ENZYMATIC MACERATION OF APPLE PARENCHYMA TISSUE. II. EFFECT OF THE DEGREE OF RIPENESS ON THE KINETIC BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

Apples of four degrees of ripeness were selected to investigate the effect of ripening on maceration of apple tissue by polyglacturonase (PG) using the model proposed to describe the kinetics of maceration [1]. This model permitted to describe the kinetics for all four samples but the precision of the adjustment showed a slight diminution with the degree of ripeness. The proportion of apple tissue macerated by the fast (process 1) and slow (process 2) processes was the only parameter of the model which changed with the degree of ripeness. Analysis of the maceration products (pulp and juice) revealed that these two fractions were gradually degraded during the maceration time.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank C. Prioult and N. Marnet for technical assistance, C. Renard for useful discussion and for correcting the English and the ≪ Comité des Fruits à Cidre ≫ for funding of C.E.M.