Comparison of textural and ultrastructural characteristics of four apple cultivars with different textures during cold storage

Abstract

Fruit texture is important for the production of quality apples. In this study, the aim was to investigate changes in texture and ultrastructure of apple cultivars during cold storage. The results indicated differences between cultivars and that quality parameters decreased over time. At the ripening stage, compared with ‘Qinguan’ and ‘Ben Davis’, ‘Fuji’ and ‘Ruixue’ exhibited larger pulp cells and smaller intercellular gaps. Ultrastructural changes in ‘Fuji’ and ‘Ruixue’ were small and cell walls remained intact, whereas the tissues of ‘Qinguan’ and ‘Ben Davis’ exhibited greater changes and the cell walls decreased. In coarse cultivars, the ultrastructural degradation of ‘Qinguan’ tissues was slower.