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Vital Characteristics of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) Pericarp that Define Postharvest Concepts for Thai Cultivars

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Abstract

To assess the fruit-specific determinants of pericarp browning, litchi pericarp was characterized in terms of appearance, the polyphenol pattern as specified by HPLC-DAD-MSn without and after thiolysis, and the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) by exploring “Kwang Jao,” “O-Hia,” “Kim Cheng,” and “Chacapat” fruit on the respective harvest day, “Hong Huey” fruit also throughout 52 days of cold storage (5 °C, 95% relative humidity). At harvest, PPO activity was maximum for “Kim Cheng” pericarp (126 μkat/hg), whereas POD activity was striking for that of “O-Hia” (512 μkat/hg, including membrane-bound isoforms). Flavan-3-ol and proanthocyanidin patterns were consistent for all cultivars. However, cultivars with sharp-pointed and round–obtuse protuberances differed in pericarp anthocyanin and flavonol glycosylation patterns. The molar ratio of cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside to its glucoside was ≤6:1 for “Hong Huey” and “Kwang Jao,” but ≥43:1 for “Kim Cheng” and “Chacapat” pericarp. Long-term storage gave evidence of two key processes involved in pericarp browning: (1) PPO-mediated oxidation of abundant (−)-epicatechin (1.4–2.0 g/hg), resulting in dark brown pigments, and (2) microcrack-induced formation of light brown surface scurf, supposably with involvement of POD. Accordingly, an improved scheme for litchi pericarp browning was proposed. As regards recommendable postharvest concepts for each cultivar, “Chacapat” suited most for long-distance transports due to its overall low susceptibility to pericarp browning. Properties of “O-Hia” litchi, being prone to surface scurf formation, suggested preferred distribution via domestic markets. High contents of flavonols (e.g., quercetin glycosides, 166 mg/hg) and A-type-linked procyanidins (e.g., procyanidin A2, 1,092 mg/hg) qualified pericarp of “Hong Huey” litchi as raw material for polyphenol extracts exerting antioxidant properties.

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Acknowledgements

As part of the Uplands Program, this research was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Bonn, Germany: Project SFB 564-E2.3. The authors thank Sabine Korhummel (Hohenheim University) for her excellent technical assistance and Matthias Fromm (Hohenheim University) for kindly providing the (−)-epicatechin benzyl thioether reference substance.

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  1. Rini Triani

    Present address: School of Life Science and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jalan Tamansari Nomor 64, Bandung, 40116, Indonesia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology, Chair of Plant Foodstuff Technology, Hohenheim University, Garbenstrasse 25, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Mareike Reichel, Rini Triani, Julia Wellhöfer, Reinhold Carle & Sybille Neidhart

  2. Department of Crop Science and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Pittaya Sruamsiri

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  1. Mareike Reichel
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Correspondence to Sybille Neidhart.

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Reichel, M., Triani, R., Wellhöfer, J. et al. Vital Characteristics of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) Pericarp that Define Postharvest Concepts for Thai Cultivars. Food Bioprocess Technol 6, 1191–1206 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0762-9

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