The role of transition metals and phenolic compounds on apple juice yields

The literature reports that oxidative degradation of the cell wall occurs during fruit ripening and we hypothesised that this could affect the release and filtration of juice from the must.

With this in mind, the content and distribution of transition metals and phenolic compounds were studied in two cider apple varieties of contrasting firmness over two harvest years. The impact of these variations on the degradation of pectin, a key cell wall polysaccharide controlling fruit texture, was assessed in model solutions.

The mapping of ions and phenolic compounds was carried out using low-temperature fluorescence microscopy at the SOLEIL synchrotron.