The changes in physical, bio-chemical, physiological characteristics and enzyme activities of mango cv. Jinhwang during fruit growth and development

Abstract

The changes in the physical, bio-chemical and physiological characteristics, and enzyme activities of sucrose metabolism during growth and development in mango fruit cv. Jinhwang were investigated. Fruit was harvested at five stages i.e., 50, 80, 110 and 140 days after anthesis (DAA). Several changes in the fruits were analyzed. The physical parameters like the fruit weight, width and length increased throughout the growth. In turn, fruit firmness, titratable acidity (TA) and starch accumulation increased during the initial growth stage and later then decreased during maturity. Total soluble solids (TSS) tended to decrease throughout fruit development. Respiration rate and ethylene production were higher at 50 DAA compared to other growth stages. Sucrose accumulation occurred later in the fruit development, however fructose was the dominant of the soluble sugars. Starch accumulation was related to the reduction of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI) activities, whereas sucrose synthase activity was increased. Moreover, the AI and NI are the dominate enzymes that plays a major role in sugar accumulation and quality of mango fruit. Therefore, mango fruit should be harvested after physiological maturity at 110 DAA, when the fruit reach the optimum size, weight and starch content including maximum value of firmness, TSS, fructose content, minimum value of TA, low respiration rate and the lowest of ethylene production.

Keywords:

• Enzyme activities
• sucrose metabolism
• physical
• bio-chemical
• physiological
• mango

Abbreviations:

• DAA
• days after anthesis
• TA
• titratable acidity
• TSS
• total soluble solids
• SPS
• sucrose phosphate synthase
• SS
• sucrose synthase
• AI
• acid invertase
• NI
• neutral invertase.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to Dr.Keven T.B. Yen who calculated starch equation, Mr. Jorge Fidel Barahona, Mr.Gerry Ivanochko and Wanvilai Chulaphan checked for grammatical errors in this manuscript, and Mr.Shiun Chian, Mr.Shan-Sin Huang, Ms.Yu-Xuan Huang and Mr.Zhi-Wei Bao including Jia-Huei Wu and Pei-Jiuan Liou who helped in the research and made this study possible.