Modification of pectin polysaccharides during ripening of postharvest banana fruit

Pectin is one of the major components of the primary cellular walls and middle lamella in plant tissues. In this study, water-soluble pectin (WSP) and acid-soluble pectin (ASP) fractions were isolated from pulp tissues of banana fruit at various ripening stages. Their monosaccharide compositions, glycosyl linkages and molecular mass distributions were evaluated. As ripening progressed, fruit firmness decreased rapidly, which was associated with the increase in the WSP content and the decrease in the ASP content. Meanwhile, the molecular mass distributions of WSP and ASP fractions exhibited a downshift tendency, indicating the disassembly of pectin polysaccharides. Moreover, galactose and galacturonic acid as the major monosaccharide compositions of pectin polysaccharides increased in WSP fraction but decreased in ASP fraction during fruit softening. GC–MS analysis further revealed that pectin polysaccharide had a 1,4-linked galactan/galacturonan backbone with different types of branching and terminal linkages in WSP and ASP fractions. During banana fruit ripening, the amount of 1,4-linked Galp residues of ASP fraction decreased significantly whereas 1,3,6-linked Galp, 1,2-linked Manp and 4-linked Araf residues disappeared, which was related to depolymerization of pectin polysaccharides. Overall, the study indicated that the modifications in polysaccharide compositions and glycosyl linkages, reduced molecular mass distributions and enhanced depolymerization of pectin fraction during banana ripening were responsible for fruit softening.     

Role of endogenous and exogenous phenolics in litchi anthocyanin degradation caused by polyphenol oxidase

The degradation of anthocyanins and/or the oxidation of phenolics caused by polyphenol oxidase (PPO) results in an enzymatic browning reaction of fruits and vegetables. This work was conducted with a view to explaining the unexpected observation that litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) PPO did not directly oxidise litchi anthocyanins. PPO and anthocyanin from litchi fruit pericarp were extracted and purified, respectively, and then the anthocyanin degradation by PPO in the presence of (−)-epicatechin (endogenous PPO substrate), and catechol and gallic acid (exogenous PPO substrates) were analysed comparatively. The results showed that catechol was the most effective in litchi anthocyanin degradation, followed by (−)-epicatechin and gallic acid, but no significant differences existed between catechol and (−)-epicatechin. The study suggested that litchi PPO directly oxidised (−)-epicatechin; then oxidative products of (−)-epicatechin in turn catalysed litchi anthocyanin degradation, and finally resulted in the browning reaction, which can account for pericarp browning of postharvest litchi fruit.