Characterization of Crude and Processed Pulp Cell Walls of Three Selected Mamey Accessions (Mammea americana L.)

TL;DR

This study examines the cell wall composition and processing effects on mamey fruit pulp from three accessions in Martinique.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into mamey pulp cell wall composition and how processing affects its properties.

Findings

Mamey pulp cell walls are rich in highly methyl-esterified pectins and low in hemicelluloses.

Processing reduces methyl-esterified uronic acid content and alters puree viscosity.

Particle size distribution in puree varies significantly among the three mamey accessions.

Abstract

Mamey (Mammea americana L.) is a tropical fleshy fruit native from the West Indies and northern South America. It is very appreciated for its flavor and color but has been little described. The present study investigates the composition and histochemistry of the pulp cell walls of three mamey accessions readily available in Martinique. The impact of pulp processing into puree on cell wall composition is evaluated. The histology and rheology of mamey puree are assessed considering these characterizations. Mamey pulp cell wall composition is dominated by highly methyl-esterified pectins (DM: 66.2–76.7%) of high molecular weight, and show few hemicelluloses, mainly xyloglucans. Processing reduced methyl-esterified uronic acid contents and gave purees with significantly different viscosities. Mamey puree was composed of polydisperse particles (20–2343 µm), which size distributions were different depending on the accession: Ti Jacques was dominated by smaller particles (50% had approximated diameters lower than 160 µm), Sonson’s by larger particles (50% had approximated diameters higher than 900 µm), and Galion’s had an intermediate profile. This new knowledge on mamey pulp is valuable for future works on mamey processing into new food products, even more so for those including cell wall polysaccharide-degrading enzymes.

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