Mechanical properties of cuticles and their primary determinants

Cuticles envelope primary surfaces of the above-ground portion of plants. They function as barriers to water movement and to gas exchange, and in pathogen defense. To serve as a barrier on growing organs, cuticles must remain intact but at the same time must accommodate ongoing growth. Minimizing cuticle failure has stimulated significant research on the cuticle’s mechanical properties. The objective here is to review the literature on the mechanical properties of isolated fruit and leaf cuticles. Cuticles are viscoelastic polymers. Viscoelasticity results mainly from the cutin matrix. Impregnation by waxes, flavonoids, and cutan increases stiffness and strength but decreases extensibility. On the inner side, the cutin matrix is impregnated by cell wall polysaccharides, which are responsible for its elastic behavior. Across species, the maximum forces sustainable by hydrated cuticles in uniaxial tensile tests averaged 0.82 N (range 0.15–1.63 N), the maximum stresses averaged 13.2 MPa (range 2.0–29.0 MPa), the maximum strains averaged 8.8% (range 1.6–28.0%), and the moduli of elasticity averaged 224 MPa (range 60–730 MPa). Among the environmental factors, high temperature and hydration both decreased stiffness. Therefore, the mechanical properties of cuticles in vivo depend largely on the relative proportions of their constituents. These proportions change during development and are also affected by environmental factors such as temperature.