More than a Wrap: The Role of Fruit Skin in Defining Fruit Storability and Quality (Closed)

Dear Colleagues,

Fruit commodities are commercially important worldwide. The fleshy, edible tissues of the fruit are surrounded by the skin, which represents its outer surface and consists of the cuticle as well as epidermal, subepidermal, and hypodermal layers.

Historically, the role of the skin in determining fruit quality has been considered to be primarily linked to appearance and hence to purchase decision; many efforts have thus been invested in improving fruit colour and reducing the incidence of superficial defects. However, the role of fruit skin in defining fruit quality reaches far beyond colour and overall appearance. Many quality traits of fruit are actually impacted or modulated by the skin. Colour is the most noticeable of these traits, but skin properties affect many other quality aspects, including odour and aroma, susceptibility to pests and rots, proneness to physiological disorders (scald, cracking, russeting, etc.), water loss, mechanical properties, health-promoting properties, and even sanitary quality, as skin features may influence the retention of pesticide or agrochemical residues.

The role of fruit skin as a determinant of fruit quality deserves closer examination. This Topical Collection welcomes original research and review articles that provide insights into all these aspects. The scope of submission includes all aspects of fruit surface that relate to the organoleptic, commercial, nutritional, and sanitary quality of produce.

Prof. Dr. Isabel Lara
Dr. Brian Farneti
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• aroma
• colour
• fruit
• health-promoting properties
• mechanical
• properties
• pathology
• quality
• skin
• surface disorders
• water loss