The ability to resist freezing damage of three Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cultivars

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the textural properties and cellular structure of three frozen⁄thawed Japanese radish cultivars (‘Kenka aokubi’, ‘Hoshi riso’, and ‘Ryujin miura No. 2’) after freezing and thawing. The impacts of the cell wall components, cell membrane parameters, and total soluble solids on the textural properties were also studied. The greatest firmness and least drip loss were found in the frozen/thawed ‘Ryujin miura No. 2’, followed by the ‘Hoshi riso’ and ‘Kenka aokubi’ cultivars. The cellular structure of frozen/thawed ‘Ryujin miura No. 2’ was well preserved while cell damage was found in the other cultivars. ‘Ryujin miura No. 2’ contained the highest amount of Na₂CO₃ soluble pectin and the lowest amounts of water soluble pectin in the alcohol-insoluble solids, indicating the greater cell wall rigidity compared to the other cultivars. However, cell membrane parameters were completely lost and no relationship between total soluble solids and textural properties was detected for all frozen/thawed samples. These findings highlight the importance of cultivar selection and cell wall rigidity for improvement of the quality of frozen/thawed Japanese radish.