Premium
Cellulase Activity during the Maturation and Ripening of Tomato Fruit
Author(s) -
HOBSON G. E.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1968.tb09079.x
Subject(s) - ripening , ripeness , cellulase , softening , horticulture , carboxymethyl cellulose , botany , biology , cellulose , food science , chemistry , sodium , biochemistry , statistics , mathematics , organic chemistry
SUMMARY An enzyme that attacks carboxymethyl cellulose may be extracted efficiently from tomato fruit by salt solutions. From a high initial value in small green fruit, activity fell gradually during fruit swelling. With incipient ripeness, the activity increased again and continued to rise to the full red condition. The green areas of “blotchy” ripened fruit showed 40% less activity than the adjacent red tissue. Fruit of tomato species in the sub‐genus Eriopersicon contained considerably more activity than examples from the sub‐genus Eulycopersicon. Firmness measurements on fruit from both sub‐genera were not significantly correlated with the cellulase activities, and from this and other evidence it is concluded that is is not a major factor controlling the softening of at fruit, at least during the ripening period.