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Relative humidity and temperature modify the mechanical properties of isolated tomato fruit cuticles¹

²Estación Experimental La Mayora (CSIC) Algarrobo-Costa, E-29750 Málaga, Spain; ³Grupo de Caracterización y Síntesis de Biopolímeros Vegetales, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga, E-29071 Málaga, Spain

ABSTRACT

The mechanical properties of enzymatically isolated cuticular membrane (CM) from ripe tomato fruits were investigated at 10 to 45°C and relative humidity (RH) of 40 to wet. CM samples were stressed by uniaxial tension loads to determine their tensile modulus, E, breaking stress (strength), _max, and maximum elongation, _max. The CM stress–strain curves revealed a biphasic behavior when tested at RH values below wet conditions. In the first phase, CM responded to the loads by instantaneous extension with no further extension recorded until a further load was added: defined as pure elastic strain (E_e). In the second phase, CM responded by instantaneous extension and by some additional time-dependent extension, defined as viscoelastic strain (E_v). When CMs were submerged in aqueous solution (wet), the stress–strain curves were monophasic, with both elastic and viscoelastic strain. E_e depended on RH and was higher than E_v, which was independent of RH. Temperature decreased E_e and _max of tomato fruit CM. Temperature response was not linear but consisted of two temperature-independent phases separated by a transition temperature. This transition zone has been related previously to the presence of a secondary phase transition in the cutin matrix of the tomato fruit CM.

Key Words: biphasic behavior • cuticular membrane • fruit cracking • Lycopersicon esculentum • plant biomechanics • tomato fruit

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