Tissue softening limits the use of gamma irradiation for controlling postharvest microbial development on some produce. The carbohydrate composition of the cell wall of the strawberry ( Fragaria ananassa Duch. cv. Chandler) fruit and of cell wall fractions was compared in untreated controls and in fruit irradiated at 4 kGy, a dose causing tissue softening. Cell wall polysaccharides were partially degraded, particularly cellulose and pectic substances. However, neutral sugars from the pectic and hemicellulose fractions were not affected by irradiation, in contrast with cell wall degradation during ripening.
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D'Amour et al. (1993) studied this question.
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