Analysing the dynamics of water loss in pomegranate cultivars (‘Acco’, ‘Herskawitz’ and ‘Wonderful’) under prolonged shelf storage

Water loss in fruit amounts to a financial loss in the fruit industry. The mechanism of water loss in fruit with thick rinds such as pomegranates remains largely unknown partly because of their complex structure. This study analysed the dynamics of water loss in ‘Acco’, ‘Herskawitz’ and ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate cultivars of South Africa. Fruits were kept under prolonged shelf storage for 16 d at 23°C and 58% relative humidity (RH). Water loss, arils-to-peel proportion, arils and peel moisture content, total colour difference (TCD) of the peel, and total soluble solids (TSS) of fruit juice were assessed. Results showed that medium-sized fruit cultivars of ‘Herskawitz’ (0.34±0.01 g cm^‑2) and ‘Wonderful’ (0.31±0.01 g cm^‑2) were significantly more susceptible to water loss than small-sized ‘Acco’ (0.25±0.01 g cm^‑2). The aril moisture content of the three cultivars ‘Acco’ (82.6±0.3%), ‘Herskawitz’ (81.5±1.0%) and ‘Wonderful’ (81.7±0.99%) remained constant throughout storage, while the peel moisture content decreased with storage time. Therefore, the water loss observed in this study was entirely from the peel portion of the fruit, while the edible portion (the arils) retained its moisture content and can be processed into juice with good yield.