Various Cultivars of Citrus Fruits: Effects of Construction on Gas Diffusion Resistance and Internal Gas Concentration of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have performed interesting studies on the structure of citrus fruits (the outer skin thickness and the stomatal number density) and gas diffusion resistance and CO2 and O2 concentrations of the fruits inside. They have explained the clear relationship between gas diffusion resistance and the structural characteristics of citrus fruits. The study may be useful in developing a new citrus fruit cultivar that will be perfect in terms of self-controlled respiration by genome editing or bleeding.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The manuscript was well-written and perfectly understandable. The final presentation might benefit slightly from light language polishing, but this is optional.

Author Response

I appreciate for your reviewing.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1． Section 1: How do the number of pores on the skin surface and the space of voids and more specifically the structure affect the gas diffusion resistance? It is suggested to increase the introduction and analysis of relevant studies.

2． Section 2: The methods section lacks necessary references, so it is recommended to add them. For example, part 2.2.1, 2.2.3, 2.3.

3． Section 2.1: Why did the citrus choose to be stored at 10°C before the experiment?

4． Line 158: change “ml” to “mL”.

5． Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3: Were the experimental devices prepared or purchased by the author? If the instrument is purchased, it is recommended to increase the instrument model and manufacturer.

6． Section 3: The discussion on results has not been extensively performed, which is crucial to highlight any possible promising applications, especially correlating the experimental data and results obtained by different analytical methods.

7． Review and revise reference styles according to journal requirements.

Author Response

Thank you for referee’s advice comment. I respond to each of referee’s advice, and revised sentence is shown red word.

1． Section 1: How do the number of pores on the skin surface and the space of voids and more specifically the structure affect the gas diffusion resistance? It is suggested to increase the introduction and analysis of relevant studies.

 

Thank you for your indication.

The new reference and explanation of the past study is added in this section.

 

2． Section 2: The methods section lacks necessary references, so it is recommended to add them. For example, part 2.2.1, 2.2.3, 2.3.

 

Section:2.2.1

This method for the ethane efflux method and analyzing ethane gas concentration was performed according only method of Dirpan et al. (2016) [11].

 

Section:2.2.3

Thank you for your indication.

The new reference is noted in this section.

 

Section:2.3

Thank you for your indication.

The new reference is noted in this section.

 

3． Section 2.1: Why did the citrus choose to be stored at 10 °C before the experiment?

 

The store temperature of 10 °C can have a minimal effect on citrus in general.

If the store temperature is higher, a respiration and transpiration activity of the citrus can be increased.

If the store temperature is lower, the citrus can have a chilling injury.

Since these negative factors can affect on the gas resistance of citrus, we chose 10 °C of the store temperature.

 

4． Line 158: change “ml” to “mL”.

 

Thank you for your indication.

I revise a whole of manuscript according to your indication.

 

5． Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3: Were the experimental devices prepared or purchased by the author? If the instrument is purchased, it is recommended to increase the instrument model and manufacturer.

 

Thank you for your indication.

I revise according to your indication.

A detail of experimental devices containing in Fig.1-3 is explained within my understanding.

However, the acrylic box in Fig.1 and Fig. 2 were special order materials, and AC Fan in Fig. 2 and desiccator in Fig.3 were general purpose product without catalog number and manufacturer name.

 

6． Section 3: The discussion on results has not been extensively performed, which is crucial to highlight any possible promising applications, especially correlating the experimental data and results obtained by different analytical methods.

 

Thank you for your suggestion.

I also think that a detail of relationship between the gas resistance and the construction of citrus fruit should be clarified.

However, the cultivars of citrus fruit utilizing in this study is genetically considerable different cultivars and these constructions is more different, which cannot be appropriate to calculate correlation coefficient.

As further research, according to your suggestion, calculating correlation coefficient between the gas resistance and each of the construction have to be investigated utilizing more appropriate samples.

It’s my future work, and my effort will be performed.

 

7． Review and revise reference styles according to journal requirements.

 

Thank you for your indication.

I revise according to your indication.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper titled “Effect of Citrus Fruit Constructions on Gas Diffusion Resistance and Internal Gas Concentration of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide for Various Cultivars of Citrus Fruits” presents an interesting study on the relationship between gas diffusion resistance and structural characteristics of citrus fruits. The paper is well-written, with a clear thought process and rigorous logic. The experimental design is reasonable and well-executed. The results are convincingly presented and support the conclusions drawn. Overall, this paper provides valuable insights for creating new citrus varieties with excellent self-regulated respiration by altering the structural characteristics through genome editing. However, there are some shortcomings that need to be addressed. Specific suggestions are as follows:

 1. L22, The first letters of the keywords are not capitalized.

 2. L48, Grammar mistakes. “it was investigated the gas diffusion resistance” should be modified to “the gas diffusion resistance was investigated”.

 3. L224-L225, Could you create another figure similar to Figure 6b that shows the gas diffusion resistance on the surfaces of seven types of citrus fruits coated with wax? Since it's mentioned that a slight increase in peel thickness can also enhance gas diffusion resistance, please include this information as well.

 4. L334-L351, please add a analysis figure that relates these two passages.

 5. L369-L371, The skin thickness and stomatal number density are inherently part of the construction characteristics of the fruit, so there is no need to reiterate them.

 6. Please italicize all non-italicized subheadings in the text.

 

Author Response

Thank you for referee’s advice comment. I respond to each of referee’s advice, and revised sentence is shown red word.

1. L22, The first letters of the keywords are not capitalized.

 

Thank you for your indicating.

I revised that the first letters of the keywords are capitalized.

 

2. L48, Grammar mistakes. “it was investigated the gas diffusion resistance” should be modified to “the gas diffusion resistance was investigated”.

 

Thank you for your indicating.

I revised to “the gas diffusion resistance was investigated”.

 

 

3. L224-L225, Could you create another figure similar to Figure 6b that shows the gas diffusion resistance on the surfaces of seven types of citrus fruits coated with wax? Since it's mentioned that a slight increase in peel thickness can also enhance gas diffusion resistance, please include this information as well.

 

Thank you for your indicating about L224-225, sentence of “Additionally, the gas diffusion resistance was increased by coating the surface of fruits with wax even for a thickness of ca. 0.8 × 10^–2 mm [21].”

However, since I haven’t investigated gas diffusion resistance of the citrus fruits coated with wax, I am sorry not to show the result of “the gas diffusion resistance on the surfaces of seven types of citrus fruits coated with wax”.

I had meaning of this sentence that increasing even slight thickness of some construction between atmosphere and fruit inside can increased the gas resistance.

Therefore, for avoiding to misunderstand, this sentence is deleted.

 

4. L334-L351, please add a analysis figure that relates these two passages.

 

Thank you for your indicating.

I added new table about the sentence of L334-L351.

 

5. L369-L371, The skin thickness and stomatal number density are inherently part of the construction characteristics of the fruit, so there is no need to reiterate them.

 

Thank you for your indicating.

I revised this sentence to read easily and to avoid misunderstanding.

 

before

Although this study clarified a clear relationship between the gas diffusion resistance and the construction characteristics of citrus fruits, the resistance of citrus fruit can be related to the outer skin thickness and stomatal number density.

 

after

This study clarified relationship between the gas diffusion resistance and the construction characteristics of citrus fruits such as the outer skin thickness and the stomatal number density.

 

6. Please italicize all non-italicized subheadings in the text.

 

Thank you for your indicating.

I revised whole of manuscript.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Line 47: There is an error (0.8 × 10–2 mm), please check and modify it.

Author Response

Line 47: There is an error (0.8 × 10–2 mm), please check and modify it.

Thank you for your indication.

I modified from"10-2" to "10^-2".