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Biomechanics of isolated cherry tomato fruit cuticles during growing
Laura espana
Last modified: 2009-12-28
Abstract
Laura Espa~na1, Eva Dom'inguez2, Jes'us Cuartero2 and Antonio Heredia1, +
1 Departamento de Biolog'ia Molecular y Bioqu'imica, Universidad de M'alaga, E-29071 M'alaga, Spain
2 Estaci'on Experimental 'La Mayora' (CSIC) Algarrobo-Costa, E-29750 M'alaga, Spain
+ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: heredia@uma.es
Phone: +34 952 131 940. Fax: +34 952 132 041.
Aerial parts of higher plants are covered by a continuous extra-cellular layer, the cuticle or cuticular membrane(CM). The CM is a complex composite biopolymer basically composed of a cutin matrix, waxes, and hydrolysable polysaccharides. Isolated CM samples stressed by uniaxial tension loads to determine their tensile modulus, breaking stress and maximum strain.These biomechanics parameters have been studied in detail in mature green and red ripe CM. The present work focuses on the biomechanical parameters of cuticle isolated from cherry tomato fruits during growing. In general terms, the tendency observed in the tensile modulus was a increase during the tomato fruit development and the maximum value correspond to red ripe stage. Additional data on the differences in cuticle thickness and composition during development are also included.
1 Departamento de Biolog'ia Molecular y Bioqu'imica, Universidad de M'alaga, E-29071 M'alaga, Spain
2 Estaci'on Experimental 'La Mayora' (CSIC) Algarrobo-Costa, E-29750 M'alaga, Spain
+ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: heredia@uma.es
Phone: +34 952 131 940. Fax: +34 952 132 041.
Aerial parts of higher plants are covered by a continuous extra-cellular layer, the cuticle or cuticular membrane(CM). The CM is a complex composite biopolymer basically composed of a cutin matrix, waxes, and hydrolysable polysaccharides. Isolated CM samples stressed by uniaxial tension loads to determine their tensile modulus, breaking stress and maximum strain.These biomechanics parameters have been studied in detail in mature green and red ripe CM. The present work focuses on the biomechanical parameters of cuticle isolated from cherry tomato fruits during growing. In general terms, the tendency observed in the tensile modulus was a increase during the tomato fruit development and the maximum value correspond to red ripe stage. Additional data on the differences in cuticle thickness and composition during development are also included.