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Changes occurring in the cell walls of strawberries during ripening
Author(s) -
Neal G. E.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740161006
Subject(s) - middle lamella , ripening , lamella (surface anatomy) , parenchyma , cell wall , chemistry , homogeneous , divalent , cationic polymerization , botany , biology , biophysics , anatomy , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , physics , thermodynamics
The changes occurring during maturation in the structure of the cell walls of two varieties of strawberries have been studied. Ripening is accompanied by a splitting of the middle lamellae of cell walls of large cortical parenchyma cells. A relationship has been found between the degree of methylation of the pectinous middle lamella and the ability of divalent cations to ‘firm’ the tissue. Chemical analyses of the polysaccharide content of the cell walls have indicated that ripening is accompanied by a change in the cationic stabilisation of the pectinous materials. The theory is advanced that the separation of the parenchyma cells during ripening is associated with changes in cationic content of the pectinous middle lamella, which in turn is related to changes in degree of methylation of that material. It is suggested that this process is similar to that known to occur in the ‘sliding‐growth’ process of certain plant cells.