Chlorophyll disappearance and chlorophyllase activity during ripening of Capsicum annuum L fruits

Abstract

The disappearance of chlorophyll pigments and involvement of chlorophyllase during fruit ripening of seven Capsicum annuum cultivars (Delfin, Mana, Belrubi, NuMex, Agridulce, Bola and Negral) have been studied. Chlorophyll pigments decreased and eventually disappeared from the red cultivars during ripening. In contrast, the green cultivar Negral, a chlorophyll-retaining variety, showed reduced disappearance of chlorophyll pigments, and the fully ripe fruits retained chlorophylls. Chlorophyllase activity followed a consistent pattern of variation in all the red cultivars which was concomitant with the disappearance of chlorophyll. In the ripe stage the six red cultivars preserved their chlorophyllase activity, reflecting a high rate of chloroplast-to-chromoplast transformation. The green cultivar (Negral) showed maximum chlorophyllase activity in the late stages of ripening. Thus increasing activity of chlorophyllase, a constitutive chloroplast enzyme, could be associated with a new genesis of both chloroplast (regreening) and chromoplast constituents. The coexistence of chlorophyll and a high level of chlorophyllase activity in ripe fruits of the Negral cultivar suggests that chlorophyll catabolism may be affected in several ways, eg by the presence of other chlorophyll-degrading enzymes, by restricted chlorophyll and chlorophyllase contact or by delayed degeneration of chloroplast structures.

Determination of triterpenoids, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and antioxidant capacity in Allium ursinum L. at different times of harvesting and anatomical parts

“…The opposite is in the fruit, because during fruit ripening, the content of chlorophylls degraded and converted to colorless metabolites, and then carotenoids become perceptible, because that the low content of chlorophylls is indicative of fruit ripeness. Vegetables are a good source of chlorophylls compared to fruits [31,33,42]. Furthermore, A. ursinum leaves should be collected before the flowering period, i.e., from March to May.…”

Physiological behavior and quality traits during fruit growth and ripening of four Amazonic hot pepper accessions

“…The H * value of the skin is a typical indicator of changes in color during pepper ripening,11 which is associated with enzymatic degradation of the chlorophyll and an increase in carotenoid biosynthesis, reflecting the transformation of chloroplasts into chromoplasts 8, 9. Therefore, skin H * was able to discriminate among different maturity stages and consequently was a good maturity index.…”

“…Several harvest indices have been proposed to characterize the ripening process, particularly in the case of non‐climacteric pepper, such as changes in skin color and fruit firmness, the total soluble solids content or titratable acidity 6. A more sophisticated method is to measure the xanthophyll esterification that accompanies carotenoid over‐accumulation8 or the degradation of chlorophylls 9. An acceptable flavor (including volatile profiles) and the maintenance of fruit structural integrity during the post‐harvest handling phase to avoid decay are desirable 10, 11.…”

Chlorophyll and Carotenoid Profile and Enzymatic Activities (Chlorophyllase and Lipoxygenase) in Olive Drupes from the Fruit-setting Period to Harvest Time

“…Aljuburi et al (1979) found that in greening oranges, Chlase and chlorophyll content increased at the same time. However, in Capsicum annuum L. fruit, Chlase activity and chlorophyll losses were not correlated (Hornero-Méndez and Mínguez-Mosquera, 2002). Studies with different olive cultivars growing in the south of Spain have shown that during the fruit growth stage, which coincides with chlorophyll synthesis, Chlase was present in the cultivars studied.…”