Relationship between Apple Fruit Constituents and Patulin Accumulation by Inoculated Penicillium expansum

Abstract

　Penicillium expansum, a plant pathogenic fungus that infects apples, is known to produce patulin and has been shown to be involved in patulin contamination in apples. In this study, we examined the relationship between various apple components and the amount of accumulated patulin in different apple cultivars in order to determine the factors that mitigate patulin contamination. Interestingly, there was a significant correlation between the amount of accumulated patulin and the total polyphenol, chlorogenic acid, and asparagine contents in apples. However, the levels of aspartic acid and asparagine differed substantially within various portions of the apples. Hardness and sugar content of apples were inversely correlated with the amount of accumulated patulin. Thus, taken together, our results suggested that patulin did not accumulate in apple varieties that were harder and sweeter.