Irradiation Effects on the Ripening of Kent Mangoes

SUMMARY— Kent mango fruit irradiated with 0, 100, 200, and 300 Krad were ripened at 20°C for 0, 4, and 8 days.
Irradiated mangoes were less firm than control fruit immediately after irradiation, but fruit softening due to ripeness was more pronounced than softening induced by irradiation. Irradiated fruit contained higher water-soluble and lower Versene-vinsoluble pectic fractions as compared to unirradiated fruit. NO differences were observed in the content of the Versene-soluble fraction among all irradiation dosages. Higher PE activities were exhibited by the irradiated fruit throughout the ripening period. Irradiated fruit contained higher AIS and lower soluble solids than control fruit. No differences in sucrose content due to irradiation were observed, but there were less reducing and total sugars at the 300 Krad dose as compared to other dosages.
Changes in pectic fractions and PE activity were more pronounced immediately following irradiation in comparison to those occurring during ripening. The increase in soluble solids as well as sucrose, and the decrease in AIS, titratable acidity, reducing sugars and firmness during ripening proceeded at faster rates in control fruit than in the irradiated fruit. These variable rates of change were reflected by the significant irradiation dose and storage duration interactions.
Results suggest that irradiation induces a delay in ripening of Kent mangoes.     

Olive Cell Wall Components: Physical andBiochemical Changes during Processing

Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate microstructural changes in olive fruit ( Olea europaea L) during debittering with sodium hydroxide solutions. Lye dissolved the epicuticular waxy coating and solubilised the intercellular cement in the middle lamella causing the softening and, in severe treatments, collapse of tissues. This was characterised by less firm pulp texture and smaller amounts of pectic substances. Determination of pectic fractions, during the debittering process, showed that the lye action caused hydrolysis of the insoluble protopectins in the cell walls to soluble form.     

Oven‐dried table olives: textural properties as related to pectic composition

The effects of processing treatments on the microscopic structure, pectic fractions and firmness of ripe olives (Olea europaea L Cassanese variety), processed by the ‘Ferrandina’ method for oven‐dried table olive production, were studied. The process included a first heating step, a salting step and a final oven‐drying process. Scanning electron microscopic observations of olive tissue structure revealed that heat treatment was highly damaging, affecting the intercellular pectic substances and producing cell separation. Epicuticular waxes were barely affected and limited the shrivelling of the fruit during the oven dehydration process. The pectin content was higher in the oven‐dried olives than in the fresh samples. The sodium hydroxide‐soluble fraction was the main pectin fraction in the olive tissues. Its content decreased markedly after the heating step, while it increased after the oven dehydration step. The softening of the olive tissues increased after heat treatment, and a correlation was found between protopectin content and firmness. In oven‐dried olives a firming of the olive tissues was observed due to the de‐esterification of pectin and to its decreased solubility resulting from an increase in cell wall calcium bridging. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Calcium and Oxalate Ions Effect on the Texture of Canned Apricots

SUMMARY– Softening of canned apricots was accompanied by increase in soluble pectin and syrup viscosity. Calcium ions have the ability to decrease, to some extent, the movement of pectic material from the fruit to the syrup. This might be explained by the ability of calcium ions to make a bridge between polygalacturonic acid units, thus producing larger molecules which bind the cells together at the middle lamella. Added oxalate ions removed calcium from pectin in the cell wall, causing an increase in water-soluble pectin in the syrup and softening of texture. The mineral contents of canned apricots from three growing areas were determined by flame spectrophotometry. Low potassium in the fruit seems to be related to low pH in the cell sap, causing hydrolysis of pectic materials through hydrolysis ion catalysis and softening during heat processing and storage.     

Cell Wall Changes and Partial Prevention of Fruit Softening in Prestorage Heat Treated ‘Anna’ Apples

Prestorage heat treatment (38°C for 4 days) retarded the softening of ‘Anna’ apple fruits during 0°C storage. Fruit softening of unheated apples during storage was accompanied by changes in pectic substances: a decrease in uronic acid content in the carbonate-soluble fraction and an increase in the water-soluble fraction. Heat treatment partially inhibited the degradation of uronic acids in the cell wall. The degree of pectin methylation in both heated and non-heated fruit decreased during storage. In heat treated apple fruit the content of galactose and arabinose in the cell wall decreased during storage; in non-heated fruit only galactose decreased. We suggest that the inhibition of solubilisation of the carbonate soluble pectin fraction is one of the main factors contributing to the firmness retention caused by heat treatment. The loss of both arabinose and galactose in heat treated fruits may also play an as yet undefined role in the effect of heat treatment on fruit softening.     

Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene on ripening of postharvest persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) fruit

Postharvest persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki L. cv. Qiandaowuhe) was stored at 20 °C after being exposed to 3 μl l⁻¹ 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 6 h or not (control). Several parameters (firmness, respiration and ethylene production, pectic substances and cell wall hydrolysis enzymes activities) were examined to determine the efficacy of 1-MCP treatment in delaying persimmon fruit ripening. Results showed that ‘Qiandaowuhe’ persimmon fruit displayed a typical climacteric pattern of respiration and ethylene production. Peak CO₂ production and ethylene production was observed on the fourth day. Fruit softening was accompanied by a progressive increase in water-soluble pectic substances (WSP) and a progressive decrease in chelator-soluble pectic substances (CSP) and alkali-soluble pectic substances (ASP). The activities of pectinmethylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) started increasing sharply and reached a maximal value on days 4 and 6, respectively, and then decreased slowly. 1-MCP treatment delayed the onset of climacteric ethylene production and respiration in persimmon fruit, and also significantly retarded the activities of PME and PG during ripening at 20 °C. Consistent with the activity trends of cell wall hydrolysis enzymes, 1-MCP treatment also delayed the depolymerization of CSP and ASP and reduced the increase of WSP compared with the control fruit. Thus, application of 1-MCP can greatly extend the postharvest life of ‘Qiandaowuhe’ persimmon fruit.     

Fruit softening correlates with enzymatic activities and compositional changes in fruit cell wall during growing in Lycium barbarum L.

The present study aims to examine fruit cell wall-associated fruit softening in Lycium barbarum L. by the microstructure of the fruit cells and the changes in the contents of cell wall components, molecular weights of cell wall polysaccharides and the activities of related cell wall degrading enzymes at different development stages of L. barbarum L. fruit. Fruit firmness significantly declined during ripening, with the greatest reduction between the 28 and 35 days stages. The decrease in firmness correlated with an extensively deformed microstructure in the parenchyma tissues and positively correlated with reductions in the contents of fruit cell wall materials and molecular weight in cell wall polysaccharide. Cellulase, α-galactosidase, polygalactosidase and pectin methylesterase showed higher activities during 28 days; whereas, the activities of β-galactosidase were higher during 35 days. These results indicate that cell wall-related processes are a key feature of early softening in L. barbarum L.     

An explorative study on the cell wall polysaccharides in the pulp and peel of dragon fruits (Hylocereus spp.)

The pectic and hemicellulosic cell wall polysaccharides from the pulp and the peel of white-flesh and red-flesh dragon fruits (Hylocereus spp.) were isolated and compared in terms of degree of methoxylation (DM), solubility properties (relative content of uronic acids and neutral sugars in different fractions), neutral sugar composition, molar mass distribution, and affinity toward some specific anti-pectin antibodies. Hereto, the alcohol-insoluble residues were extracted and sequentially fractionated using hot water, a chelating agent, sodium carbonate, and potassium hydroxide solutions to obtain different pectin fractions and a hemicellulose fraction. Chemical analyses were used to characterize these polysaccharide fractions. The results show that cell wall polysaccharides of the pulp and especially of the peel from white-flesh and red-flesh dragon fruits contain significant amounts of pectic substances that are lowly methyl-esterified. The cell wall polysaccharides of the peel as well as those of the pulp contain high amounts (38–47 %) of loosely bound (water-soluble) pectic substances. In the water-soluble fraction (WSF) of the peel samples, uronic acids are the predominant monomers. On the contrary, rhamnogalacturonan-I type neutral sugars, and especially arabinose and galactose, contribute equally, as compared to uronic acid, to the WSF of the pulp samples. Despite the low average DM value of pulp and peel pectin, pectic substances in both samples showed affinity for antibodies with different specificities indicating that a wide range of epitopes, including long blocks of unesterified galacturonic acids (GalA) residues as well as (short) blocks of esterified GalA residues, is present. No large differences between the pectic substances among the different dragon fruit varieties were observed.     

Pectin Changes in Ripening Cherry Fruit

Pectin solubilization was studied during ripening of cherry fruit. Pectic materials were isolated at specific stages during development. The proportion of alcohol-insoluble-material decreased on a fresh weight basis with ripeness, but increased per fruit. Pectic substances were divided into water-, oxalate- and acid-soluble fractions. The oxalate-and water-soluble part increased as acid-soluble components decreased. Water- and acid-soluble fractions contained many more neutral sugar residues than the oxalate-soluble fraction. Changes in individual sugars indicated the major alterations were the degradation of galactan and the absence of arabinan solubilization in acid-soluble pectic substance. Size exclusion chromatography showed absence of pectin depolymerization during ripening, indicating that fruit softening does not depend on pectin depolymerization.     

Changes in cell wall pectin and pectinase activity in apple and tomato fruits during Penicillium expansum infection

Cell wall pectin degradation in apple and tomato fruit during infection by Penicillium expansum was investigated. In infected apple fruit, a significant decrease in the average molecular mass was observed in pectins extracted with CDTA and also in pectins extracted with Na₂CO₃. In tomato fruits, depolymerisation was also observed in both pectic fractions during infection, the major change being in the pectins extracted with Na₂CO₃. This pectin depolymerisation associated with P. expansum infection can be attributed to the action of pectinases; in apple fruit, a significant increase in polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase was observed in infected fruits, although in tomato fruit the only increase in enzymatic activity significantly related to the infection was in polygalacturonase. These differences between apple and tomato fruit during fungus infection could be related to differences in cell wall structure and composition and also to the specificity of P. expansum's infection spectrum in each case. In both cases, pectin depolymerisation might increase the porosity of the wall and allow increased access of fungus colonisation and facilitate the progress of the fungal infection. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physical and chemical changes in developing strawberry fruits

Strawberry fruits of thevariety Red Gauntlet were harvested at 7 day intervals after petal fall. Changes in fruit weight, percentages survival on the plant, chlorophyll: carotenoid and anthocyanin, titratable acid, pH of extracts and sugar content were measured. Also changes in soluble and total pectic polysaccharides in alcoholinsoluble residues of harvested fruits were followed during development. Fruit growth was not exponential and in later stages of growth the falling survival rate was correlated to fruit softening. Net synthesis of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments took place up to 28 days and anthocyanin synthesis commenced 28 to 35 days after petal fall. The sugar content of berries increased with time and titratable acid concentrations increased slightly during development, falling in ripening fruits. The specific viscosity of soluble pectic polysaccharides fell from 28 days after petal fall. There was net synthesis of polyuronide but not neutral polysaccharide during the development of fruits and the amount of insoluble pectic polysaccharide became small and relatively constant compared with the amount of soluble polysaccharide by 21 days after petal fall. Fruits undergoing senescence lost almost all their insoluble pectic polysaccharides. The developmental processes taking place in growing fruits, especially with respect to changes in cell wall structure, and the relevance of results to fruit storage are discussed.     

MECHANISM OF HARDCORE FORMATION IN CHILL-INJURED SWEET POTATO (IPOMOEA BATATAS) ROOTS1

Hardcore in sweet potatoes is caused by chilling followed by non-chilling temperatures and appears as hard tissue after cooking. Changes in pectic substances and the involvement of tissue softening by beta-elimination of pectic substances were studied in relation to hardcore development. Pectic substances from cell wall, middle lamella extracts of hardcore tissue resisted degradation by betaelimination. This resistance was associated with reduced esterification and increased levels of bound cations. The mechanism of hardcore formation appears to involve activation of demethoxylation during chilling and rapid demethoxylation of pectic substances when subsequently exposed to nonchilling temperature. Demethoxylated pectic substances and pectate salts may then restrict degradation by beta-elimination and concomitant softening during cooking.     

Cell wall compositions of raw and cooked corms of taro (Colocasia esculenta)

The monosaccharide compositions of parenchyma cell walls of raw and cooked corms of taro, Colocasia esculenta cv Tausala Pink, were determined. The cell wall constituents were sequentially extracted using CDTA, Na₂CO₃, 1 M KOH, 4 M KOH and water to leave a final residue (α‐cellulose). The monosaccharide compositions of the cell walls and cell wall fractions from the raw and cooked corms were consistent with the presence in these cell walls of large amounts of cellulose and pectic polysaccharides. The monosaccharide composition of the cell walls of the raw corms resembled the monosaccharide compositions of primary cell walls of other non‐commelinoid monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Cooking of the corms resulted in alteration of the cell walls, with solubilisation of pectic polysaccharides occurring earlier in the sequential fractionation and possibly changes in the extractability of xyloglucans and/or xylans. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Naturally fermented black olives: Effect on cell wall polysaccharides and on enzyme activities of Taggiasca and Conservolea varieties

Black olives of Taggiasca (Ta) and Conservolea (Co) varieties were processed according to the Greek style method in order to investigate the effect of this type of table olive processing on cell wall composition. Naturally black processing involves the storage in brine of fully ripe olives for several months, allowing a spontaneous fermentation by a mixed flora followed by fermentation by the lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The smaller fruits of Ta variety are richer in pectic polysaccharides, accounting for half of total cell wall polysaccharides (12 mg/fruit), whereas in Co they accounted for one third (23 mg/fruit). Fresh Co olives had higher proportion of glucuronoxylans and xyloglucans (33%), whereas these polysaccharides accounted for 22% in Ta. The processing did not cause significant variations in the cell wall polysaccharide composition of Ta fruits, although pectic polysaccharides became more soluble in aqueous solutions. Conversely, processed Co olives had slightly higher amounts of galacturonan-rich pectic polysaccharides than the unprocessed fruits, suggesting that the long stage in brine might have contributed to the stabilisation and/or the biosynthesis of new polysaccharides. The changes caused by processing on cell wall polysaccharides appear to be closely related to the activity and availability of cell wall degrading enzymes.     

Effect of Cooking and Pre-Cooking on Cell-Wall Chemistry in Relation to Firmness of Carrot Tissues

The aim of this work was to investigate heat-induced changes in cell wall polysaccharides of carrot in relation to texture. Discs of fresh carrot (Daucus carota cv Amstrong) tissue were subjected to cooking (100°C, 20 min), with or without a pre-cooking treatment (50°C, 30 min). Alcohol-insoluble residues were prepared from the tissues and were extracted sequentially with water, NaCl, CDTA, Na₂CO₃ and 0·5 M KOH to leave a residue. These were analysed for their carbohydrate compositions, their degree of methyl esterification and the molecular size of selected soluble polysaccharides. Cooking caused tissues to soften. This involved cell separation, an increase in water- and salt-soluble, high-molecular-weight pectic polysaccharides and a concomitant decrease in the pectic polymers in all wall extracts and the residue. Pre-cooking prior to cooking enhanced cell–cell adhesion and reduced the extent of softening. This was accompanied by a general reduction in the degree of methylesterification of cell-wall pectic polymers, and a decrease in the cooking-induced modification to all pectic fractions. The firming effect of pre-cooking could be reversed by extracting the precooked+cooked tissue with CDTA, a chelating agent. The role of Ca²⁺ cross-linked polymers and pre-cooking in the enhancement of firmness are discussed. © 1997 SCI.     

Pectic polysaccharides during ripening of mango (Mangifera indica L)

The content of pectin decreased from 2.0 to 0.7% fresh weight (FW) and there was a concomitant increase in free galacturonic acid from 36 to 168 mg% FW during ripening of mango. Ion exchange chromatography on DEAE/cellulose resolved the pectic fraction into seven distinct peaks, with all of them showing a drastic decrease in pectin content and molecular weight as fruit ripening progressed, which indicated significant depolymerisation in vivo. Fraction I appeared to be an arabinogalactan‐type polymer, while fractions II and III were heterogalacturonans containing more than 60% galacturonic acid. Hydrolases implicated in pectin depolymerisation were polygalacturonase (PG), pectin methyl esterase (PME), galactanase, arabinanase and β ‐galactosidase. They all showed a climacteric peak in activity during ripening, except for PME which showed a continuous decrease in activity after an initial increase. These results are discussed in the light of fruit softening during ripening. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

The linkage between cell wall metabolism and fruit softening: looking to the future

The softening that accompanies ripening of commercially important fruits exacerbates damage incurred during shipping and handling and increases pathogen susceptibility. Thus, postharvest biologists have studied fruit softening to identify ways to manage ripening and optimise fruit quality. Studies, generally based on the premise that cell wall polysaccharide breakdown causes ripening‐associated softening, have not provided the insights needed to genetically engineer, or selectively breed for, fruits whose softening can be adequately controlled. Herein it is argued that a more holistic view of fruit softening is required. Polysaccharide metabolism is undoubtedly important, but understanding this requires a full appreciation of wall structure and how wall components interact to provide strength. Consideration must be given to wall assembly as well as to wall disassembly. Furthermore, the apoplast must be considered as a developmentally and biochemically distinct, dynamic ‘compartment’, not just the location of the cell wall structural matrix. New analytical approaches for enhancing the ability to understand wall structure and metabolism are discussed. Fruit cells regulate their turgor pressure as well as cell wall integrity as they ripen, and it is proposed that future studies of fruit softening should include attempts to understand the bases of cell‐ and tissue‐level turgor regulation if the goal of optimising softening control is to be reached. Finally, recent studies show that cell wall breakdown provides sugar substrates that fuel other important cellular pathways and processes. These connections must be explored so that optimisation of softening does not lead to decreases in other aspects of fruit quality. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Softening of Canned Apricots: A Chelation Hypothesis

Infiltration of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), Patterson cultivar fruits, which are susceptible to rapid softening, with calcium chloride before processing resulted in definite firming of the canned apricots. Non-susceptible fruits treated with citrate buffers (pH 3.7) showed dramatic post-process softening. In individual, untreated, early, green fruit, firmness after processing was directly correlated with the bound calcium:citrate ratio. Based on a chelation hypothesis, it was proposed that softening was accelerated when chelators such as organic acid anions removed structural calcium from the cell wall once cell membranes were lysed by heating.     

高能电子束辐照对猕猴桃细胞壁降解相关酶活性和基因表达的影响

以‘海沃德’猕猴桃为试材,经剂量0（对照）、300、400和500 Gy高能电子束辐照后,于0~1 ℃、RH 90%~95%冷库中贮藏90 d,研究电子束辐照对果实硬度、细胞壁组分、软化相关酶活性及其基因表达量的影响。结果表明:高能电子束辐照显著维持了果实的硬度,有效抑制了细胞壁骨架物质原果胶和纤维素的分解,延迟了果实后熟软化。同时,辐照抑制了多聚半乳糖醛酸酶（polygalacturonase,PG）、果胶甲酯酶（pectin methylesterase,PME）、β-半乳糖苷酶（β-D-galaetosidase,β-Gal）和纤维素酶（cellulase,Cx）的活性,降低了PG、PME、β-Gal和Cx编码基因的表达。综合认为,以400 Gy高能电子束辐照对抑制细胞壁降解相关酶活性及基因表达,保持细胞结构的完整性,维持贮藏期间果实硬度效果最好。研究结果为高能电子束用于猕猴桃采后保鲜提供理论依据。     

Developmental and ripening-related effects on the cell wall of apricot (Prunus armeniaca) fruit

Alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) were prepared from apricots at six stages during development/ripening on the tree. To investigate the changes in cell wall polymers, and in particular those affecting pectic polysaccharides, the AIR preparations were sequentially extracted with water, cyclohexane-trans-1,2-diamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetate (CDTA) and Na₂CO₃. A significant proportion of initially Na₂CO₃-soluble pectic polysaccharides became water- and CDTA-soluble during the ripening process. In terms of composition, a significant decrease in galactose and uronic acid content was detected in all the extractions, whereas the percentage of arabinose increased in both water and CDTA-soluble polymers but decreased in the Na₂CO₃-extracted polysaccharides. The ability of pectic polysaccharides to cross-link was diminished during ripening due to an overall increase in the concentration of Na⁺ or K⁺ associated with the AIRs. This was accompanied by a decrease in the amounts of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. The decrease in pectic galactans and the inhibition of pectin cross-linking detected within the pectic backbone are probably linked to the softening process observed during apricot ripening. © 1998 SCI.