Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits
<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill) belongs to the Cactaceae family. The plant produces edible and juicy fruits called cactus pear, recognized for their pleasant flavor and functional properties. However, the fruits have a short shelf life, hard seeds, and the presence of glochidia in...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2546 |
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| author | Berenice Karina Flores-Hernández Ma. de Lourdes Arévalo-Galarza Manuel Livera-Muñoz Cecilia Peña-Valdivia Aída Martínez-Hernández Guillermo Calderón-Zavala Guadalupe Valdovinos-Ponce |
| author_facet | Berenice Karina Flores-Hernández Ma. de Lourdes Arévalo-Galarza Manuel Livera-Muñoz Cecilia Peña-Valdivia Aída Martínez-Hernández Guillermo Calderón-Zavala Guadalupe Valdovinos-Ponce |
| author_sort | Berenice Karina Flores-Hernández |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill) belongs to the Cactaceae family. The plant produces edible and juicy fruits called cactus pear, recognized for their pleasant flavor and functional properties. However, the fruits have a short shelf life, hard seeds, and the presence of glochidia in the pericarpel. Recently, by inducing parthenocarpy, seedless fruits of cactus pear have been obtained. They have attractive colors, soft and small seminal residues, with a similar flavor to their original seeded counterparts. Nevertheless, their postharvest physiological behavior has not yet been documented. The aim of this study was to compare the biochemical, anatomical, and physiological characteristics of pollinated fruits, CP30 red and CP40 yellow varieties, with their parthenocarpic counterparts (CP30-P and CP40-P), obtained by the application of growth regulators in preanthesis. Fruits of each type were harvested at horticultural maturity, and analyses were carried out on both pulp and pericarpel (peel), using a completely randomized design. Results showed that red fruits CP30 and CP30-P showed higher concentrations of betacyanins in pulp (13.4 and 18.4 mg 100 g<sup>−1</sup> FW) and in pericarpel (25.9 and 24.1 mg 100 g<sup>−1</sup> FW), respectively; flavonoid content was significantly higher in partenocarpic fruits compared with the pollinated ones. Parthenocarpy mainly affected the shelf life, in pollinated fruits, CP30 was 14 days but 32 days in CP30-P; for CP40, it was 16 days, and 30 days in CP40-P. Also, the partenocarpic fruits were smaller but with a thicker pericarpel, and lower stomatal frequency. Overall, parthenocarpic fruits represent a viable alternative for commercial production due to their extended shelf life, lower weight loss, and soft but edible pericarpel. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-da9724ab65104cf98b9086319dd25fbf |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-da9724ab65104cf98b9086319dd25fbf2025-08-20T03:08:12ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-07-011414254610.3390/foods14142546Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] FruitsBerenice Karina Flores-Hernández0Ma. de Lourdes Arévalo-Galarza1Manuel Livera-Muñoz2Cecilia Peña-Valdivia3Aída Martínez-Hernández4Guillermo Calderón-Zavala5Guadalupe Valdovinos-Ponce6Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, MexicoColegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, MexicoColegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, MexicoColegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, MexicoColegio de Postgraduados, Campus Campeche, Carretera Haltún-Edzná, Km. 17.5, Champotón, Campeche 24450, MexicoColegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, MexicoColegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, Mexico<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill) belongs to the Cactaceae family. The plant produces edible and juicy fruits called cactus pear, recognized for their pleasant flavor and functional properties. However, the fruits have a short shelf life, hard seeds, and the presence of glochidia in the pericarpel. Recently, by inducing parthenocarpy, seedless fruits of cactus pear have been obtained. They have attractive colors, soft and small seminal residues, with a similar flavor to their original seeded counterparts. Nevertheless, their postharvest physiological behavior has not yet been documented. The aim of this study was to compare the biochemical, anatomical, and physiological characteristics of pollinated fruits, CP30 red and CP40 yellow varieties, with their parthenocarpic counterparts (CP30-P and CP40-P), obtained by the application of growth regulators in preanthesis. Fruits of each type were harvested at horticultural maturity, and analyses were carried out on both pulp and pericarpel (peel), using a completely randomized design. Results showed that red fruits CP30 and CP30-P showed higher concentrations of betacyanins in pulp (13.4 and 18.4 mg 100 g<sup>−1</sup> FW) and in pericarpel (25.9 and 24.1 mg 100 g<sup>−1</sup> FW), respectively; flavonoid content was significantly higher in partenocarpic fruits compared with the pollinated ones. Parthenocarpy mainly affected the shelf life, in pollinated fruits, CP30 was 14 days but 32 days in CP30-P; for CP40, it was 16 days, and 30 days in CP40-P. Also, the partenocarpic fruits were smaller but with a thicker pericarpel, and lower stomatal frequency. Overall, parthenocarpic fruits represent a viable alternative for commercial production due to their extended shelf life, lower weight loss, and soft but edible pericarpel.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2546nutraceuticalbetacyaninsfunctional foodCactaceae |
| spellingShingle | Berenice Karina Flores-Hernández Ma. de Lourdes Arévalo-Galarza Manuel Livera-Muñoz Cecilia Peña-Valdivia Aída Martínez-Hernández Guillermo Calderón-Zavala Guadalupe Valdovinos-Ponce Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits Foods nutraceutical betacyanins functional food Cactaceae |
| title | Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits |
| title_full | Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits |
| title_fullStr | Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits |
| title_short | Postharvest Quality of Parthenocarpic and Pollinated Cactus Pear [<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> L. (Mill)] Fruits |
| title_sort | postharvest quality of parthenocarpic and pollinated cactus pear i opuntia ficus indica i l mill fruits |
| topic | nutraceutical betacyanins functional food Cactaceae |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2546 |
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