title: Composition and morphology of cuticular wax in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) fruits.
abstract: The chemical composition and morphology of cuticular wax in mature fruit of nine blueberry cultivars were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Triterpenoids and β-diketones were the most prominent compounds, accounting for on average 64.2% and 16.4% of the total wax, respectively. Ursolic or oleanolic acid was identified as the most abundant triterpenoids differing in cultivars. Two β-diketones, hentriacontan-10,12-dione and tritriacontan-12,14-dione, were detected in cuticular wax of blueberry fruits for the first time. Notably, hentriacontan-10,12-dione and tritriacontan-12,14-dione were only detected in highbush (V. corymbosum) and rabbiteye (V. ashei) blueberries, respectively. The results of SEM showed that a large amount of tubular wax deposited on the surface of blueberry fruits. There was no apparent difference in wax morphology among the nine cultivars.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Postharvest and Processing Technology Research of Zhejiang Province, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; College of Life and Environment Sciences, Huangshan University, Huangshan 245041, China.
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Postharvest and Processing Technology Research of Zhejiang Province, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China. Electronic address: spsghy@163.com.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Nanjing Research Institute for Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing 210014, China.
authors.forename: Shifeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Postharvest and Processing Technology Research of Zhejiang Province, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Postharvest and Processing Technology Research of Zhejiang Province, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Hangjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Postharvest and Processing Technology Research of Zhejiang Province, Food Science Institute, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Shangyue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
keywords: Blueberries; Chemical composition; Cuticular wax; GC–MS; Morphology; SEM