Biochemical changes in some fruits at different ripening stages

Chemical Composition of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Fruit: Nutritional and Phytochemical Compounds

Mango fruit has a high nutritional value and health benefits due to important components. The present manuscript is a comprehensive update on the composition of mango fruit, including nutritional and phytochemical compounds, and the changes of these during development and postharvest. Mango components can be grouped into macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, lipids, fatty, and organic acids), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and phytochemicals (phenolic, polyphenol, pigments, and volatile constituents). Mango fruit also contains structural carbohydrates such as pectins and cellulose. The major amino acids include lysine, leucine, cysteine, valine, arginine, phenylalanine, and methionine. The lipid composition increases during ripening, particularly the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The most important pigments of mango fruit include chlorophylls (a and b) and carotenoids. The most important organic acids include malic and citric acids, and they confer the fruit acidity. The volatile constituents are a heterogeneous group with different chemical functions that contribute to the aromatic profile of the fruit. During development and maturity stages occur important biochemical, physiological, and structural changes affecting mainly the nutritional and phytochemical composition, producing softening, and modifying aroma, flavor, and antioxidant capacity. In addition, postharvest handling practices influence total content of carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, antioxidant capacity, and organoleptic properties.

Evaluating the metabolic perturbations in Mangifera indica (mango) ripened with various ripening agents/practices through gas chromatography - mass spectrometry based metabolomics

Mangifera indica L. (mango) is said to be the king of fruits due to its rich nutritional properties and mainly originates from the Indian sub-continent. The consumption pattern of the mangoes has increased drastically, due to which, many ripening practices/agents were used to make it ready-to-eat fruit or juice for the consumers. The fruit quality and metabolic composition are said to be altered due to different ripening agents/practices. The present communication mainly deals to understand the metabolic perturbations in mango fruits due to different ripening practices/agents (room temperature ripening, ethylene, and calcium carbide) using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry based metabolomics. The partial least square-discriminant analysis has found 16 differential metabolites for different ripening agents/practices which are belong to the classes of amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, and polyols. Four metabolic pathways were found to alter in the fruit metabolome due to different ripening agents/practices. Fructose, glucose, and galactose were found to be significantly up-regulated due to calcium carbide ripening in comparison to other ripening agents/practices. Overall findings from the present study advocates that mass spectrometry based metabolomics can be valuable tool to understand the fruit quality and safety with respect to consumer health.

Ethanol and Methanol as Possible Odor Cues for Egyptian Fruit Bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus)

Frugivorous bats from the Old and New World use odor cues to locate and assess fruit condition. We hypothesized that Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) use as odor cues those volatile compounds that increase in emission rate as fruit ripens. We examined whether the smell of fermentation products may indicate the degree of ripeness to fruit bats. We analyzed volatile compounds in the headspace (the gas space above a fruit in a closed container) of dates (Phoenix dactylifera) and rusty figs (Ficus rubiginosa), both of which are consumed by fruit bats, to elucidate which compounds originate from fermentative pathways and to determine which change in emission rate during ripening. Ethanol, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid were the only volatile compounds detected as products of fermentation in both fruits. In dates, emission rates of these compounds increased during maturation, whereas in rusty figs, they decreased or remained constant. Methanol, although not a fermentation product, increased in emission rate during ripening in both fruits. We found that R. aegyptiacus was neither attracted nor deterred by the smell of methanol at any of the concentrations used. Although the odor of ethanol emanating from food containing concentrations similar to those found in ripe fruit did not attract the bats, at relatively high concentrations (> or =1%), the smell of ethanol deterred them. Thus, ethanol at high concentrations may serve as a signal for bats to avoid overripe, unpalatable fruit.

Biosynthesis of trans-2-hexenal in response to wounding in strawberry fruit

Wounded strawberry fruit produces a diverse group of volatile compounds including aldehydes, alcohols, and esters derived from the lipoxygenase (LOX) and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) pathways. Because the wound volatiles may play an important role in plant-fungal interaction, the goal of this study was to develop a greater understanding about the biosynthesis of the major wound volatile, trans-2-hexenal (t-2-H), produced by strawberry fruit upon wounding. To that end, composition and quantity of total and free fatty acids of control and wounded strawberry fruit were analyzed. In addition, activities of the key enzymes, LOX and HPL, and production of C6 aldehydes were determined. Intact strawberry fruit did not produce detectable t-2-H which is derived from alpha-linolenic acid (18:3). However, in response to wounding by bruising, strawberry fruit emitted t-2-H and its precursor cis-3-hexenal (c-3-H). The level of total lipid 18:3 in the fruit increased 2-fold in response to wounding, whereas free 18:3 declined slightly ( approximately 30%). At 10 min following wounding, fruit exhibited a 25% increase in LOX activity, which leads to the production of 13-hydroperoxyoctadecatrienoic acid (13-HPOT) from 18:3. The activity of HPL, which catalyzes formation of cis-3-hexenal from 13-HPOT, increased 2-fold by 10 min after wounding. Thus, during a 15 min period after wounding, free 18:3 substrate availability and the activity of two key enzymes, LOX and HPL, changed in a manner consistent with increased c-3-H and t-2-H biosynthesis.

Evolution of carbohydrates of pre-cut mango slices subjected to osmotic dehydration

Haden mango slices (non-osmotic dehydrated, NOD) were immersed in calcium chloride (2 g/l), citric acid (5 g/l), hydrogen peroxide (25 ml/l) and sodium benzoate (20 g/l) solutions. Slices to be treated with osmotic dehydration (OD) were first immersed in calcium, then placed in the osmotic solution (sucrose 65 degrees Bx, 30 degrees C) and 211 mbar vacuum was applied for 30 min. After the osmotic treatment, the slices were immersed in the same solutions as for NOD slices. All the slices were stored in sterile chambers at 24, 13 or 5 degrees C. Both OD and NOD slices displayed sucrose synthesis (SS) during storage, which was highest in NOD slices that were kept at 13 degrees C. Sucrose synthesis was the most significant change during ripening of whole mangoes (WM). Starch breakdown could not supply the necessary substrates for sucrose synthesis in either whole mangoes or slices. Injured tissues from mango slices sustained sucrose synthesis, which was highest at 13 degrees C in NOD slices, but the osmotic treatment decreased sucrose formation. Storage at 5 degrees C for 12 days affected sucrose content of Haden mangoes. Glucose and fructose concentrations remained low in all treatments.

Development of a common biosensor format for an enzyme based biosensor array to monitor fruit quality

Individual enzyme-based biosensors involving three-electrode systems were developed for the detection of analytes comprising markers of the stage of maturity and quality in selected fruits of economic importance to tropical countries. Importantly, a common fabrication format has been developed to simplify manufacture and allow future integration of the individual sensors into a single multi-sensor array. Specifically, sensors for beta-D-glucose, total D-glucose, sucrose and ascorbic acid have been developed. Pectin, a natural polysaccharide present in plant cells, was used as a novel matrix to enhance enzyme entrapment and stabilisation in the sensors. Except for ascorbic acid, all the sensors function via the detection of enzymatically generated H2O2 at rhodinised carbon electrodes. Since ascorbic acid is electrochemically active at the working potential chosen (+350 mV vs. Ag/AgCl), it was measured directly. Enzyme sensors demonstrated expected response with respect to their substrates, typically 0-0.8 microA/20 mm2 electrode area response over analyte ranges of 0-7 mM. Interferences related to electrochemically active compounds present in fruits under study were significantly reduced by inclusion of a suitable cellulose acetate (CA) membrane or by enzymatic inactivation with ascorbate oxidase. Initial development was carried out into production of biosensor arrays. CA membranes were used to improve the linear range of the sensors, producing up to a fivefold improvement in the detection range compared to sensors without an additional diffusion barrier.