• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.337-343
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• 2016

The Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) has historically been one of the most popular fruits in Korea because of its sweetness and juiciness. Nowadays, 81.5 % pears of the 'Niitaka' cultivar are grown in Korea, and most of these are consumed as table fruits. Due to the increase in consumer demand for novel Asian pear varieties, developing new cultivars is of great commercial interest. Since 1984, 'Niitaka' cultivar has been introduced in Korea and 13.3 % was developed into new cultivars in the last 20 years alone. Recently, the consumption rate of fresh Asian pears has been limited. The demand for pears, especially the 'Niitaka' cultivar has no longer increased. As a result, new cultivars of Asian pears have been introduced and their properties have been investigated. This review article provides an overview of the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities of new cultivars of Asian pears.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1379-1385
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• 2009

Quality changes of the slices processed from 'Niitaka' Asian pears (Pyrus pyrifolia) stored at $0^{\circ}C$ for up to 4 months under controlled atmosphere (CA, 1% $O_2+1%\;CO_2$) and normal air have been investigated for 4 days at $10^{\circ}C$. Respiration rate of the slices was retarded by pre-slicing storage for 4 months in CA. Electrolyte leakage was lower in the slices from pears stored for short-term than long-term and under CA than air. L and a values of the slices from whole pears stored under CA were maintained higher and lower, respectively as compared to the other. Levels of acetaldehyde and ethanol in the slices were increased by CA and long-term storage of whole pears. Content of ascorbic acid and counts of total aerobic microbes in the slices were not affected by storage conditions of whole pears. These results show that storage atmospheres and durations of whole pears affected quality changes of the slices and the conditions of pre-slicing storage should be considered as an important factor for optimizing fresh-cut procedures.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.272-277
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• 2003

This study was conducted to determine the minimal processing characteristics as affected by the storage duration of whole Asian pears(Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai cv. Niitaka). Before and after storage for 4 months under air at 0$^{\circ}C$, whole pears were sliced, placed in unsealed plastic bags, and kept for 4 days at 10$^{\circ}C$. Storage of whole pears increased the initial levels of electrolyte leakage, total phenols and browning index and decreased the initial content of vitamin C in pear slices. Slices from stored pears maintained higher respiration rate compared with slices from non-stored pears during keeping. The increase of electrolyte leakage, browning index and microbial number and the decrease of total phenol in slices during keeping were more fast in slices from stored pears than in those from non-stored pears. These results suggest that the minimal processing characteristics of ‘Niitaka’ pears are depending upon storage duration.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2006

Contents of phenolic compounds in peel, flesh, and core of three Asian pear cultivars, Hosui, Niitaka, and Chuwhangbae, were determined at different stages of maturity. Antioxidant properties of methanol extracts of peels at various fruit maturity stages were also evaluated. Total phenolic content decreased with maturity. Arbutin, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin were major phenolic compounds in young fruits. Catechin, 4-hydroxymethyl benzoic acid, and caffeic acid were detected in peel and core of immature and mature pears. 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activities of methanol extracts were 16.30 and $15.73\;{\mu}g$ in peel of immature Hosui and Chuwhangbae pears, respectively, and $11.59\;{\mu}g$ in mature Niitaka pears, which was significantly higher than those of other maturity stage in the same cultivar. Inhibitory activities on lipid oxidation of methanol extracts of three cultivars at all maturity stages were similar to that of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.98-105
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• 2020

Venturia nashicola is a fungal pathogen causing scab disease in Asian pears. It is particularly important in the Northeast Asia region where Asian pears are intensively grown. Venturia nashicola causes disease in Asian pear but not in European pear. Due to the highly restricted host range of Venturia nashicola, it is hypothesized that the small secreted proteins deployed by the pathogen are responsible for the host determination. Here we report the whole genome based phylogenetic analysis and predicted secretomes for V. nashicola isolates. We believe that our data will provide a valuable information for further validation and functional characterization of host determinants in V. nashicola.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2013

Pear (Pyrus spp.) fruit has been widely consumed fruits in the world. Pears are generally classified as Asian pears (Japanese pear: Pyruspyritolia N, China pear: P. ussuriensis M) and European pears (Pyrus communis L.). Pears have been reported to contain the diverse bioactive substances and the study on screening for bioactive compounds and its functional role in pear has been still going on. Therefore, this review article provides an overview of bioactive compounds and physiological effects of pears on diverse diseases.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1523-1528
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• 1999

The consumer's demands for minimally processed fruits and vegetables have been increased rapidly because of its convenient handling, fresh-like quality as well as producing less wastes from the environmental point of view. Asian pears which are one of the main fruits widely produced and consumed in Korea easily lost their characteristics due to browning and softening after cutting. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of various treatments on delaying deterioration of sliced Asian pears. 'Shingo' pear slices were treated with various solutions $(1%\;NaCl,\;0.2%\;L-cysteine,\;1%\;CaCl_2\;or\;1%\;calcium\;lactate)$ and were packaged with low density polyethylene $(LDPE,\;60\;{\mu}m)$, ceramic $(CE,\;60\;{\mu}m)$ or vacuum $(Ny/PE,\;80\;{\mu}m)$ film at $20^{\circ}C\;and\;0^{\circ}C$. In order to evaluate the quality of packaged sliced pears, quality index was determined in terms of color, firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity. ascorbic acid, changes of gas composition, microbial test, and sensory quality. The results showed that sliced 'Shingo' pears packaged with CE and vacuum film maintained better quality than with LDPE at $0^{\circ}C\;and\;20^{\circ}C$. To retard browning and softening. 0.2% L-cysteine and 1% NaCl solutions applied for 1 minute were effective to reduce surface browning of sliced pears, and 1% $CaCl_2$ was the most effective to prevent softening.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.535-541
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• 2015

'Taichung No. 2' is a new Asian pear cultivar developed in Taiwan with low chilling requirement; however, is likely to develop internal browning disorder under low temperature storage conditions. We investigated the impact of storage time on flesh browning disorder in pears harvested from 22 orchards in 2010 and 2011, and analyzed the levels of nutrients in different fruit parts such as the peel, flesh, and core. Calcium and potassium contents were higher in the flesh and peel, respectively, of more severely browned fruits, whereas a lower magnesium content was recorded in the peel and core of these fruits. Nitrogen and potassium contents in the peel, and calcium content in the flesh were positively correlated with browning disorder severity. By contrast, the magnesium content in the core was negatively correlated with browning disorder severity. However, the nutrient contents in fruits varied between the two sampling years considered. Only the K/Mg ratio was an effective predictor of the browning disorder severity and showed a positive linear correlation in the two years. We recommend that the K/Mg ratio should be lower than 10 to avoid severe browning disorder in pears.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.534-542
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on fruit quality and incidence of physiological disorders for keeping freshness during marketing period in Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) 'Wonhwang' and 'Whasan'. Fruits were treated with $1{\mu}L{\cdot}L^{-1}$ 1-MCP for 12 hours at $25^{\circ}C$, at two or three stages of ripeness as determined by days after full bloom (DAFB). Fruits were harvested at 130 and 140 DAFB in early season cultivar 'Wonhwang' and 135, 145, and 150 DAFB in mid-season cultivar 'Whasan', respectively. Fruits were stored at $25^{\circ}C$ for 21 days and measured the flesh firmness, weight loss, soluble solids, acidity, ethylene, respiration and severity of physiological disorders at week interval. 1-MCP treatment to 'Wonhwang' pears harvested at 130 and 140 DAFB effectively delayed firmness loss during storage at $25^{\circ}C$. Untreated fruits of 'Wonhwang' pears harvested at 130 DAFB showed 32.3 and 10.1N of firmness after 14 and 21 days of shelf-life at $25^{\circ}C$, respectively, while those of the 1-MCP treated fruits showed 39.4 and 33.1N during same period. In the fruits harvested at 140 DAFB, the firmness of untreated fruit was lowered to 14.8 and 6.6N after 14 and 21 days, respectively, but those of 1-MCP treated fruit were 35.0 and 33.3N, respectively. Whereas, 1-MCP treatment delayed firmness loss only in the fruit harvested late (150 DAFB) in 'Whasan' pears. Higher soluble solids content and acidity during extended shelf-life were apparent in 1-MCP treated 'Wonhwang' pears, while those of 'Whasan' pears were little changed. 'Wonhwang' pears showed a relatively high ethylene production (maximum $0.58{\mu}l{\cdot}L^{-1}$) in the fruits harvested late than early harvested one. 'Whasan' pears showed little amount of ethylene production regardless of extended shelf-life. 1-MCP treatment to 'Wonhwang' pears decreased respiration rate following shelf-life, 42 and 50% reduction were observed at 14 days of shelf-life when compared with those of untreated ones harvested at 130 and 140 DAFB, respectively. No reduction of respiration rate by the treatment of 1-MCP was detected in 'Whasan' pears which showed considerably low respiration rate compared with 'Wonhwang' pears. Harvest time influenced the level of physiological disorders together with extension of shelf-life in both the cultivars. 1-MCP treatment completely blocked the incidence of internal browning of 'Wonhwang' pears harvested at 130 DAFB, and reduced the incidences of pithiness and core browning, while it promoted the flesh spot decay disorder regardless of harvest time. 1-MCP treatment was of little benefit for the prevention of physiological disorders in 'Whasan' pears compared with those of 'Wonhwang'.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.170-175
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• 2015

The methanol extract of Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia N. cv. Chuhwangbae) fruit peel was purified using solvent fractionation, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and octadecylsilane high performance liquid chromatography. Based on the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance data, the two isolated compounds were identified as quercetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside (1) and 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptahydroxyflavan [(-)-dulcisflavan, 2]. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated and identified for the first time from Asian pears and pears, respectively.