The natural skin coating of the apple and its influence on scald in storage. I.—fatty acids and hydrocarbons

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The way in which oiled wraps reduce the incidence of superficial scald in cold‐stored apples has been studied by determining the composition of the skin coating of the apple and that of the lipid material that is transferred to the wrap during storage. The skin coating of apples treated with diphenylamine, another scald inhibitor, was also analysed.In the fatty acid fraction from the apple, the C18 group of acids predominated, followed by C16 and C20. Other odd‐ and even‐numbered acids from C9 to C22 were found. The principal hydrocarbon was the normal C29, followed by the C27, C25 and C28 normal hydrocarbons. Other odd‐ and even‐numbered members of the series between C10 and C31 were also found.The fatty acid fraction absorbed by the wrap was about 10% of that of the unwrapped apple. Its composition approximated to that of the apple except that it was deficient in linoleic, linolenic, arachidic and behenic acids. The effect of diphenylamine was to reduce the total yield of carbon straight‐chain compounds but the acid and hydrocarbon composition was substantially unaltered. The results suggest that neither fatty acids nor hydrocarbons are involved in the protectant action of oiled wraps or of diphenylamine.