Role of cell membrane integrity and oxidation stress in development of external browning of white seedless table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.)

Date
2023-03
Journal Title
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Berry skin browning is an important quality problem in white seedless table grapes - it negatively affects the cosmetic appearance, causes reduced market value, financial losses and restricted market access. In a high browning incidence season the accumulation of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and high levels of total sterols were the driving factors for high browning incidence at harvest in ‘Regal Seedless’ (highly susceptible to external browning). The higher unsaturated:saturated phospholipid fatty acid (FA) ratio, monounsaturated:polyunsaturated fatty acid (MUFA:PUFA) ratio and higher ascorbic acid levels explained the lower browning levels in ‘Regal Seedless’ in the low browning incidence season. ‘Thompson Seedless’ is less susceptible to external browning than ‘Regal Seedless’ due to its high glutathione levels. The higher levels of MUFAs, total sterols and antioxidants resulted in lower browning incidence for ‘Thompson Seedless’ between seasons. Variables determined in grapes, harvested at two maturities and stored at an intermittent warming (IW) regime, at -0.5 °C (control) and 4 °C could explain the postharvest variance in external browning between a high and low browning incidence season in ‘Regal Seedless’. The IW regime effected the lowest browning incidence in both harvest maturities after 6 weeks of cold storage, because it caused higher levels of antioxidants and MUFAs than PUFAs in the berry skins. Storing grapes at 4 °C for 6 weeks resulted in high external browning incidence, especially in more mature grapes in the high browning incidence season, because it could not maintain the antioxidant levels and caused a low MUFA:PUFA ratio in the membranes. The -0.5 °C regime (control) caused high browning levels in especially the less mature grapes in the low incidence season (due to the ratios of the SFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs being less optimal in the less mature compared to the more mature grapes), but in both harvest maturities in the high incidence season (due to the lower MUFA levels and MUFA:PUFA ratio, and higher SFA concentrations in the cell membranes). The variables determined in this study could not discriminate between the different browning types, but could successfully separate the green and brown berry skins of the two harvest maturities. Therefore, although the external browning types look visually different on the berry skin, there is not a difference in the mechanism of how each develops on a cellular level. The variables that discriminated between green and brown berry skins differed between the low and high browning season. In a low browning season, berries of both harvest maturities developed the same level of external browning after storage. The brown berry skins had higher levels of total sterols and total PUFAs, and lower ascorbic acid than the green berry skins. In the high browning season both maturities had the same percentage of external browning after 6 weeks of storage at -0.5 °C. The brown berries had higher oxidized glutathione and malondialdehyde levels, higher total sterol:total phospholipid ratio and %SFAs than the green berries. This result indicates that berries on the same bunch differ in maturity and that this might be the reason for their differing susceptibilities to develop browning pre- and postharvest. It is also confirmed that external browning is initiated pre- and not postharvest. Future work should, therefore, focus on preharvest factors and vineyard manipulations that will ensure grape bunches of more uniform maturity. Postharvest, different IW regimes and/or preconditioning at higher temperatures before cold storage could be tested in combination with lower dose SO2 sheets, to prevent the development of external browning during cold storage.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skil verbruining van die korrel is ‘n belangrike kwaliteitsprobleem van wit, pitlose tafeldruiwe – dit het ‘n negatiewe effek op die kosmetiese voorkoms, veroorsaak verlaagde markwaarde, lei tot finansiële verliese asook beperkte marktoegang. In ‘n verbruiningsseisoen was hoë konsentrasies van onderskeidelik versadigte vetsure (VV) en totale sterole verantwoordelik vir die hoë voorkoms van verbruining by oes in ‘Regal Seedless’ (hoogs vatbaar vir eksterne verbruining). ‘n Hoër onversadigde:versadigde fosfolipied vetsuur (FV) verhouding, mono-onversadigde:poli- onversadigte vetsuur (MOV:POV) verhouding en hoër askorbiensuur vlakke, kon die laer verbruiningsvlakke in ‘Regal Seedless’ in ‘n lae verbruiningsseisoen verduidelik. ‘Thompson Seedless’ is minder vatbaar vir eksterne verbruining as ‘Regal Seedless’ weens die hoë glutatioon konsentrasies wat in eersgenoemde kultivar voorkom. Die hoër konsentrasies van MOV, totale sterole en antioksidante het tot ‘n laer voorkoms van verbruining vir ‘Thompson Seedless’ tussen seisoene gelei. Veranderlikes wat in druiwe bepaal was wat by twee ryphede geoes is en gestoor was by, onderskeidelik, -0.5 °C (kontrole), ‘n afwisselende verwarming (AV) regime, en 4 °C, kon die na-oes variasie in eksterne verbruining tussen ‘n hoë en lae verbruiningsvoorkoms in ‘Regal Seedless’ verduidelik. Die AV regime het die laagste verbruiningsvoorkoms in beide oesryphede na 6 weke van koelopberging gehad, want dit het hoër vlakke van antioksidante en meer MOV as POV in die korrelskille veroorsaak as die ander koelopbergingsregimes. ‘n Hoër verbruiningsvoorkoms is gevind nadat druiwe vir 6 weke by 4 °C opgeberg is, veral in ryper druiwe in ‘n hoë verbruiningsseisoen, want dié druiwe kon nie hul antioksidantvlakke handhaaf nie en het ‘n laer MOV:POV verhouding in hul skil se selmembrane gehad. Die -0.5 °C regime (kontrole) het hoë verbruiningsvlakke veroorsaak in veral die minder ryp druiwe in ‘n lae verbruiningsseisoen (weens die verhouding van die VV, MOV en POV wat minder optimaal was in die minder ryp druiwe as die ryper druiwe), maar in beide oesryphede in ‘n hoë verbruiningsseisoen (weens die lae MOV vlakke en MOV:POV verhouding en hoër VV konsentrasies in die selmembraan). Die veranderlikes wat in hierdie studie bepaal is kon nie tussen die verskillende verbruiningstipes onderskei m.b.v. multiveranderlike statistiese analises nie, maar kon die groen en bruin korrelskille van die twee oesryphede suksesvol van mekaar onderskei. Dit blyk dus dat, al verskil die eksterne verbruiningtipes visueel van mekaar, dat daar nie ‘n verskil in die meganisme is van hoe elk op ‘n sellulêre vlak ontwikkel nie. Die veranderlikes wat kon diskrimineer tussen groen en bruin korrelskille het verskil tussen ‘n lae en hoë verbruiningsseisoen. In ‘n lae verbruiningsseisoen het korrels van beide oesrypdhede dieselfde vlakke van eksterne verbruining ontwikkel na opberging. Die bruin korrelskille het hoër vlakke van totale sterole en totale POV en laer askorbiensuur as die groen skille gehad. In die hoë verbruiningsseisoen het beide oesryphede dieselfde persentasie eksterne verbruining gehad na 6 weke se opberging by -0.5 °C. Die bruin korrels het hoër geoksideerde glutatioon- en malondialdehiedkonsentrasies, ʼn hoër totale sterole:total fosfolipied verhouding en %VV as die groen korrels gehad. Die resultaat toon dat korrels op dieselfde tros verskil in rypheid en dat dit moontlik die rede is vir die verskil in hul vatbaarheid om voor- en naoes verbruining te ontwikkel. Daar is ook bevestig dat eksterne verbruining vooroes geïnisieer word en nie naoes nie. Toekomstige narvorsing moet fokus op vooroes faktore en wingerdmanupilasies wat sal verseker dat die tafeldruiftros ‘n meer uniforme rypheid by oes het. Naoes manipulasies soos verskillende AV-regimes en/of kondisionering by hoër temperature voor koelopberging kan getoets word in kombinasie met laer dosisse SO2 velle om die ontwikkeling van eksterne verbruining tydens koelopberging te verhoed.
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Thesis (PhDAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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