Abstract:

In order to identify the mechanism of reduced browning susceptibility in the new variety ‘Baojiajun’, the fruits
of ‘Baojiajun’ and 8 white-fleshed peach varieties (‘Xiahui 6’, ‘Okubo’, ‘Baojiahong’, ‘Jingyu’, ‘Abehakuto’, ‘Datuan
Mi Lu’, ‘Honggangshan’, and ‘Yanhong’) harvested at similar maturity were analyzed with regard to browning traits and
related biochemical characteristics. The results demonstrated that the browning degree of ‘Xiahui 6’ peaches was the highest,
and ‘Baojiajun’ peaches exhibited the lowest browning degree among all the varieties tested. Compared with ‘Okubo’ and
‘Xia Hui 6’, ‘Baojiajun’ contained lower levels of total phenol, flavonoids, and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as lower
activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). In contrast, the activities of peroxidase
(POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were higher in ‘Baojiajun’. The correlation analysis of different
peach varieties between browning degrees and biochemical characteristics showed that the browning degree displayed a
highly significantly positive correlation with the activities of PPO and PAL (P < 0.01) and a significantly positive correlation
with the contents flavonoids and MDA as well as the activities of POD (P < 0.05).

Key words: peach, browning, physiological indicators