Physiological changes in asparagus spears immediately after harvest

Lill, Ross E.; King, Graeme A.; O’Donoghue, Erin M.

doi:10.1016/0304-4238(90)90119-y

Cited by 67 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The gradients in sugars in freshly harvested spears generally follow the trends seen previously (Lill et al 1990), except we found much higher levels of sucrose. Given that sucrose is rapidly lost from the spear tip at ambient temperature (50% in 3 h, 75% in 6 h at 20°C; King et al 1993), we believe that earlier results may be erroneous because of inadequate cooling and/or processing delays.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Hence, glutamine synthetase activity is a good index of protein turnover and growth processes. Glutamine synthetase activity would therefore be expected to be highest in the tip since this is the region of highest protein content and of cell division (Lill et al 1990;Lipton 1990). Indeed, the distribution of glutamine synthetase activity correlated with the known decline in protein content from tip to butt (Lill et al 1990;Lipton 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Glutamine synthetase activity would therefore be expected to be highest in the tip since this is the region of highest protein content and of cell division (Lill et al 1990;Lipton 1990). Indeed, the distribution of glutamine synthetase activity correlated with the known decline in protein content from tip to butt (Lill et al 1990;Lipton 1990). The tip is also the region in the spear of highest respiration rate (and therefore sucrose usage) (Lill et al 1990;Lipton 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This postharvest deterioration is accompanied by H93036 Received 15 June 1993;accepted 20 September 1993 many physiological and biochemical changes (reviewed by Lipton 1990). Changes are particularly evident in the spear tip Lill et al 1990) where, amongst other things, the soluble carbohydrate levels, especially sucrose, rapidly decline . Sucrose is a indicator molecule in plants providing information on carbohydrate status (Farrar & Williams 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two experimental systems were chosen because of their sugar gradients. Tips of short spears have more sugar than tips from tall spears, and sugar content increases from tip to butt (Lill et al 1990;Lipton 1990). Our investigation was aimed to see if these differences in sugar composition were associated with differences in enzyme activities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sucrose synthase, invertases, and sugars in growing asparagus spears

Hurst

Hyndman

Hannan

1993

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science

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Asparagus (Asparagus officinalisL.) spear tips lose sucrose rapidly after harvest and this probably contributes to spears' short postharvest life. As the first step towards controlling this loss of sucrose and possibly improving postharvest life, the activities of sucrose-cleaving enzymes, and levels of sugars were measured in tips and 3 cm sections of spears from tip to butt. Sucrose was the major sugar in tips but not in the rest of the spear. Glucose and fructose were almost equimolar throughout the spear and increased fivefold from tip to butt. Fructose was always slightly more abundant than glucose. Sucrose synthase, bound acid invertase, and neutral invertase activities were similar in both tips and spear sections. Soluble acid invertase activity in the middle section of the spear was 4-5 times that of tips and butts. Sugar composition and enzyme activities in spear sections and tips were not closely correlated.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Sucrose synthase, invertases, and sugars in growing asparagus spears

Hurst

Hyndman

Hannan

1993

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science

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Nutritional evaluation of mineral content changes in fresh green asparagus as a function of the spear portions

Amaro-López

Zurera‐Cosano

Moreno-Rojas

1999

J. Sci. Food Agric.

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Changes in the copper, iron, zinc, manganese, nickel, chromium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus content of fresh green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L) according to the portion of spear considered and differences existing between varieties (Mary‐Washington and UC‐150) and thicknesses (<11 and 14 mm) asparagus were investigated. Using a three‐factors (portions, varieties and thicknesses) ANOVA and the Scheffé multiple range test (P < 0.05), statistically significant differences (P < 0.001), between the 10 portions in which the spears was cut, were observed for the 11 mineral elements investigated and the more apical portions presented, except for sodium, a higher mineral content which showed a generalised decrease when the portions were furthest away from the asparagus tip. By multivariate study of cluster between portions, the 0 apical portion (asparagus tip) was grouped separately to the rest of portions of the spear. These changes between portions involved a greater nutritional value of the apical zone spear in basis to the nutritional profile established for the mineral content. The diminishing distribution of the mineral concentration throughout the spear was also observed in the varieties and thicknesses of fresh green asparagus investigated which showed significant differences in this mineral content without these changes involved any nutritional significance since the mineral RDAs supplied were similar. Nutrient density percentages of the total fresh green asparagus are much higher than 100% for all the elements studied, except for sodium, and therefore, if the fresh green asparagus is consumed in sufficient quantities, contributes substantially to the intake of these mineral elements. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry

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