Untangling Brillouin scattering data of apple fruit cuticles utilizing Raman spectroscopy

The Cuticular Membrane (CM) is a non-living protective layer covering all primary aerial plant surfaces, including fruits, and consists of cutin, waxes, and polysaccharides. It’s crucial in regulating water movements and pathogen defense. During fruit development, the CM stretches significantly, potentially resulting in microcracks. Additional cutin and embedded waxes help mitigate this. We used multimodal Brillouin and Raman scattering spectroscopy to examine the CM's mechanical and chemical properties. By analyzing microsections of apple CMs, we created masks to isolate and assess the mechanical contributions of different chemical constituents.