Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548

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Scientia Horticulturae
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scihorti

Fruit density: A reliable indicator of sensory quality for mango T

a,b,d a,c d a,b,
Sivmey Hor , Mathieu Léchaudel , Hasika Mith , Christophe Bugaud *
a
Qualisud, Montpellier SupAgro, CIRAD, Univ d’Avignon, Univ Montpellier, Univ de la Réunion, Montpellier, France
b
CIRAD, UMR Qualisud, F-34398 Montpellier, France
c
CIRAD, UMR Qualisud, F-97130 Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe, France
d
Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: There is constant demand from the fresh fruit sector for reliable non-destructive indicators to better predict the
Mango sensory quality of fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of density to predict mango sensory
Density quality at the ripening stage. Models were built from density and the day of maturation to predict physico-
Sensory quality chemical indicators of sensory quality. Density of mangoes cv. ‘Kent’ from Peru, Ivory Coast, and Brazil were
Physicochemical parameters
assessed at the green mature stage. Sensory characteristics (sweetness, sourness, mango aroma, and firmness
Prediction model
intensity) and physicochemical parameters (dry matter content, soluble solids content, total soluble sugar
content, titratable acidity, hue angle, and firmness) were assessed on ripe mangoes after storage at 18 °C.
Mangoes with a higher density had a significantly higher intensity of sweetness, mango aroma, and lower in-
tensity of firmness than mangoes with the lower density, whatever the origin. A minimum difference in density
of 0.03-0.04 g mL−1 was needed to detect significant sensory differences.
Physicochemical parameters associated with sensory quality were predicted by density whatever the origin of
the fruit. An increase of 0.01 g mL−1 in density respectively led to an increase of 0.5% in dry matter content,
total soluble sugar content, and 0.5°Brix in soluble solid content, and a decrease in hue angle of about 2° to 2.5°.
A density threshold of 1.000 g mL-1 could be applied and easily used to sort heterogeneous batches of mangoes
early in the supply chain according to their sensory potential.

1. Introduction Currently, several non-destructive methods are available to improve

Mango fruits are one of the most widely sold and consumed tropical
fruits worldwide (Singh et al., 2000). According to the study of (Sab
et al., 2017), about 34% of mangoes are lost between the farm and the
consumer. These notable losses are due to the difficulty involved in
exporting homogeneous batches of fruit. Since mangoes are climacteric
fruits, they are usually harvested at the green mature stage for export.
When the maturity stage at harvest is not controlled, this results in the
arrival on the market of heterogeneous batches containing unripe to
overripe fruit. Consumers buy mangoes of highly heterogeneous sen-
sory quality (i.e. sweetness, firmness, pulp color, and aroma) that do
not meet their expectations (Zúñiga-Arias et al., 2009). Consequently,
they either throw the mangoes away, or they hesitate to buy them
again. These consequences lead to high fruit losses and reduce the
market demand for mangoes; these are the main concerns for fruit
importers, wholesalers, and retailers. Finding a reliable indicator to sort
and/or to predict fruit quality early in the supply chain according to
their potential sensory quality is therefore extremely important.
the quality assessment of mango fruit after harvest. These include ac-
celerometer, electronic nose, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray, and
near-infrared spectroscopy. Accelerometers and electronic noses are
used to measure the firmness (Wang and Pereira, 2006) and aromatic
footprint of fruits (Lebrun et al., 2008). X-ray is used to measure the
size, shape, color and external defects by image analysis (Chauhan
et al., 2017). Nuclear magnetic resonance, and magnetic resonance
imaging were developed to measure moisture content, sugar content,
oil content, and internal cavities and to identify internal fruit defects
(Noh and Choi, 2008). Near-infrared spectroscopy has been developed
to measure the concentration of soluble solids and dry matter, firmness
and acidity of mango (Nordey et al., 2017). However, these non-de-
structive methods only evaluate these various quality traits in-
stantaneously, but they do not predict the final quality of this climac-
teric fruit. A recent study by Nordey et al. (2019) suggested using near-
infrared spectroscopy to predict various physicochemical criteria re-
lated to the quality of ripe mangoes from spectra of the fruits at harvest
but not to evaluate sensory quality criteria.

⁎
Corresponding author at: Qualisud, Montpellier SupAgro, CIRAD, Univ d’Avignon, Univ Montpellier, Univ de la Réunion, Montpellier, France.
E-mail address: christophe.bugaud@cirad.fr (C. Bugaud).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2020.109548
Received 21 February 2020; Received in revised form 11 May 2020; Accepted 3 June 2020
0304-4238/ © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
S. Hor, et al.
Interestingly, fruit density proved to be correlated with dry matter
content, soluble solids content in kiwi (Jordan et al., 2000) and orange
(Wenzhung et al., 2002; Ting and Blair, 1965). Similarly, fruit density
was reported to be correlated with the behavior of mango at maturity
(Kapse and Katrodia, 1997). Recently, Aubert et al. (2019) showed that
ripe nectarines with higher density had significantly higher con-
centrations of dry matter, soluble solids, sugars, ascorbic acid, poly-
phenols and volatile compounds, and were ranked as sweeter and more
aromatic than those with lower density. It would consequently be of
interest to know if measuring fruit density early in the supply chain
could be a reliable non-destructive indicator to predict the sensory
quality of ripe mango. The aim of this study was thus to assess whether
density reliably predicts mango sensory quality at the ripe stage. We
assessed the relevance of this indicator in mangoes from three origins
sampled directly on their arrival at the importer’s ripening rooms.
Models were constructed between density and the day of maturation to
predict physical-chemical indicators of sensory quality. The results of
this study will be useful for the whole fresh fruit sector, particularly for
mango fruit stakeholders and exporters to better manage the supply
chain, to create homogeneous batches of mango fruits, and to reduce
mango fruit losses along the supply chain.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Mango samples and storage conditions
The experiments were carried on the mango cv. ‘Kent’, which is the
most widely sold hybrid cultivar on the export market and is widely
consumed in Europe. Green mature mangoes from three countries Peru,
Ivory Coast, and Brazil were imported in France, respectively in April
2018, May 2018 and December 2018. Mangoes from Peru and Ivory
Coast were transported by ship. They were stored less than 10 °C for 20
days, during transport. Mangoes from Brazil were transported by plane
at a temperature above 10 °C. Upon arrival (Day 0), the density of
mangos was determined using Archimedes’ principle, according to the
method described by Joas et al. (2009).
A total of 53 to 62 mangoes from each origin were sorted into three
groups, a low density group, a medium density group, and a high
density group. Six to seven fruits at the median of each group were used
for sensory evaluation on day 13 (batch 2), corresponding to optimal
consumption. The other fruits were randomly distributed in batch 1 and
batch 3 for physicochemical analysis on day 11 and day 15, corre-
sponding to the early and later stage of consumption, respectively. For
each origin, density distribution was similar in the three batches
(Fig. 1). All the mangoes were stored together in a chamber at 18 °C
with 80% relative humidity until the end of the experiments.
2.2. Physicochemical analyses
Pulp firmness of ripe mango (Fp, N) was measured by using a TA-
XT2 analyzer (Stable Micro System, Surrey, England). Duplicated
measurements were taken place at the equatorial region of each cheek
after breaking the peel, at a depth of 10 mm with a cylinder probe
(diameter 5 mm) (Valente et al., 2009). The maximum force recorded
during the measurement is used. Pulp color was measured in triplicate
on each cheek with a Minolta Chroma Meter CR 400 (Konica Minolta,
Osaka, Japan), and described by hue angle value (hue, in °). The or-
ange-yellow color of the mango pulp increased with a decrease in hue.
After physical analysis, the fresh mango pulp was cut into small
cubes (< 1 cm3), then frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −20 °C for
further analysis. The frozen mango pulp was defrosted at 4 °C, then
mashed in an electronic grinder (Moulinex-coffee grinder-AR110510)
for physicochemical analysis. Soluble solids content (SSC,°Brix) were
measured with a digital handler refractometer (ATAGO, PAL-3, Atago
Instruments, Tokyo, Japan). Dry matter (DM, %) was determined by the
AOAC procedure (method 934.06/37.1.10) (AOAC, 2000) after drying
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Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548
in a vacuum oven at 65 °C for 48 h (Bioblock Scientific 4500i, Fisher
Scientific, Hampton, USA). Total soluble sugar content (TSS, %) was
determined by HPLC (Dionex Ultimate 3000 Thermo Scientific),
equipped with an Aminex HPX87H type column, a UV detector
(210 nm), and a refractometric detector (RID-10A, Schimadzu). Elution
was carried out at 40 °C with 5 mM of solution sulfuric acid at a flow
rate of 0.6 mL min−1. The main soluble sugars in ripe mango fruit were
extracted by weight in 1 g of fresh mango pulp, added to 25 mL of
acidified MiliQ water (10 mM H2SO4), homogenized for 30 min
(Shaker, Reax Heidolphe). After centrifugation for (10 000g, 5 min,
15 °C), the supernatant was filtered (RC 0.45 μm, Sartorius Stedim
Biotech GmbH, Germany). TSS is the sum of the main soluble sugars
(glucose, fructose, sucrose). Titratable acidity (TA, meq 100 g−1) was
determined by diluting 3 g of pureed mango in 30 mL of MiliQ water
and titrating with 0.1 N NaOH to an endpoint at pH 8.1 using an au-
tomatic titrator (Titroline 96; Schott-Geräte GmbH, Mainz, Germany).
The results are expressed on a fresh weight basis.
2.3. Sensory evaluation
A rank test (one being the lowest rank, two the medium, three the
highest rank) according to standard ISO 8587 (2007) was conducted
with 14, 16, and 20 trained panelists for mangoes from Peru, Ivory
Coast, and Brazil, respectively. The panelists were selected and trained
according to standard ISO 8586 (2012). The cheeks of the mangoes in
each density class at Day 13 were cut into cubes (about 1-2 cm3) and
well homogenized. The samples comprising two cubes of each density
were placed on a plastic plate coded with a three-digit random number,
and presented in a random sequential order according to a Latin square
design. The panelists were asked to rank the samples in the three
density classes based on sweetness, sourness, firmness, and the intensity
of mango aroma. For each sensory attribute, new samples with new
codes were presented. The sessions were conducted in a sensory la-
boratory equipped with individual booths, under white light, according
to ISO 8589 (2007). Data were expressed as a sum of the rank scores
given by the all the panelists.
2.4. Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis of results was performed with Xlstat software.
For the mangoes Day 13, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was per-
formed of physicochemical parameters and the comparisons between
density classes were evaluated by Tukey’s test at p = 0.05. A non-
parametric Friedman’s test was used to determine significant sensory
differences between each density class.
Response variables (i.e. DM, SSC, TSS, Hue, Fp, and TA) were pre-
dicted by several explanatory variables including origin (qualitative
variable), density and day of maturation (quantitative variables), and
their interactions using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). For each
response variable, the prediction model was established using only
significant explanatory variables giving a total of 118 observations (3
origins) x 2 maturation stages (Day 11 and day 15) x 18–21 samples
(per batch). The performance of the models was evaluated by the
coefficient of determination (R2) and the root means square error
(RMSE), which was calculated with the following formula.
1 n
RMSE = ∑ (Yip − Yio)2
n i= 1
where Yip and Yio are respectively the predicted and observed values of
the fruit i, and n is the number of observations.
The relevance of density to predict the sensory quality of mangoes
at consumption was evaluated using a logistic regression model.
Mangoes were sorted into two classes according to a threshold density
of 1.000 g mL−1 (HD class if density > 1.000 g mL−1; LD class if den-
sity ≤ 1.000 g mL−1). This threshold density, which was chosen arbi-
trarily, allows easy sorting according to the density simply by
S. Hor, et al.
Fig. 1. Distribution of the density in mangoes from each country of origin, Peru, Ivory Coast, Brazil. LD: Low density mango, MD: Medium density mango, and HD:
High density mango.
a
density given in g mL−1; b number of mangos in each batch; c day of ripening.
immersing the fruit in water. Only mangoes at Day 11 and Day 15 from
each origin were taken into account. The class in which the mangoes
belong was predicted using the logit (binomial) function on the phy-
sicochemical parameters (TSS, Hue, Fp, and TA). The cut-off point was
set at 0.5. When the probability of a density class was above 0.5, the
fruit was considered to be in the HD class; when the probability was
below 0.5, the fruit was considered to be in the LD class. ANOVA was
used to assess significant differences in physicochemical parameters
(TSS, Hue, Fp, and TA) between the LD and HD classes from each origin.
3. Results
3.1. Effect of density on the sensory quality of ripe mangoes
There was a significant effect of density on sweetness, aroma, and
firmness intensity (p < 0.001) (Fig. 2). HD mangoes had a significantly
higher intensity of sweetness, mango aroma, and lower intensity of
firmness than LD mangoes, whatever the origin (Figs. 2A to 2C). A
significant effect of density on sourness intensity was observed only in
mangoes from Ivory Coast (Fig. 2D). For this origin, HD mangoes had
significantly lower sourness intensity than LD mangoes. By underlining
the density differences between classes HD and LD, these results
showed that minimum differences in density of 0.03 g mL−1 for Peru
mangoes and 0.04 g mL−1 for mangoes from Ivory Coast and Brazil
were required to detect a significant difference in the sweetness, aroma,
and firmness intensity of ripe mangoes.
In the same mangoes, a significant effect of density was observed on
soluble solids content, total soluble sugar content, and pulp firmness
(Fig. 3). HD mangoes had higher soluble solids content and total soluble
sugar content than LD mangoes, whatever the origin (Fig. 3A and B).
Significant differences in means of soluble solids content between HD
and LD mangoes were 2.2, 3.1 and 2.7°Brix for mangoes from Peru,
Ivory Coast, and Brazil, respectively. Differences in means of total so-
luble sugar content between HD and LD mangoes were 2.2, 2.7, and
1.4% for mangoes from Peru, Ivory Coast, and Brazil, respectively.
Knowing that significant differences in sweetness intensity have been
observed between LD and HD mangoes. A minimum difference of
2.2°Brix in soluble solids content or 1.4% in total soluble sugar content
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Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548
is therefore sufficient to detect a significant difference in sweetness. LD
mangoes presented higher pulp firmness than HD mangoes, but this
tendency was only significant for mangoes from Ivory Coast (Fig. 3C).
No significant difference was observed in titratable acidity between
density classes (Fig. 3D).
3.2. Prediction of physicochemical parameters by density, origin and day of
maturation
Relationships between physicochemical parameters and density,
origin, day of maturation and their interactions were examined on
mangoes Day 11 and Day 15 by ANCOVA. Density and origin had a
significant effect on dry matter content, soluble solids content, and total
soluble sugar content (p < 0.001) (Table 1). A significant interaction
between density and day of maturation was observed for dry matter
content and soluble solids content (p < 0.01). For each origin, pre-
diction models were established to regress dry matter content and so-
luble solids content against density and day of maturation, and total
soluble sugar content against density (Table 2, Fig. 4A–C). Despite a
low coefficient of determination (R² < 0.52), the RMSE values were
1.1% for dry matter content and total soluble sugar content and 1.2°.
Brix for soluble solids content indicated good predictive performances.
The coefficients associated with the density in the prediction models of
dry matter content, total soluble sugar content, and soluble solids
content were 51–54, suggesting that an increase of 0.01 g mL−1 in
density led to an increase of 0.5% in dry matter content, total soluble
sugar content, and 0.5°Brix in soluble solids content. The coefficients
associated with the day of maturation indicate an increase in dry matter
content and soluble solids content during ripening in mangoes from
Peru and Ivory Coast and a decrease in the same parameters in mangoes
from Brazil.
Density, origin, and the day of maturation had a significant effect on
the hue angle (p < 0.001) (Table 1). Significant interactions between
these factors were observed (p < 0.05). For each origin, the hue angle
was well predicted by density, day of maturation, and their interactions
(R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 1.54) (Table 2, Fig. 4D). In the prediction model,
the coefficients, particularly the intercept and the coefficient associated
with density, indicated variations between origins in the hue angle
S. Hor, et al.
Fig. 2. Sum of rank scores for sensory characteristics of ripe mango after 13 days of ripening according to density class. Low density, Medium density, High
density. PE: origin Peru, IC: origin Ivory Coast and BR: origin Brazil. Different letters above each bar indicate significant difference (p < 0.05) between density
classes.
according to the density. For a low density (< 0.95 g mL−1), the hue
angle for mangoes from Brazil was 8° lower than mangoes from Peru
and 4° lower than for mangoes from Ivory Coast, whatever the day of
maturation. For a high density (> 1.05 g mL−1), the Hue angle for
mangoes from Brazil was 6° lower than mangoes from Ivory Coast and
between 1° and 3.5° lower than for fruit from Peru.
Density, origin, day of maturation had a significant effect on firm-
ness measured by penetrometer (p < 0.001) (Table 1). A significant
interaction between origin and day of maturation was observed
(p < 0.001). For each origin, pulp firmness was correctly predicted by
density and day of maturation (R2 = 0.65) despite a RMSE close to 2 N
(Table 2, Fig. 4E). The coefficients associated with density were -54,
suggesting that an increase of 0.01 g mL−1 in density led to a decrease
in 0.5 N for pulp firmness. The coefficients associated with the day of
maturation indicated a more rapid decrease in firmness during ripening
in mangoes from Peru and almost no decrease in mangoes from Brazil.
The origin and the day of maturation had a significant effect on
titratable acidity (p < 0.001) (Table 1). A significant interaction be-
tween origin and density was observed (p < 0.01). For each origin,
titratable acidity was well predicted by day of maturation and density
(R2 = 0.80 and RMSE = 1.25) (Table 2, Fig. 4F). A coefficient of 0.64
associated with the day of maturation means that titratable acidity
decreases by 0.64 meq 100g−1 per day during ripening, whatever the
origin. However, the coefficients associated with density suggest that
when density increases, titratable acidity increases in mangoes from
Peru and Ivory Coast and decreases in mangoes from Brazil.
3.3. Practical illustration of the use of density to sort mangoes
To evaluate the interest of sorting mangoes based on density, we
propose two classes of fruit separated at a density of 1.000 g mL−1.
From their physicochemical characteristics (total soluble sugar content,
titratable acidity, pulp firmness, and pulp color), the class in which the
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Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548
mangoes belonged was predicted by logistic regression. The logistic
equation for each origin is given in Table 3. The proportion of mangoes
correctly predicted to be in the right class was higher than 72% except
for HD mangoes from Ivory Coast. In the latter case, only four mangoes
were initially attributed to the HD class (Table 3). Whatever the origin,
there was a significance difference in pulp color (hue) and in total so-
luble sugars between the LD and HD class, except for TSS of mangoes
from Ivory Coast (Fig. 5). HD fruit were characterized by a higher total
soluble sugar content of 0.6% in mangoes from Peru to 1.7% in man-
goes from Brazil (Fig. 5A), and by a lower Hue angle between 2° and
2.6° than LD fruits (p < 0.05) (Fig. 5B). HD mangoes from Brazil were
also less firm than LD mangoes (p < 0.05) (data not shown).
4. Discussion
This study showed that density measured at a green mature stage
can predict mango sensory characteristics at a ripe stage. Green man-
goes with higher density had higher sweetness and more intense mango
aroma, and lower firmness intensity at the eating stage than mangoes
with lower density. These results are in agreement with those of Aubert
et al. (2019) in nectarine fruit. To our knowledge, our results are the
first original findings for mango fruit. It is interesting to note that a
minimum difference in density of 0.03 g mL−1 is sufficient for panelists
to perceive a significant difference in sweetness, mango aroma, and
firmness. That means that the more density variability is minimized
(close to 0.03 g mL−1), the more fruits in a batch are sensorially
homogeneous.
Relationships between density and sensory characteristics were
corroborated by physicochemical analysis. Concentrations of soluble
solids and total soluble sugar content, known indicators of sweetness
intensity (Paula et al., 2008) were high in HD mangoes. Firmness
measured by penetrometer, which is an indicator of firmness intensity
(Valente et al., 2011), was highest in LD mangoes. These results
S. Hor, et al. Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548

Fig. 3. Physicochemical properties of mango after 13 days of ripening according to density class. Low density, Medium density, High density. PE: origin Peru,
IC: origin Ivory Coast and BR: origin Brazil. Different letters above each bar indicate a significant difference (p < 0.05) between density classes. The result is
expressed on a fresh weight basis.

Table 1 the concentration of dry matter and total soluble sugars, and pulp color
Effect of fruit origin, density, day of maturation, and their interactions on dry (hue angle) in our study were of similar accuracy to those established
matter content (DM), soluble solids content (SSC), total soluble sugar content by Nordey et al. (2019), who predicted the final quality of mango using
(TSS), pulp color (hue), firmness (Fp), and titratable acidity (TA), of ripe near-infrared spectra at harvest. Indeed, these authors reported values
mangoes fruit using ANCOVA. of error to predict these physicochemical parameters that are close to
Factors F-valuea and significanceb those obtained in our study (i.e., RMSE of 1.3 for dry matter content,
1.1 for total soluble sugar content and 1.9 for hue angle).
DM SSC TSS hue Fp TA The positive correlations between the density and the dry matter
Origin 17*** 24*** 10*** 219*** 63*** 172** and sugar contents, already observed in nectarines (Aubert et al., 2019),
Density 60*** 62*** 74*** 57*** 27*** NS tomatoes (Wenzhung et al., 2002) and kiwi fruit (Jordan et al., 2000),
Day NS NS NS 15*** 32*** 110*** could be explained by the age or the filling of fruit at harvest. In a study
Origin*Density NS NS NS 4* NS 5** of the cv. ‘Cogshall’ mango, Léchaudel and Joas (2006), showed that
Origin*Day 4* 3.2* NS 6** 9*** NS
fruit density, soluble sugars and starch increased concomitantly with
Density*Day NS NS NS 7* NS NS
fruit age and carbon supply. Fruit with higher density at harvest could
a
F-value is given only for the factors kept in the optimal model. in fact be older fruits or faster filling fruit, resulting in higher sugar and
b
*** p-value < 0.001, ** p-value < 0.01, * p-value < 0.05, NS not significant. starch contents. During ripening, these fruit then accumulate more so-
luble sugars, partly from hydrolyzed starch (Saranwong et al., 2004;
confirmed the higher firmness perceived by panelists in LD mangoes. Paula et al., 2008; Hossain et al., 2014). Remarkably, increasing density
The relationship between density and mango aroma intensity was in by 0.01 g mL−1 at harvest increased dry matter, total soluble sugar
accordance with the study of Aubert et al. (2019), which showed that content by 5%, and soluble solids content by 5°Brix, whatever the origin
nectarines with higher density at harvest presented higher aroma in- of the mangoes. Further study is now needed to validate this correlation
tensity and higher levels of lactones during ripening. An interesting coefficient, and to check if it is specific to this mango variety.
future work would be the analysis of key aroma volatile compounds in The positive correlation between density and the orange color of the
mango, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpene, and lactone (Bonneau pulp could be explained by the influence of the supply of carbohydrates
et al., 2016; Joas et al., 2012; Lalel et al., 2003) to confirm higher on the biosynthesis of carotenoids. Firstly, yellow-orange color is re-
mango aroma intensity in HD mangoes. ported to be an indicator of carotenoid content in mango fruit (Barrett
Physicochemical parameters associated with sensory quality in ripe et al., 2010 and Paulo et al., 2010). Secondly, it has often been sug-
mango can be simply and non-destructively predicted by their density gested that a high carbohydrate supply favors the synthesis of sec-
at the green mature stage and the day of maturation. The prediction of ondary metabolites due to its positive influence on precursor

5
S. Hor, et al. Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548

Table 2
Predictive equations of dry matter content, soluble solids content, total soluble sugar content, pulp color, firmness, and titratable acidity by density and day of
maturation using the optimal model presented in Table 1.
Parameters Origina Predictive equations R2 RMSE

Dry matter content (%) PE DM = -34.4 + 51.2 Density + 0.05 Day 0.48 1.15
IC DM = -33.3 + 51.2 Density + 0.12 Day
BR DM = -30.5 + 51.2 Density - 0.27 Day
Soluble solids content (°Brix) PE SSC = -38.4 + 53.7 Density + 0.07 Day 0.52 1.18
IC SSC = -36.7 + 53.7 Density + 0.13 Day
BR SSC = -33.7 + 53.7 Density - 0.26 Day
Total soluble sugar content (%) PE TSS = -39.0 + 52.6 Density 0.45 1.05
IC TSS = -37.2 + 52.6 Density
BR TSS = -39.0 + 52.6 Density
Pulp color (hue, in °) PE hue = 350.1 - 265.4 Density – 11.9 Day + 11.8 Density*Day
IC hue = 289.9 -201.3 Density – 12.3 Day +11.8 Density*Day 0.83 1.54
BR hue = 290.7 – 211 Density – 12.3 day + 11.8 Density*Day
Firmness (N) PE Fp = 72.9 – 53.8 Density - 0.96 Day 0.65 2.40
IC Fp = 65 – 53.8 Density - 0.51 Day
BR Fp = 56.8 – 53.8 Density - 0.04 Day
Titratable acidity (meq 100 g−1) PE TA = -3.1 - 0.64 Day + 16.5 Density 0.80 1.25
IC TA = -25.5 - 0.64 Day + 42.9 Density
BR TA = 28.6 - 0.64 Day – 17.3 Density

a
PE origin Peru, IC origin Ivory Coast and BR origin Brazil. Accuracy of model prediction indicated by the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root means
square error (RMSE). The result is expressed on a fresh weight basis.

availability (Cunningham, 2002; Télef et al., 2006). In our study,
mangoes with higher density were certainly characterized by higher
sugar and starch contents, resulting in higher carotenoid contents, and
therefore more intense orange color pulp.
Firmness decreased with increasing density and day of maturation.
These results are in line with those obtained by Kapse and Katrodia
(1997), who reported that mango ripening behavior was associated
with density at harvest. Yashoda et al. (2006) reported that softening in
mango is due to cell wall degradation, especially pectin solubilization
by enzymes including pectinesterase, polygalacturonase, and cellulase.
We hypothesize that enzymatic activity to solubilize pectin may be
greater in high density mangoes and that they consequently soften
faster. However, further analyses are needed to understand this re-
lationship, as to date, no study has been conducted on this topic.
If the negative correlation between acidity and day of maturation
confirmed previous studies in mango fruit (Padda et al., 2011;
Watanawan et al., 2014; Eda et al., 2000), the analysis of the interac-
tion between origin and density on acidity complicates the interpreta-
tion of the results. Everything suggests there is no significant correla-
tion between density and acidity, as previously observed by Aubert
et al. (2019) in nectarine.
The differences in pulp color, firmness and acidity between origins
can be explained either by the transport conditions, or by the agro-
pedoclimatic conditions. Transport conditions tended to have a major
effect on fruit pulp color. Actually, the color of the pulp of mangoes
from Peru and Ivory Coast, which were transported from the production
site by ship (at a temperature below 10 °C for about 20 days) and ri-
pened at 18 °C for 11 to 15 days, was less orange than that of mangoes
from Brazil transported by plane (at a temperature of more than 10 °C
in less than two days). This effect could be related to carotenoid ac-
cumulation in mango pulp. Carotenoid, particularly β carotene, is
known to be responsible for the orange pigment in mango fruit
(Vásquez-Caicedo et al., 2005). Rosalie et al. (2015) reported that
carotenoid accumulation was significantly reduced when fruit was
stored at 7 °C for 15 days and subsequently ripened at room tempera-
ture. Similarly, Gómez et al. (2009) reported blockage of carotenoid
synthesis in tomato fruits during storage at low temperature. If mangoes
from Brazil were less firm than mangoes from Peru and Ivory Coast, this
was probably not due to transport conditions, especially not to exposure
to low temperatures during storage. Indeed, the firmness of nectarine
and kiwi fruit was shown to be drastically reduced after transfer from
low temperature to room temperature (Aubert et al., 2014; Mworia
et al., 2012). On other hand, the agro-pedoclimatic conditions could
explain the differences in firmness in mangoes from different origins. In
ripe bananas, our team observed an increasing correlation between the
rainfall level and fruit firmness (Bugaud et al., 2007). The high acidity
observed in mangoes from Ivory Coast could be also linked to agro-
pedoclimatic conditions, as already observed in bananas (Bugaud et al.,
2009).
Two classes of fruit are proposed that separate fruit based on a
density threshold of 1.000 g mL−1 on their arrival at the importer’s
ripening chamber of regardless of the storage conditions. Indeed, an
(unpublished) preliminary test showed that different storage conditions
(at 20 °C or previously stored at a cold temperature for 8 or 18 days) led
to the same increase in density after the mangoes were harvested. By
sorting mangoes with a density threshold of 1.000 g mL−1, we were
able to correctly classify them according to their sensory indicators
(sugar content, firmness, titratable acidity and yellow-orange pulp
color) with a minimum probability of 70%. Obviously, the density of
incorrectly predicted fruits in each class was close to the density
threshold (1.000 g mL−1). For better sorting of mango fruits, the dif-
ference in density would need to be at least 0.03 g mL−1. This value
allowed us to distinguish a significant difference in sensory quality
(sweetness, firmness, and mango aroma intensity) between LD and HD
mangoes. By proposing a density threshold of 1.000 g mL−1, i.e. mea-
sured by submerging the mango in water, we would have an applicable
density threshold value for grading or sorting mangoes in the supply
chain. Clearly, this density threshold reduced the heterogeneity of bulk
mangoes and sorted them into two batches (low and high density),
mainly characterized by differences in total soluble sugars and yellow-
orange pulp color. Therefore, assuming that consumers prefer sweet
and aromatic mangoes, that are rich in carotenoids, it would be possible
to increase the value of high-density fruit (measured by immersing in
water) to premium grade reflected in the price, the packaging or the
mode of transport and/or storage.
5. Conclusions
This study confirms the interest of using density as an indicator to
predict the final quality, both the sensory quality and the nutritional
properties of mango fruit. Density is significantly correlated with the
sensory quality of ripe mango including sweetness, mango aroma,
firmness intensity, and yellow-orange pulp color, the latter being an
indicator of carotenoid content. The cause of these relations, especially

6
S. Hor, et al. Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548

Fig. 4. Prediction of dry matter content (DM,%), soluble solids content (SSC, °Brix), total soluble sugar content (TSS, %), titratable acidity (TA, meq 100 g−1), pulp
color (hue, in °), and maximum puncture force (Fp, N) by ANCOVA using explanatory variables including origin, density, day of maturation, and their interactions.
Predictive equations are given in Table 2. The result is expressed on a fresh weight basis. ○ D11 (PE), ● D15 (PE), Δ D11 (IC), ▲ D15 (IC), ◊ D11 (BR), ♦ D15 (BR).

of the physiological state of fruit at harvest, will be investigated in a Funding

future study. Importantly, density is an indicator that needs to be taken
into account in the development of non-destructive techniques to assess This work was supported by the French FUI (Fonds Unique
fruit quality and/or to sort the fruit. This indicator will likely rapidly Interministériel, project QUA'DENS, AAP16), co-funded by BPI France,
become operational since it appears to apply whatever the origin, it can and Occitanie region.
be assessed rapidly and already incorporated in the fruit conveyor belt
stage on arrival at the importers' ripening room.

7
S. Hor, et al. Scientia Horticulturae 272 (2020) 109548

Table 3
Percentage of mangoes corrected predicted in the right density class by using logistic regression model on physicochemical parameters (total soluble sugar contents
(TSS), pulp color (Hue), firmness (Fp), and titratable acidity (TA)).
Origin Number of fruits % Corrected class Logistic equation to predict density class according to physicochemical properties

Low densitya < High densitya >

1.0 g.mL−1 1.0 g.mL−1

Peru 41 78.3 (23) 72.2 (18) 1

−0.2 * Fp + 56)
1 + e−(0.1* TA + 0.29* TSS − 0.72* Hue − 7.4 e
Ivory Coast 35 93.6 (31) 50 (4) 1
1 + e−(0.68* TA − 1.06* TSS − 0.72* Hue − 2.50* Fp + 74)
Brazil 41 84.2 (20) 90.9 (21) 1
1 + e−(−0.08* TA + 0.56* TSS − 1.03* Hue − 1.32* Fp + 75)

a
The number in parentheses is the total number of fruits in each density class before prediction.

Acknowledgments

We thank Sylvie Avallone for fruitful discussion, and Joël Grabulos

and Nelly Forestier-Chiron for their technical support.

References

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Fig. 5. Variability of total soluble sugar content (TSS, %) (Figure A) and pulp
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density threshold of 1.000 g mL−1. Different letters above each bar indicate a
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expressed on a fresh weight basis.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Sivmey Hor: Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis,
Investigation, Data curation, Writing - original draft. Mathieu
Léchaudel: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision,
Funding acquisition. Hasika Mith: Writing - review & editing, Funding
acquisition. Christophe Bugaud: Conceptualization, Methodology,
Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Writing - review
& editing, Supervision, Project administration.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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