Biochemical changes involved in stress response and ripening behaviour of ?-irradiated mango fruit.
Frylinck L., Dubery I. A., Schabort J. C.
Author Affiliation: Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Phytochemistry 26 : 681-686
Abstract : The response of ripening mango (cv. Kent) fruits treated in the pre-climacteric phase with radiation doses of 0.75, 1.25 and 1.75 kGy was investigated. Differences in L-phenylalanine ammonialyase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and catalase activities, and in the patterns of total phenolics, flavanols and proteins, were observed. Malic enzyme activity was used as an indicator of the ripening stage and as a measure of the effect of ?-irradiation on fruit ripening. Radiation treatment appears to cause a stress condition in the fruit which, depending on the dose, may lead to browning of the tissue or necrotic decay.