Premium
Deficit irrigation strategies enhance health‐promoting compounds through the intensification of specific enzymes in early peaches
Author(s) -
Falagán Natalia,
Artés Francisco,
Gómez Perla Azucena,
ArtésHernández Francisco,
Conejero Wenceslao,
Aguayo Encarna
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.7290
Subject(s) - dehydroascorbic acid , ascorbic acid , vitamin c , antioxidant , chemistry , deficit irrigation , catalase , irrigation , vitamin , food science , zoology , horticulture , biology , agronomy , biochemistry , irrigation management
BACKGROUND Biochemical and enzymatic responses to long‐term regulated deficit irrigation ( RDI ) at harvest, during cold storage and after the retail sale period of ‘Flordastar’ early peaches were evaluated. Irrigation strategies were Control, and two RDI applied during post‐harvest period ( RDI 1 , severe; RDI 2 , moderate), based on different thresholds of maximum daily shrinkage signal intensity ( RDI 1 , 1.4 to dry; RDI 2 , 1.3 to 1.6) .RESULTS Both RDI provoked stress in the plant. This meant higher antioxidant concentration [averaging 1.30 ± 0.27 g ascorbic acid equivalents ( AAE ) kg −1 fresh weight ( FW ) for control and 1.77 ± 0.35 and 1.50 ± 0.30 g AAE kg −1 FW for RDI 1 and RDI 2 , respectively]. Antioxidant levels decreased with storage by polyphenoloxydase action, which increased (from 0.04 ± 0.01 U mg −1 protein to 0.32 ± 0.08 U mg −1 protein). Vitamin C was initially higher in RDI samples (44.22 ± 0.05 g total vitamin C kg −1 FW for control vs. 46.77 ± 0.02 and 46.27 ± 0.03 g total vitamin C kg −1 FW for RDI 1 and RDI 2 , respectively). CONCLUSION The way RDI was applied affected bioactive fruit composition, being catalase and dehydroascorbic acid good water stress indicators. RDI strategies can be used as field practice, allowing water savings while enhanced healthy compound content in early peaches. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry