Modification of pectin polysaccharides during ripening of postharvest banana fruit

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.03.049

Food Chemistry

Volume 111, Issue 1, 1 November 2008, Pages 144-149

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.03.049 Get rights and content

Abstract

Pectin is one of the major components of the primary cellular walls and middle lamella in plant tissues. In this study, water-soluble pectin (WSP) and acid-soluble pectin (ASP) fractions were isolated from pulp tissues of banana fruit at various ripening stages. Their monosaccharide compositions, glycosyl linkages and molecular mass distributions were evaluated. As ripening progressed, fruit firmness decreased rapidly, which was associated with the increase in the WSP content and the decrease in the ASP content. Meanwhile, the molecular mass distributions of WSP and ASP fractions exhibited a downshift tendency, indicating the disassembly of pectin polysaccharides. Moreover, galactose and galacturonic acid as the major monosaccharide compositions of pectin polysaccharides increased in WSP fraction but decreased in ASP fraction during fruit softening. GC–MS analysis further revealed that pectin polysaccharide had a 1,4-linked galactan/galacturonan backbone with different types of branching and terminal linkages in WSP and ASP fractions. During banana fruit ripening, the amount of 1,4-linked Galp residues of ASP fraction decreased significantly whereas 1,3,6-linked Galp, 1,2-linked Manp and 4-linked Araf residues disappeared, which was related to depolymerization of pectin polysaccharides. Overall, the study indicated that the modifications in polysaccharide compositions and glycosyl linkages, reduced molecular mass distributions and enhanced depolymerization of pectin fraction during banana ripening were responsible for fruit softening.

Introduction

Pectin is one of the major components of the primary cellular walls and middle lamella in plant tissues. The pectic matrix provides an environment for the deposition, slippage and extension of the cellulosic-glycan network and is the major adhesive materials between cells (Willats, McCartney, Machie, & Knox, 2001). Pectin degradation plays an important role in fruit ripening, which leads to disassembly of cellulose and hemicellulose network and decrease in fruit firmness.

Involvement of polygalacturonase (PG) or/and pectin methyl esterase (PME) in enzymatic disassembly of pectin polysaccharides during fruit ripening has been extensively investigated (Nikolic and Mojovic, 2007, Prasanna et al., 2007, Verlent et al., 2005). PG and PME cooperatively regulate the pectin disassembly. PG hydrolyses α-1,4-linked d-galacturonic acid, following de-esterification of pectin by PME. In addition, pectate lyase (PL) (Payasi, Misra, & Sanwal, 2006) and β-galactosidase (Lazan, Ng, Goh, & Ali, 2004) may play a combined effect on the disassembly of pectin polysaccharides during fruit ripening/softening.

Non-enzymic action might mediate polysaccharide solubilisation in plant tissues (Dumville & Fry, 2003). Schopfer (2001) and Schweikert, Liszkay, and Schopfer (2002) reported that hydroxyl radical (OH) was capable of cleaving polysaccharides present in cellular walls in a site-specific reaction, which led to cellular wall loosening and elongation of living coleoptile or hypocotyls in maize and soybean. Ascorbate, especially in the presence of traces of either Cu²⁺ or H₂O₂, can promote markedly the non-enzymic solubilisation of pectin and xyloglucan from plant cellular walls in vitro (Dumville and Fry, 2003, Miller and Fry, 2001).

Enzymatic and non-enzymatic effects on pectin degradation are associated with structural modification, including the changes in the composition, molecular weight and structural characteristic of the pectin. There are some reports on modification of cellular wall polysaccharides in apple (Scalzo, Forni, Lupi, Giudetti, & Testoni, 2005), peach (Manganaris, Vasilakakis, Diamantidis, & Mignani, 2006), papaya (Manrique & Lajolo, 2004) and tomato (Reinders & Their, 1999). However, variations in cellular wall compositions could lead to differences in the softening-associated chemical modification for each fruit species. Further investigation into pectin degradation with emphasis on its structural modifications and characteristics during fruit ripening/softening is needed.

Banana is a typical climacteric fruit, which is characterized by rapid softening once ripening is initiated (Duan et al., 2007, Jiang et al., 1999, Wills et al., 1990). Although characteristic of fruit softening has been established, little information on the structural characteristics and modifications of the cellular walls during softening of banana fruit is available. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in the polysaccharide compositions, glycosyl linkages and molecular mass distributions of banana fruit during ripening, in relation to depolymerization of pectin materials, for further elucidation of fruit softening.

Section snippets

Plant materials

Hands of mature green banana fruit (Musa spp., AAA group, cv. Brazil) were obtained from a local farm in Guangzhou. Fruits were cut into fingers and then dipped in 0.1% Sportak^® (prochloraz, Bayer) fungicide solution for 3 min to control the postharvest diseases. After air-dried for 1 h, the fruits were kept at 25 ± 1 °C and 90% relative humidity. At 0, 10, 15, 17 and 20 days when fruit ripening reached stage I (mature green), II (green), III (green > yellow), IV (yellow > green) and V (yellow),

Firmness and pectin polysaccharide content of banana fruit at various ripening stages

Banana fruit is characterized by rapid softening once ripening is initiated (Jiang et al., 1999, Wills et al., 1990). In this study, fruit firmness of banana decreased rapidly from the initial 11.6 to 1.8 N after 20 days of storage at 25 °C (Fig. 1). Fruit softening is generally attributed to cellular wall disassembly, particularly due to solubilisation and depolymerization of pectin (Brummell and Harpster, 2001, Huber, 1983, Lohani et al., 2004). As shown in Fig. 2, ASP content decreased

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30425040, 30500353, 30430490, 30371007 and U0631004) and Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (No. 06200670).

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Modification of pectin polysaccharides during ripening of postharvest banana fruit

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Plant materials

Firmness and pectin polysaccharide content of banana fruit at various ripening stages

Acknowledgements

Postharvest Biology and Technology

Carbohydrate Research

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry

Postharvest Biology and Technology

Scientia Horticulturae

Postharvest Biology and Technology

Postharvest Biology Technology

Carbohydrate Research

Postharvest Biology and Technology

Food Chemistry

Postharvest Biology and Technology

Phytochemistry

Phytochemistry

Food Chemistry

Phytochemistry

Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies

Carbohydrate Polymer

Carbohydrate Research

Carbohydrate Research