Profile of Bioactive Compounds in Orange Juice Related to the Combination of Different Scion/Rootstocks, Packaging and Storage

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Editor!

 

Manuscript (horticulturae-2210743) entitled 'Profile of bioactive compounds in orange juice related to the combination of different scion/rootstocks, packaging and storage by Rafaelly Calsavara Martins, Sarita Leonel, Jackson Mirellys Azevedo Souza, Giuseppina Pace Pereira Lima, Magali Leonel, Fernando Ferrari Putti, Gean Charles Monteiro, Patrícia Graosque Ülguim Züge, Gabriel Maluf Napoleão, Ricardo Figueira and Jaime Duarte Filho presents interesting results regarding the content of bioactive compounds in orange juices obtained from different cv./rootstock combinations. Authors may find below some points to pay attention when improving manuscript.

 

Abstract: I suggest to be more informative, more conclusions regarding rootstock contribution to the contents of ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds should be incorporated.

 

Introduction: Aim of the study should expressed in a more detailed way.

 

Materials and methods:

 

2.4. Fruit Harvesting and Sample Preparation: a detailed description of ripeness index is needed

 

 

Results and discussion: 

 

Authors need to explain, why there is more ascorbic acid in transparent bottles. Also, I suggest authors shortly describe the content of ascorbic acid in early and late cultivars.

 

I suggest authors dedicate short description regarding correlation between ascorbic acid phenolic compounds.

 

Conclusions: I suggest authors add more interesting conclusions from results obtained and also add future prospects.

Author Response

Reviewer 1

 

Authors thank you for your valuable comments and reviewing the manuscript.

Figure 2 was removed from the manuscript, as recommended. 

  "As a suggestion for the authors, (A) Juices stored in transparent polyethylene terephthalate bottles. (B) Juices stored in dark polyethylene terephthalate bottles; I think it is not representative of this study".

Any questions or comments we are at your disposal.

Reviewer 2 Report

1. The subject addressed is one of interest. This study aimed to iresearch regarding citrus scion/rootstock combinations alter the concentration of bioactive compounds in orange juice

 

2. The subject is original because it addresses research on into The profile of ascorbic, dehydroascorbic acid and phenolic compounds was analyzed in juices of four sweet orange scions, Sanguínea de Mombuca (SM), Rubi (R), Lue Gin Gong (LGG) and Valência Delta Seedless (VDS) grafted onto ‘Rangpur’ lime and ‘Single’ citrumelo rootstocks.

 

3. As a novelty for the addressed field: the profile of the phenolic compounds in juices from the scion/rootstock combinations was carried out in UHPLC (Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography- Sigma-Aldrich, São Paulo, Brazil); the determination of ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acid in juices was performed by UHPLC (Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography).

 

4. As a suggestion for the authors, (A) Juices stored in transparent polyethylene terephthalate bottles. (B) Juices stored in dark polyethylene terephthalate bottles, I think it is not representative of this study

 

Author Response

Authors thank you for your valuable comments and reviewing the manuscript.

Introduction was improved according to your comments trying to specify the novelty of the study.

Grammatical errors and typos were checked carefully.

Any questions or comments we are at your disposal.

Reviewer 3 Report

In this manuscript, the authors have reported on the “Profile of bioactive compounds in orange juice related to the combination of different scion/rootstocks, packaging and storage”. It is a well-written manuscript.

 My comments are as follows to improve the manuscript;

·       There are a few grammatical errors and typos, so a careful checkup is needed.

·       The authors do not specify the novelty of the research. 

 

 

Author Response

Responses to Reviewer 3 comments

Abstract: I suggest to be more informative, more conclusions regarding rootstock contribution to the contents of ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds should be incorporated.

The abstract was reframed adding the information about the rootstocks.

“Overall, all SC-grafted scions showed higher AA and DHAA and of some phenolic compounds concentrations”.

Introduction: Aim of the study should expressed in a more detailed way.

The aim of the study was better detailed.

“The study was performed by UHPLC (Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and aimed to evaluate the degradation of vitamin C, as well as the content of phenolic compounds in orange juice stored in different packages for longer periods and from different combinations of scion/rootstock cultivar combinations”.

Materials and methods:

2.4. Fruit Harvesting and Sample Preparation: a detailed description of ripeness index is needed

The detailed description of ripeness index was added in the manuscript.

“The harvest was performed when the fruits reached the ripeness index or ratio (soluble solids/titratable acidity) between 8.5 and 10”.

Results and discussion:

Authors need to explain, why there is more ascorbic acid in transparent bottles.

The main hypothesis of these data was added in the manuscript.

Vitamin C in citrus juices is generally easily oxidized and therefore is lost in storage.  There are many variables that affect this oxidation process such as light exposure,   dissolved oxygen level, storage temperature, presence of sugar and metal ions [40]. During storage, L-ascorbic acid oxidizes to dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA). This does not cause the loss of vitamin C because DHAA can be converted back to ascorbic acid [41]. However, DHAA is easily hydrolyzed to 2,3-diketogulonic acid (DKGA) due to that it is highly unstable. DKGA has no biological activity [23]. These oxidation stages have been found to be particularly sensitive to oxygen availability, long-term heat treatment in the presence of oxygen and exposure to light [41].  These reports were the main hypothesis to explain why, in some raw materials, juices stored in transparent bottles had higher concentrations of AA.

Also, I suggest authors shortly describe the content of ascorbic acid in early and late cultivars.

A shortly description about the topic was added in the manuscript.

“In the late ripening cultivars LGG and VDS, the fruits remained longer in the field, having the influence of greater climatic changes that had an effect on the ripening period of the fruit.

In these cultivars, the fruit harvest occurred after a long dry season and highe