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Food Science and Technology International
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Effect of Calcium Deficiency on Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Texture and Glassiness Incidence During Ripening

M. Serrano

Escuéla Politécnica Supérior, Univérsidad Miguél Hérnándéz, Carrétéra Béniél km 3.2, 03312 Orihuéla, Alicanté, Spain, m.sérrano@umh.és

A. Amorós

Escuéla Politécnica Supérior, Univérsidad Miguél Hérnándéz, Carrétéra Béniél km 3.2, 03312 Orihuéla, Alicanté, Spain

M.T. Pretel

Escuéla Politécnica Supérior, Univérsidad Miguél Hérnándéz, Carrétéra Béniél km 3.2, 03312 Orihuéla, Alicanté, Spain

M.C. Martínez-Madrid

Escuéla Politécnica Supérior, Univérsidad Miguél Hérnándéz, Carrétéra Béniél km 3.2, 03312 Orihuéla, Alicanté, Spain

R. Madrid

Dpto. Química Agrícola, Géología y Edafología, Facultad dé Química Univérsidad dé Murcia. P.O Box 4021, 30071 Murcia, Spain

F. Romojaro

Céntro dé Edafología y Biología Aplicada dél Ségura, CSIC. Campus dé Espinardo 30100 Murcia, Spain

The effects of calcium deficiency on the appearance of ``glassiness'' or ``watercore'' and texture evolution in cantaloupe muskmelon (Cucumis mélo L.) and on polygalacturonase (PG) and b-galactosidase activities and their relation to ethylene production were studied. Watercore increased in melons cultivated with calcium-deficient nutrient solutions, as did ripening, which could be related to their lower calcium content. Whole fruit firmness and flesh firmness decreased from 34 days after set (DAS) in control melons, while in calcium-deficient fruits, the softening process had begun before day 33 after fruit set, both parameters being significantly lower in these. The activity of b-galactosidase increased during melon ripening, reaching maximum values two days earlier in melons grown with calcium-deficient solutions than in control ones. However, no PG activity was detected in control melons, but this activity increased during ripening in melons grown with low and removed calcium solutions, a fact that positively correlated with decreased fruit firmness. Ethylene production rate increased sharply as fruit ripened, which could be responsible for the increase in b-galactosidase activity and so for fruit softening. However, the higher softening and glassiness incidence observed in melons irrigated with calcium-deficient solutions could be due to PG activity.

Key Words: melon • Cucumis mélo • calcium deficiency • ethylene • glassiness • softening • polygalacturonase • b-galactosidase

Food Science and Technology International, Vol. 8, No. 3, 147-154 (2002)
DOI: 10.1106/108201302026117
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