemicals composition, although the pomological traits had not changed significantly.