Polyamines in Developing Mangosteens and their Relationship to Postharvest Chilling Injury

Abstract

Polyamine concentrations did not correlate to the skin, aril and seed weights of mangosteens (Garcinia mangostana L.) during development. Their concentrations decreased early in the skin and aril, but increased during late skin development. Thus, the role of polyamines during fruit development may vary among fruit parts. The relationship between polyamines and chilling injury (CI) disclosed that CI was detected in only the skin of fruit stored at 7°C, but a spermine treatment decreased it at 7°C. Putrescine and spermidine concentrations in the skin at 7°C were higher than in those stored at 13°C. These results suggest that polyamines influence CI of mangosteens.