Nanostructural difference of water-soluble pectin and chelate-soluble pectin among ripening stages and cultivars of Chinese cherry.

Nanostructure of water-soluble pectin (WSP) and chelate-soluble pectin (CSP) of two Chinese cherry (Prunus pseudocerasus L.) cultivars (soft cultivar 'Caode' and crisp cultivar 'Bende') with two different ripening stages were characterised using atomic force microscopy. Both cultivars shared some common values of chain widths for WSP or CSP, and both pectins shared several values of chain widths including 37, 55 and 61 nm. The results indicate that different cultivars shared similar components of pectin, and cultivar textural difference might be related to the interaction between pectin and other cherry components or the dissociation of pectin. During ripening, the wide WSP and CSP gradually dissociate in width. The results demonstrated that the changes of WSP and CSP of Chinese cherry in widths were a dissociation process.