title: Biochemistry of fruit softening: an overview.
abstract: Softening is a developmentally programmed ripening process, associated with biochemical changes in cell wall fractions involving hydrolytic processes resulting in breakdown of cell-wall polymers such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectin etc. Various hydrolytic reactions are brought about by polygalacturonase, pectin methyl esterase, pectate lyase, rhamnogalacturonase, cellulase and β-galactosidase etc. Besides these enzymes, expansin protein also plays an important role in softening. Textural changes during ripening help in determining the shelf life of a fruit. An understanding of these changes would help in formulating procedures for controlling fruit softening vis-à-vis enhancing shelf life of fruits. In the present review an attempt has been made to coalesce recent findings on biochemistry of fruit softening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, S.J.M. Institute of Engineering and Technology, Radaur, 135133 Yamunanagar India ; Departmento de Bioquimica, Universidade de Federal, Pelotas, RS Brazil.
authors.forename: Anurag
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Payasi
authors.forename: Nagendra Nath
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Ana Lucia Soares
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Randhir
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
keywords: Softening; degradation; pectin; shelf life