RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEXTURE AND CELL-WALL POLYSACCHARIDES OF FRUIT FLESH IN VARIOUS SPECIES OF CITRUS

Various species and cultivars of citrus were studied to determine the relationship between texture and fell wall polysaccharide content of f ruit flesh. Among those tested cultivars, navel orange (Citrus sinensi s Osbeck) and hassaku (C. hassaku Hort, ex Tanaka) were firmest, 'Fuku hara orange' (C. sinensis Osbeck) was intermediate, and satsuma mandar in (C. unshiu Marc.) was softest, There was a 3-fold difference in fir mness among the 12 citrus cultigens measured, Cohesiveness values rang ed from 0.30 to 0.49 and were not correlated with fruit firmness. Suga r content in each cell wall fraction was highest in the water and EDTA fractions, followed by the hemicellulose fraction, and was lowest in the cellulose fraction, Correlation coefficients between firmness and sugar content ranged from 0.69 to 0.88 and were highest in the cellulo se fraction. This study suggests that firmness of fruit flesh among th e cultigens is influenced by cell wall polysaccharide composition, Che mical name used: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).