title: A stable isotope approach to assessing water loss in fruits and vegetables during storage.
abstract: Plant tissue water is the source of oxygen and hydrogen in organic biomatter. Recently, we demonstrated that the stable hydrogen isotope value (δ(2)H) of plant methoxyl groups is a very reliable and easily available archive for the δ(2)H value of this tissue water. Here we show in a model experiment that the δ(2)H values of methoxyl groups remain unchanged after water loss during storage of fruits and vegetables under controlled conditions, while δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of tissue water increase. This enhancement is plant-dependent, and the correlation differs from the meteoric water line. The δ(18)O value is better correlated to the weight decrease of the samples. Therefore, we postulate that the δ(2)H value of methoxyl groups and the δ(18)O value of tissue water are suitable parameters for checking postharvest alterations of tissue water, either addition or loss.
authors: Institute of Earth Sciences, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg , Im Neuenheimer Feld 234-236, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Greule
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Rossmann
authors: Hanns-Ludwig
authors: HL
authors: Schmidt
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Mosandl
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Keppler
mesh_terms: D003903:Deuterium / Q000032:analysis; D061353:Food Storage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D014867:Water; D003903:Deuterium
keywords: cell water; hydrogen stable isotopes; methoxyl groups; oxygen stable isotopes; post-harvest alterations; δ2H values