Abstract
A study has been made of the effects of radiation on the accumulation of various terpene compounds which are the main components of the oil glands in citrus fruits. Control samples of three orange varieties did not show any exocarp browning during storage, whereas the irradiated samples of the Tarocco and Valencia Late varieties, when exposed to dosages higher than 100 krad, showed definite browning after 3 weeks. The Ovale oranges, even after exposure to 200 krad did not show any exocarp damage at the end of a 2-month storage. Quantitative differences, especially for limonene, were found between the terpene compounds in the control samples. In the irradiated samples, the terpene components consistently increased with time and irradiation exposures. The magnitude of this increase depends upon the variety. Since there is no exocarp browning in Ovale, it might be argued that the manifestation of the exocarp browning phenomenon is related to its low limonene content. It is hypothesized that irradiation induces damage to the skin tissue of oranges by facilitating the diffusion of terpene compounds in exocarp cells.
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