Cherimoya fruit (Annona cherimola, Mill.) were kept at 20°C in air or in 20% CO 2 for 3 days and then transferred to air, to study the effect of a high CO 2 treatment on phenolic metabolism and ripening-related changes. Total polyphenol levels remained constant while a rapid decline in lignin content was observed in cherimoyas stored in air. However, a sharp increase in PAL activity up to the second day at 20°C was observed. The maximum ethylene production was observed 2 days later. At the end of the CO 2 treatment, ethylene production was inhibited and PAL activity was similar to that found in air-treated fruit. These data suggest that the increase in PAL activity at 20°C was not affected by high CO 2 and does not relate to ethylene. The CO 2 treatment inhibited flesh softening and maintained lignin at levels found in freshly harvested fruit. Exposure to 20% CO 2 also improved internal colour and increased the non-tannin polyphenol fraction, but prevented the decline in the tannin fraction otherwise observed upon ripening in air. We concluded that high CO 2 treatment at 20°C did not enhance PAL activity and lignin deposition although treated fruits retained more lignin after transfer to air. The possible involvement of PAL activity in the supply of important metabolic compounds for early events of ripening will be discussed.

a b s t r a c tOxidative stress, a risk factor in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, is intimately associated with aging. We previously reported that the X-XOD free radical generating system acts as a modulator of lipid metabolism and a mild inducer of apoptotic death. Using the same cell model, the present study examines the metabolism/processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Prior to inducing cell death, X-XOD promoted the secretion of a-secretase-cleaved soluble APP (sAPPa) and increased the level of APP carboxy-terminal fragments produced by a and c secretase (aCTF and cCTF/AICD). In contrast, it reduced the activity of b-secretase and the level of secreted Ab. The present results indicate that mild oxidative stress maintained throughout culturing regulates APP metabolism/processing in SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma cells.

The effect of short-term high CO2 on maintaining postharvest cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) fruit quality during storage at low temperature was analyzed. Pretreatment with an atmosphere of 20% CO2 and 20% O2 for 3 days retained fruit firmness and prevented an increase in the immunodetected levels of polygalacturonase-related protein during storage at 6 °C. Color scale values, chlorophyll content, and levels of the immunoreactive large subunit of ribulose 1,5-biphosphate carboxylase protein were higher in treated than in air-stored fruit. Short-term high CO2 treatment had a long residual effect at low temperature and improved storage life by preventing fruit softening and delaying senescence-like responses in green peel of cherimoya fruit tissues.

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