Compositional changes in cell wall polymers during mango fruit ripening.
Muda P., Seymour G. B., Errington N., Tucker G. A.
Author Affiliation: Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
Carbohydrate Polymers 26 : 255-260
Abstract : Softening of mango fruits was investigated by analysis of ripening-related changes in the composition of the fruit cell walls. Hard, green preclimacteric cv. Tommy Atkins fruits were ripened at 20°C under high humidity. There was an apparent overall loss of galactosyl and deoxyhexosyl residues during ripening, the latter indicating degradation of the pectin component of the wall. The loss of galactose appeared to be restricted to the chelator-soluble fraction of the wall pectin, whilst loss of deoxyhexose seemed to be more evenly distributed amongst the pectin. The chelator-soluble pectin fraction was progressively depolymerized and became more polydisperse during ripening. These changes are similar to those occurring in other fruits and are related to the action of wall hydrolases during ripening.