Research Progress on Factors Controlling the Formation of Stone Cells in Pear Fruits and Their Effects on Fruit Texture

As one of the important indicators for evaluating the quality of pears, stone cells exhibit a supportive effect on pear fruits and improve its storability. However, excess stone cells in pear fruits are not conducive to the accumulation of nutrients, affecting the taste, flavor and health benefits, ultimately reducing the marketability of pears. Gaining insights into the formation pathways of stone cells and developing methods to regulate the formation of stone cells are beneficial to improve the quality of pear fruits and promote the development of processed pear products. In this article, we review the key internal factors controlling the development of stone cells in pear fruits such as enzymes, lignin, vascular bundles and genes and the external factors affecting the distribution, size and content of stone cells in pear fruits such as exogenous calcium, hormones, and the environment. Moreover, we also discuss the effects of stone cells on the sensory and nutritional quality of pear fruits. It is our hope that this review will provide a reference for the deep processing and utilization of pear fruits in the future.