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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #70216
Title: COMPOSITIONAL CHANGE IN ANTHRACNOSE INFECTED STRAWBERRY FRUIT

Author
item Wang, Shiow
item Galletta, Gene

Submitted to: Journal Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Anthracnose disease in strawberry fruit can be highly destructive. Strawberries infected with this disease not only have poor quality but also have short storage life. There are large differences in disease resistance among various cultivars. We have found that fruit tissue from resistant cultivars contained more sugars, acids and polyamines than those from susceptible cultivars. Fruit infected with anthracnose were found to have higher sugars but lower organic acids and ascorbic acid than the healthy fruit. Infected tissue also produce an additional polyamine, diaminopropane. Our study showed that chemical composition of strawberries may be closely related to the susceptibility of the fruit to anthracnose disease. This information is useful to plant breeders who are interested in disease resistance and fruit quality in strawberry fruit.

Technical Abstract: Differences in chemical composition in the fruit of different strawberry selections with various susceptibilities to Collectrotrichum were determined. Tissues from both healthy and anthracnose infected strawberries were also analyzed for their differences in chemical composition. Fruit tissue from resistant genotypes contained more soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acid (TA), sucrose, total sugar (TS) and ascorbic acid and ratios of SSC/TA and TS/TA than those from susceptible fruits. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine were major polyamines in strawberry fruit and were higher in the fruit of resistant genotypes as compared with the susceptible genotypes. Anthracnose infected fruit tissue had lower TA, but higher SSC, and SSC/TA ratio than healthy fruit tissue. Fructose, glucose, total sugar and ratio of TS to TA were found to be higher whereas sucrose was lower in anthracnose infected fruit tissue compared to healthy tissue. Ascorbic acid and organic acids (malic acid and citric acid) were also lower in infected tissue. Fruit infected with anthracnose contained elevated spermidine and decreased putrescine content. Infected fruit also produced an additional polyamine, diaminopropane.