Effect of ripeness and postharvest storage on the evolution of colour and anthocyanins in cherries (Prunus avium L.)

Abstract

The relationship between colour parameters and anthocyanins of four sweet cherry cultivars, Burlat, Saco, Summit and Van was studied. The colour (L * , a * , b * , chroma and hue angle parameters) and anthocyanins were analysed during two different years at two different ripening stages (partially ripe, and ripe, respectively). The cherries were analysed at harvest and after storage at 1.5 ± 0.5°C and 15 ± 5°C for 30 and 6 days, respectively. The colour was measured by tristimulus colourimetry (CIELAB system) directly on the fruits, while anthocyanins were quantified by HPLC-DAD analysis on methanolic extracts of freeze-dried samples of the fresh cherries and on the differently stored cherries. L * , chroma, and hue angle values were always lower for the ripe than for the partially ripe cherries. All of the cultivars were found to contain cyanidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside as the major anthocyanins. The total anthocyanin content in fruits of the different cultivars varied in the order Burlat > Saco > Van > Summit. The concentration of anthocyanins increased at both temperatures of storage in both ripe and partially ripe cherries, but the extent of increase varied among cultivars. Cherries stored at 15 ± 5°C showed higher reduction of L * , chroma and hue angle than fruits stored at 1.5 ± 0.5°C. L * , a * , b * , chroma and hue angle correlated negatively (P < 0.001) with the total anthocyanins levels, but not with the total phenols. These results show that chromatic functions of chroma and hue correlate closely with the evolution of colour and anthocyanins levels during storage of sweet cherries and indicate that colour measurements can be used to monitor pigment evolution and anthocyanin contents of cherries (and vice versa).

Valorisation of raspberry and blueberry pomace through the formulation of value-added gluten-free cookies

“…Pearson's correlation coefficients for L * , a * and b * values were −0.9524, −0.9891 and −0.9369, respectively. Similar findings regarding the correlation of anthocyanins level and color parameters were observed in different cherry cultivars by Gonçalves et al (2006).…”

Effects of packaging and storage conditions on quality and volatile compounds of raspberry fruits

“…During storage, fruits became less vivid than at harvest (lower chroma, 31.80), and this trend was more evident for fruit packaged with the perforated film (E treatment) which showed the lowest C value (23.3) after 48 h. This can be explained by oxidative browning reaction, as observed in other species in the presence of O 2 (Aday & Caner, 2011;Nunes et al, 2009). The h value is directly related to humidity during storage (GonCalves et al, 2007) decreasing at room temperature with low RH values; at the end of storage (96 h), no statistically significant differences were observed between treatments A and B. Figura 2. Niveles de CO 2 en la parte superior de la frambuesa cv.…”

Cultivar effect on the sweet cherry antioxidant and some chemical attributes

“…It is postulated that anthocyanins apart from other phenolics in sweet cherries possess unique ability to scavenge oxygen free radicals and other reactive species. Special interest has been shown for anthocyanins of those fruits since the end of 20 th century because of antioxidant properties (Gao and Mazza 1995, Mozetič et al 2002, Gonçalves et al 2007, Serrano et al 2005, Usenik et al, 2008, Serra et al 2011. Total phenolics could be divided into tartaric esters, flavoniods and antocyanins (Fukumoto and Mazza 2000).…”