Table 2.
Maximum force (Fmax), strain at maximum force (ɛmax) and modulus of elasticity (E) of CM and PM isolated enzymatically from the fruit skins of mature ‘Karmijn de Sonnaville’ apples and ‘Conference’ pears. CM/PM denotes specimens that were excised and isolated from a transition zone between the CM and PM. Approximately half of the specimen was composed of CM and the other half of PM. Specimens were subjected to uniaxial tensile tests in either a dry or a hydrated state.
| Species | State |
Fmax (N) |
ɛmax (%) |
E (N) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CM | CM/PM | PM | CM | CM/PM | PM | CM | CM/PM | PM | ||
| Apple | Dry | 1.22 ± 0.05ab* | 1.09 ± 0.04b | 1.27 ± 0.06a | 3.9 ± 0.3a | 3.5 ± 0.1a | 4.1 ± 0.2a | 49.8 ± 0.5a | 36.9 ± 0.8b | 36.9 ± 1.0b |
| Hydrated | 0.83 ± 0.05a | 0.66 ± 0.03b | 0.66 ± 0.02b | 2.9 ± 0.2c | 5.5 ± 0.4b | 9.6 ± 0.4a | 39.1 ± 1.3a | 17.0 ± 0.6b | 10.6 ± 0.5c | |
| Pear | Dry | 0.41 ± 0.02b | 0.33 ± 0.02b | 1.09 ± 0.05a | 3.5 ± 0.1b | 3.2 ± 0.2b | 7.4 ± 0.2a | 13.9 ± 0.6b | 12.1 ± 0.7b | 17.8 ± 1.0a |
| Hydrated | 0.40 ± 0.02b | 0.31 ± 0.03c | 0.65 ± 0.02a | 3.4 ± 0.2c | 5.5 ± 0.4b | 16.5 ± 0.5a | 15.2 ± 0.9a | 6.4 ± 0.5b | 5.5 ± 0.4b | |
*Values represent the means and standard errors of a minimum of 14 replicates (apple) and 16 replicates (pear). Interaction between the state of hydration and type of specimen significant in two-factorial ANOVA for apple and pear (P < 0.0001 for Fmax, ɛmax and E in apple and pear except for Fmax in apple where P < 0.0663). Therefore, one-factorial ANOVA was run and mean comparisons were made within species and state of hydration using Tukey's Studentized range test, P < 0.05.