Cell wall metabolism of peaches and nectarines treated with UV-B radiation: a biochemical and molecular approach.

BACKGROUND: Ultra-violet B (UV-B) radiation has been shown to improve, at least in selected genotypes, both the health-promoting potential and the aesthetic properties of tomato and peach fruits during their post-harvest period. The effects of post-harvest UV-B treatment on the cell-wall metabolism of peaches and nectarines (Prunus persica L. Batsch) were assessed in this study. Three cultivars, Suncrest (melting flesh, MF) and Babygold 7 (non-melting flesh, NMF) peaches and Big Top (slow melting, SM) nectarine, differing in the characteristics of textural changes and softening during ripening, were analysed. RESULTS: The effects of UV-B differ in relation to the cultivar considered. In MF 'Suncrest' fruit, UV-B treatment significantly reduced the loss of flesh firmness despite the slight increase in the presence and activity of endo-polygalacturonase. The activity of exo-polygalacturonase increased as well, while endo-1,4-ß-D-glucanase/ß-D-glucosidase, ß-galactosidase and pectin methylesterase were substantially unaffected by the treatment. The UV-B-induced reduction of flesh softening was paralleled by the inhibition of PpExp gene transcription and expansin protein accumulation. The UV-B treatment did not induce differences in flesh firmness between control and UV-B-treated NMF 'Babygold 7' and SM 'Big Top' fruit. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, post-harvest UV-B treatment may be considered a promising tool to improve shelf-life and quality of peach fruit.

Post-harvest UV-B irradiation induces changes of phenol contents and corresponding biosynthetic gene expression in peaches and nectarines.

In the present study the possibility of enhancing phenolic compound contents in peaches and nectarines by post-harvest irradiation with UV-B was assessed. Fruits of 'Suncrest' and 'Babygold 7' peach and 'Big Top' nectarine cultivars were irradiated with UV-B for 12 h, 24 h and 36 h. Control fruits underwent the same conditions but UV-B lamps were screened by benzophenone-treated polyethylene film. The effectiveness of the UV-B treatment in modulating the concentration of phenolic compounds and the expression of the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes, was genotype-dependent. 'Big Top' and 'Suncrest' fruits were affected by increasing health-promoting phenolics whereas in 'Babygold 7' phenolics decreased after UV-B irradiation. A corresponding trend was exhibited by most of tested phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes. Based on these results UV-B irradiation can be considered a promising technique to increase the health-promoting potential of peach fruits and indirectly to ameliorate the aesthetic value due to the higher anthocyanin content.

Use of red blood cell membranes to evaluate the antioxidant potential of plant extracts.

Antioxidant phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables of a vegetarian diet may account for the reduced risk of aging and stress oxidative associated diseases. In this study, a simple, rapid and accurate new bioassay for the determination of the antioxidant activity of purified or crude plant extracts and thier interactions is described, based on the fluorimetric determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) released by UV-B radiated red blood cell (RBC) ghosts. Pure resveratrol, white and red wine and pomegranate juice (PJ) were used as antioxidant source to test the biological method. TBARS production is a function of radiation time, the number of RBC ghosts in the radiated sample and the loaded antioxidant. The antioxidant activity of resveratrol was detected at a submicromolar concentration range [0.02 µg/mL-0.1 µmol/L]. The activity of red wine was almost 10 times higher than that of white wine, and PJ juice had the highest activity. Submaximal protective effects of PJ and red wine were additive.