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Biochemical changes associated with ripening of apples

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Abstract

The respiration climacteric and ripening in apples are described. It is suggested that the distinction between climacteric and non-climacteric fruit is more apparent than real. It is shown for apples that there is a sequence of changes in enzyme activity over the climacteric, initiated by an increased production of ethylene. Increased respiration is followed by a peak in incorporation of amino acid into protein followed, at the climacteric peak, by a large increase in a system which will decarboxylate malate when added to pieces of peel taken from the fruit. The same sequential development of enzymic processes takes place in disks of apple peel tissue taken from apples in the pre-climacteric state and aged for 24 hours.

Resume

La crise respiratoire et la maturation des pommes sont décrites. Il est suggéré que la distinction entre fruits du type climactérique et ceux du type non-climactérique est plus apparente que réelle. Chez les pommes, il existe une séquence de changements dans l'activité enzymatique tout au long du climactérique; cette séquence commence par une production augmentée d'éthylène. L'augmentation de respiration est suivie par un pic dans l'incorporation d'acides aminés dans les protéines; ce pic est lui-même suivi, au sommet de la crise climactérique, par une forte augmentation d'activité d'un système pouvant décarboxyler du malate ajou té à des fragments de pelures détachés du fruit. Le même type de développement séquentiel des processus enzymatiques a lieu dans des disques de pelure de pomme prélevés sur des fruits préclimactériques et mis à vieillir durant 24 heures.

Zusammenfassung

Es werden das Atmungsklimakterium und die Reifung bei Äpfeln beschrieben. Es wird vermutet, dass die Unterscheidung zwischen klimakterischen und nicht-klimakterischen Früchten mehr scheinbar als echt ist. Für Äpfel wird gezeigt, dass es eine Stufenfolge von Veränderungen in der Enzymaktivität, ausgelöst durch eine verstärkte Bildung von Äthylen, während des Klimakteriums gibt. Auf die Zunahme der Atmung folgt ein Gipfelpunkt des Einbaues von Aminosäuren in Proteine, gefolgt, bei dem Gipfelpunkt des Klimakteriums, von einem starken Anstieg eines Enzymsystems, das Äpfelsäure decarboxyliert, wenn Schalenstücke von einer Frucht hinzugegeben werden. Dieselbe Entwicklungsfolge von enzymatischen Prozessen erfolgt in Geweben von Apfelschalenscheiben, die von Äpfeln im präklimakterischen Stadium stammen und 24 Stunden einem Alterungsprozess unterworfen wurden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Research Institute, Norwich, England

    A. C. Hulme, M. J. C. Rhodes, L. S. C. Wooltorton & T. Galliard

Authors
  1. A. C. Hulme
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  2. M. J. C. Rhodes
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  3. L. S. C. Wooltorton
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  4. T. Galliard
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Additional information

Much of the work described in this paper was carried out at Ditton Laboratory before our transfer to the Food Research Institute in 1965.

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Hulme, A.C., Rhodes, M.J.C., Wooltorton, L.S.C. et al. Biochemical changes associated with ripening of apples. Plant Food Hum Nutr 19, 1–18 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01101143

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