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

✍ Scribed by Femenia, Antoni; Sánchez, Emma S; Simal, Susana; Rosselló, Carmen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 197 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-5142
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0010(199808)77:4<487::aid-jsfa70>3.0.co;2-t

✦ Synopsis

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 a †ecting pectic polysaccharides, the AIR preparations were sequentially extracted with water, cyclohexane-trans-1,2diamine-N,N,N@,N@-tetraacetate (CDTA) and A signiÐcant proportion Na 2 CO 3 . of initially pectic polysaccharides became water-and CDTA-Na 2 CO 3 -soluble soluble during the ripening process. In terms of composition, a signiÐcant 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 polysaccharides. The ability of Na 2 CO 3 -extracted pectic polysaccharides to cross-link was diminished during ripening due to an overall increase in the concentration of Naor Kassociated with the AIRs. This was accompanied by a decrease in the amounts of Ca2and 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.