Effect of Aminoethoxyvinylglycine Dipping Treatment on Ethylene Production and Cell Wall Composition of 'Tsugaru' Apple Fruits during Cold Storage
This study was conducted to determine the influence of postharvest dipping treatment with aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) on ethylene production and composition of non-cellulosic neutral sugars in cell walls of 'Tsugaru' apple fruits during storage. Fruits were harvested on August 20, soaked in AVG 50 and 75 mg L-1 solution for 5 minutes, and stored in cold storage chamber at 0±1℃ for 60 days. Fruit quality factor, ethylene productions, and cell wall component changes were investigated at 20 days interval. As a result, the fruit firmness and acid content were much higher in AVG treated fruits than those of untreated one during 60 days of cold storage. Ethylene production of AVG treated fruits was reduced to the level of 1/10 compared with untreated one. As to the change of non-cellulosic neutral sugars in the cell walls of 'Tsu- garu' fruits, the major sugar was arabinose and galactose in water, CDTA and Na2CO3 soluble fractions. The content of arabinose and galactose in untreated fruits increased as the softening of fruits was in progress, but the fruits treated with AVG showed a little change during storage, so it is predicted that these two cell wall compositional sugars were not solubilized by the treatment of AVG. Accordingly, the marketability of 'Tsu- garu' fruits could remarkably increase when soaking the fruits in AVG solution after harvest.