Cell wall composition of alginate coated and pulsed light treated fresh-cut cantaloupes (Cucumis melo L. Var. Reticulatus Cv. Glamour) during chilled storage

Pei Chen Koh; Mohd Adzahan Noranizan; Roselina Karim; Zainal Abedin Nur Hanani; Noor Liyana Yusof

doi:10.1007/s13197-020-04257-0

Cell wall composition of alginate coated and pulsed light treated fresh-cut cantaloupes (Cucumis melo L. Var. Reticulatus Cv. Glamour) during chilled storage

J Food Sci Technol. 2020 Jun;57(6):2206-2221. doi: 10.1007/s13197-020-04257-0. Epub 2020 Jan 31.

Authors

Pei Chen Koh¹, Mohd Adzahan Noranizan¹, Roselina Karim¹, Zainal Abedin Nur Hanani¹, Noor Liyana Yusof¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Malaysia.

Abstract

This study was to investigate the effects of optimised alginate coating combined with repetitive pulsed light (RPL) on cell wall composition of fresh-cut cantaloupes during chilled storage. Fresh-cut cantaloupes were coated with alginate (1.86%, w/v) followed by RPL treatment (0.9 J cm^-2 at every 48 h up to 26 days) during storage of 36 days. Cell wall composition of fresh-cut cantaloupes was determined at every 12 days while microscopic analysis was conducted on day 2 and day 36. Alginate was effective in maintaining high pectin fractions of fresh-cut cantaloupes while RPL showed greater contribution in maintaining hemicellulose fraction. However, the combination of alginate and RPL was the most effective treatment to maintain the overall cell wall fractions that contributed to the cell wall integrity of fresh-cut cantaloupes during storage. The alginate + RPL samples also had the greatest cell turgidity and shape with well-defined cell walls at the end of storage.

Keywords: Alginate; Cell wall; Fresh-cut cantaloupes; Hemicellulose; Pectin; Repetitive pulse light.