李子采后软化过程中细胞壁酶活性对果胶降解的影响

以半边红李子为实验材料,利用质构分析仪研究其常温贮藏软化过程,并考察主要细胞壁酶（果胶酯酶PE、外切多聚半乳糖醛酸酶exo-PG、内切多聚半乳糖醛酸酶endo-PG和葡聚糖苷酶EG）活性变化对果实软化及原果胶降解为可溶性果胶（WSP、ASP、HSP、SSP）的影响。结果表明,李子常温贮藏过程中PE活性变化较小,exo-PG活性一直不断下降,endo-PG活性不断升高,EG活性贮藏前期略有下降,8d之后开始不断升高。李子果肉硬度和粘性降低与原果胶和SSP降解关系密切,ASP降解与粘度降低极显著相关（p<0.01）,HSP降解与果肉硬度下降显著相关（p<0.05）。果肉硬度和粘度变化与exo-PG活性极显著（p<0.01）和显著（p<0.05）相关。endo-PG活性变化对果肉硬度下降影响比较明显（p<0.05）。PE活性变化与原果胶、ASP、HSP、WSP含量变化均显著相关（p<0.05）;exo-PG活性变化与原果胶、HSP含量变化极显著相关（p<0.01）,与SSP、WSP含量变化显著相关（p<0.05）;endo-PG对原果胶和HSP的降解影响比较大（p<0.05）。EG对果胶降解影响较小。      

Cell wall polysaccharides of bush butter (Dacryodes edulis (G Don) HJ Lam) fruit pulp and their evolution during ripening

Cell wall material was isolated as alcohol‐insoluble solids (AIS) from bush butter endocarp tissue at different stages of ripeness. AIS were then extracted with 0.05 M CDTA followed by increasing concentrations of KOH (0.05, 1 and 4 M respectively). The chemical extractions solubilised a total of 51.6–60.6% of AIS, the yields of CDTA extracts accounting for approximately 9.6–12.2% of AIS. The extracts as well as the residues were analysed for their sugar composition and protein and starch contents. CDTA extracted the bulk of uronic acid in AIS, but the uronic acid content (after dialysis) of these extracts showed a significant decrease as the fruits ripened (from 439 to 252 mg g^?1 between the first and the last degree of ripeness). Analysis of the CDTA extracts by anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography showed a gradual appearance of new pectic populations at low degrees of methylation and low molecular weights, indicating that CDTA‐soluble pectins are demethylated and depolymerised during ripening. The dilute alkali (0.05 M KOH) extracts were essentially composed of proteins in addition to a minor quantity of pectin. The 1 M KOH and principally 4 M KOH treatments led to the extraction of hemicelluloses, mainly xyloglucan‐like and mannan‐like polymers. These extracts also contained substantial amounts of protein and starch. No variation related to the degree of ripeness was visible in the sugar composition of the alkali extracts. The molecular weight distribution of the hemicelluloses did not change with the degree of ripeness. The final residues accounted for 21.4–27.3% of AIS and were mostly composed of glucose (827–908 mg g^?1). All these results suggested that only CDTA‐soluble pectins were involved in bush butter fruit softening. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Diverse metabolism of cell wall components of melting and non‐melting peach genotypes during ripening after harvest or cold storage

The mode of change in a range of physiological, physicochemical and biochemical parameters during fruit ripening between distinct peach genotypes (Prunus persica L. Batsch) after cold storage for up to 4 weeks was determined. The nectarine cultivar ‘Caldesi 2000’ was selected as a genotype with melting flesh (MF) characteristic (fruits characterized by extensive flesh softening during ripening) and the cultivar ‘Andross’ as a genotype with non‐melting flesh (NMF) characteristic (fruits characterized by limited flesh softening during ripening). Flesh firmness, ethylene production, physicochemical and biochemical properties of the cell wall were determined and significant differences between the fruits of the two genotypes were recorded. Fruits of the NMF genotype were characterized by higher tissue retention and ethylene production during their ripening, higher content of uronic acids, as well as higher capacity for calcium binding in the water‐insoluble pectin fraction compared with fruits of the MF genotype. Additionally, the ripening of MF‐type fruits was characterized by higher losses of neutral sugars, especially those of arabinose and galactose than the NMF‐type fruits and these losses were more intense after extended cold storage periods. In fruits of the NMF genotype the decreased activity of pectin methyl esterase (PME) combined with higher levels of calcium in the water‐insoluble pectin fraction possibly provided less substrate for polygalacturonase (exo‐, endo‐PG) activity and less solubility of cell wall pectin compared with fruits of the MF genotype. Overall, the data indicate the existence of a wide range of diverse metabolic pathways during fruit ripening of fresh fruits with MF and NMF characteristics. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry