title: Insights in the Fruit Flesh Browning Mechanisms in Solanum melongena Genetic Lines with Opposite Postcut Behavior.
abstract: Color, taste, flavor, nutritional value, and shelf life are important factors determining quality and healthiness of food and vegetables. These factors are strongly affected by browning processes, occurring after fruit or vegetable cutting. Characterization of ten eggplant genotypes for chlorogenic acid (CGA) content, total phenols (TP), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity, and browning tendency corroborated a lack of significant correlations between biochemical factors and fruit flesh browning. Further in-depth molecular and biochemical analyses of two divergent eggplant genetic lines, AM199 (high browning) and AM086 (low browning), within 30 min from cutting, highlighted differences in the physiological mechanisms underlying the browning process. qRT-PCR analysis revealed distinct activation mechanisms of CGA biosynthetic and PPO genes in the two genetic lines. Metabolic data on CGA, sugars, and ascorbic acid contents confirmed that their different browning tendency matched with different metabolic responses to cutting. Our findings suggest that the complex mechanism of flesh browning in the two eggplant genetic lines might be mediated by multiple specific factors.
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse, UOS Portici , Via Università 133, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Docimo
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per l'Orticoltura (CREA-ORT) , Via dei Cavalleggeri 25, 84098 Pontecagnano, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Francese
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse, UOS Portici , Via Università 133, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Palma
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse, UOS Portici , Via Università 133, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mennella
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Unità di Ricerca per l'Orticoltura (CREA-ORL) , Via Paullese 28, 26836 Montanaso Lombardo, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toppino
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Unità di ricerca per i processi dell'industria agroalimentare (CREA-IAA) , Via Venezian 26, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lo Scalzo
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca per l'Orticoltura (CREA-ORT) , Via dei Cavalleggeri 25, 84098 Pontecagnano, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mennella
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse, UOS Portici , Via Università 133, 80055 Portici, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tucci
mesh_terms: D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003116:Color; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005838:Genotype; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D032323:Solanum melongena / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D010940:Plant Proteins; D004156:Catechol Oxidase
keywords: Solanaceae; antioxidants; browning; eggplant; qRT-PCR