Effects of ripening stage and cultivar on physicochemical properties and pectin nanostructures of jujubes

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 89; no. 4; pp. 1180 - 1188
• Main Authors: Wang, Hongjuan, Chen, Fusheng, Yang, Hongshun, Chen, Yamin, Zhang, Lifen, An, Hongjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Atomic force microscopy (AFM); chewiness; cultivars; Exact sciences and technology; fruits; hardness; Jujube; nanomaterials; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanostructure; Natural polymers; Neutral sugar composition; Pectin; pectins; Pectins - biosynthesis; Pectins - chemistry; Physicochemistry of polymers; ripening; Solubility; Species Specificity; Starch and polysaccharides; sugars; titratable acidity; total soluble solids; Ziziphus - chemistry; Ziziphus - metabolism; Ziziphus jujuba; Jujube; Atomic force microscopy (AFM); Nanostructure; Pectin; Neutral sugar composition; Experimental study; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Oside polymer; Spermatophyta; Property structure relationship; Developmental stage; Rhamnaceae; Comparative study; Physicochemical properties; Cultivar
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.03.092

► Determined the physicochemical properties of Chinese jujube fruits. ► More than 75% pectins of the jujube fruits were water-soluble pectin. ► Glc was a major composition for chelate- and sodium carbonate-soluble pectins. ► Pectin of cultivar ‘Huanghua’ changed more than ‘Zhanhua’ during ripening. Two Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) cultivars (‘Huanghua’ and ‘Zhanhua’) at unripe and ripe stages were investigated. During ripening, the weight, pH, hardness, and chewiness of both cultivars decreased while titratable acidity, total soluble solid content, and pectin contents increased. More than 75% pectins of the fruits were water-soluble pectin (WSP). Pectins shared the common major compositions of Gal, Rha and GalUA. For both cultivars, most of the chain widths were between 47 and 70nm for unripe while less than 40nm for ripe jujubes. Compared to unripe fruits, all pectins of ripe fruits had less percentage of wide and long pectin chains. All the pectin contents of cultivar ‘Huanghua’ changed to a degree greater than that of cultivar ‘Zhanhua’ during ripening. Changes of pectin nanostructure and neutral sugar composition might be responsible for the major physicochemical properties of jujubes.