Throughout the growing period, the fruit skin must constantly adapt to the increased volume of the fruit and it must maintain an important protective function. The cuticle consists of the primary skin, the epidermis and the dermis or cuticle. The cuticle is the top hydrophobic layer that provides mechanical support to the fruit and protects it from insects, water loss, and UV radiation. The main goal of this diploma thesis was to study the roughness, zeta potential and contact angle of the fruit surface. Cuticular waxes also play an important role in protecting the fruit from physical (temperature changes, UV radiation), chemical (pesticides), and biological changes (mechanical damage, insects). Bacteria can attach to the fruit surface through adhesins, flagella, fibrils and exopolysaccharides. However, the hydrophobic cell surface and the surface charge of bacteria play an important role in bacterial adhesiveness. Fruit surface properties can be determined by contact angle, zeta potential, atomic force microscopy, or scanning electron microscopy. The contact angle measures the angle formed between the molecules in the droplet and the solid surface beneath it. The higher the contact angle, the greater the hydrophobicity of the surface. The content of waxes and trichomes on the surface of the fruit is related to the contact angle, because of their hydrophobic nature, therefore contact angle is higher. Zeta potential shows the surface charge of the particles, the repulsive colloidal forces between them and the physical stability of the systems, with colloidal systems being more stable at higher zeta potentials. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is characterized by high magnification with high resolution, where both 2D and 3D images can be obtained. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) information is extracted from the behavior of electrons to produce three-dimensional images of the microstructure of the fruit surface. With microscopies AFM and SEM, we found that fruit roughness varies according to fruit species and stage of maturity. Using microscopy SEM, we also found that bacteria rarely attach to smooth fruit surface and are often found in microcracks.
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