Pigments on Fruits
Pigments, which are the chemicals responsible for skin and flesh, undergo many changes during the maturation and ripening of fruits. These include the following:
- 1. Loss of chlorophyll (green color), which is influenced by pH changes oxidative conditions and chlorophyllase activity.
- 2. Synthesis and elevation of carotenoids (yellow and orange colors)
- 3. Development of anthocyanins (red, blue and purple colors), which are fruit specific.
Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A and thus is important in terms of nutritional quality.
Carotenoid are very stable and remain intact in fruit tissues even when extensive senescence has occurred. Anthocyanins occur as glycosides in the cell sap.
They are water greater soluble, unstable and are readily hydrolyzed by enzymes to free anthocyanins, which may be oxidized by phenoloxidases to give brown oxidation products.
Pigments on Fruits
