Structural Deterioration of the Produce: The Breakdown of Cell Wall Components - Postharvest Biology and Technology of Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers - page 182

Na 2 CO 3 -soluble fractions. The activities of -glucosidase increased as

the zone of watercore expanded. Catabolism of carboxymethyl cellulose by cellulase was
not different between sound and watercored tissues, but the activity against xyloglucan was
higher in watercored tissue than the sound tissue adjacent to the watercore zones. Structural
changes in sound and severely watercored tissue showed cell separations with the accu-
mulation of pectic materials in the intercellular space of severely watercored tissues (Chun
et al., 2003).
Water soaking, a physiological disorder characterized by a glassy texture of the flesh
melon fruit, is due to increased water mobility. Alteration of the cell wall and the presence
of large intercellular spaces were correlated with a severe depletion of cell wall calcium.
Water soaking developed during the late stages of fruit ripening. The major changes were
observed in a protein implicated in calcium signaling processes. While the amount of
total calmodulin, the ubiquitous calcium-binding protein, was not modified, a particular
calmodulin-binding protein (CaM-BP) was absent in water-soaked but not in sound mature
tissues. This CaM-BP may be a marker or a determinant of this physiological disorder (du
Chatenet et al., 2000).
Gel breakdown in inner mesocarp tissue of plums was associated with high viscosities
of water-soluble pectin with low levels of extractable juice. In outer mesocarp tissue where
extractable juice levels were higher, overripeness developed. Cell walls of inner tissue were
thicker and had a better developed middle lamella than outer tissue. Inner mesocarp tissue
was composed of larger cells than outer tissue (Taylor et al., 1993).

β -galactosidase and β

8.12.4 Chilling and freezing injury

Insoluble pectin levels declined during ripening and cold storage of plum fruit with a
concomitant increase in soluble pectin levels. Neither harvest maturity nor storage time
had a significant effect on the concentration of calcium pectate, and this pectic fraction
did not appear to influence development of gel breakdown (GB). Water-soluble pectin and
availability of cell fluids indicated a high gel potential in plums. Significant levels of GB
developed only in plums harvested at postoptimum maturity. In GB fruit, higher sugar levels
and loss of cell membrane integrity probably enhanced formation of pectin sugar gels as
cell fluids bind with pectins in cell walls (Taylor et al., 1995).
Four - L -arabinofuranosidase

(AF-ase) activities were detected in cell wall extracts from apples stored at 0 ◦ C for 5 months
(Yoshioka et al., 1995). The GA-ase degrades polyuronides and releases galactose. GA-ase
II, III, and IV fractions contained arabinogalactan-degrading and galactose-releasing activ-
ities, but GA-ase I failed to degrade arabinogalactan. AF-ase fraction degraded polyuronide
and arabinogalactan releasing arabinose and other sugars. The activities of GA-ase II, III,
and IV decreased gradually as the apples softened in storage. The activities of GA-ase I and
AF-ase, which were not detectable at harvest, increased during storage. These galactose-
and arabinose-releasing activities may be involved in the degradation and solubilization of
polyuronide, araban, and galactan in the cell walls of apples during softening.
Postharvest life in peach is limited by chilling injury. The initial response to low tem-
perature is considered to involve physical factors such as membrane alteration and pro-
tein/enzyme diffusion, but physiological changes that lead to losses of structural integrity
and overall fruit quality also occur (Morris, 1982). During softening, dissolution of the

β - D -galactosidases (GA-ase I, II, III, and IV) and one α