Here is an overview of Fruit Ripening.

1. FRUIT RIPENING
Presented By:
Inchara R
8th Semester
Molecular Biology
28/06/2021
Presented To:
Prof. N. S. Devaki
Couse Coordinator
Dept. of Molecular Biology

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Classification of fruits
 Biochemical changes
 Climacteric Fruits
 Non-Climacteric Fruits
 Conclusion
 References
 Acknowledgement

3. INTRODUCTION
 Fruit is a mature and ripened ovary of a flowering plant. Seeds are the
fertilized ovules found in the ovaries of flowers.
Fig 01: Floral tissue origin of fruit.

4. Classification
 Based on their respiratory pattern and ethylene biosynthesis during
ripening, fruits can be further classified as
1. Climacteric Fruits
2. Non-climacteric Fruits

5. Ethylene and Ripening
Fig 02: Biosynthesis of Ethylene

6. Biochemical Changes
• Seed maturation
• Change in Pigmentation
• Abscission
• Change in respiration rate
• Change in the rate of ethylene production
• Change in tissue permeability
• Softening of texture
• Change in carbohydrate composition
• Change in organic acid
• Protein changes
• Production of flavor volatiles
RIPENING
Abscission
Deg. of
Chlorophyll
Texture
Flavor
Rigidity
Organic
Acid

7. 1. Changes in Pigmentation
i. Formation of pigments
Fig 03: Carotenoid pathway (Tomato) Fig 04: Variation in fruit color
ii. Degradation of Chloroplasts
7

8. 2. Flavor & Fragrance Changes
 The increase in flavor and aroma during fruit ripening is attributed to the production of
a complex mixture of volatile compounds and degradation of bitter principles,
flavonoids, tannins, and related compounds.
Fig 05: Different physiological changes that take place during fruit
ripening process. 8

9. 3. Textural Changes
 Fruit texture is influenced by various factors like structural integrity of the primary cell
wall and the middle lamella, accumulation of storage polysaccharides, and the turgor
pressure generated within cells by osmosis.
 During ripening, softening of fruit is caused by the conversion of insoluble protopectin,
into soluble polyuronides. The solubilisation of pectin is followed depolymerisation and
de-esterification in cell walls of fruits.
Fig 06: Texture changes during fruit ripening
9

10. CLIMACTERIC FRUITS
 Fruits continue to ripe after harvesting.
 It characterized by an increase in respiration and concomitant increase in synthesis
of the phytohormone ethylene upon initiation of ripening.
Fig 07: Examples for Climacteric Fruits

11. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Graph 01: Generalized pattern of respiration rate and ethylene production
during development and ripening in a climacteric fruit.

12. Fig 08: Enzymatic activity in fruit ripening
 Fruit ripening is accelerated, and dramatic changes in color,
texture, and aroma of fruits become evident.
Acid
Starch
Chlorophyll
Pectin (hard)
Large organics
Tangy
Sugar
Lycopene
Pectin (Soft)
Aromatic
Unripen Ripen

13.  The biosynthesis and perception of ethylene are highly regulated, involving genes
such as, RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN), COLORLESS NON-RIPENING (CNR), and NON-
RIPENING (NOR).
 RIN is a classical MADS-box transcription factor, acts as the main regulator of fruit
ripening.
 The CNR protein is a promoter-binding protein, , located upstream RIN or NOR.
 The nor mutation comprises a deletion in the third exon. Resulting in truncated
protein. This mutation reduces both ethylene production and lycopene biosynthesis.
Fig 09: Fruit ripening mutants of tomato

14. NON-CLIMACTERIC FRUITS
 These are not capable of continuing their ripening process, once they are detached
from the parent plant.
 There is gradual decline in their respiration pattern and ethylene production,
throughout the ripening process.
Fig 10: Examples for Climacteric Fruits
14

15. Strawberry
Fig 11: Relative differences in the concentration of endogenous ethylene
during different developmental stages in strawberry.
A. Green stage, B. White stage and C. Mature ripe red stage.
 Some of the changes in strawberry ripening are common in climacteric fruits. This
includes loss of chlorophyll and accumulation of anthocyanins, sugars, and volatiles.
15

16. Fig 12: Diagram of FaMRLK47 signaling in relation to the
regulation of strawberry fruit development and ripening.
 Negative regulation of fruit development and ripening in the non-climacteric fruit.
 Overexpression of FaNCED1 gene, which encodes a key enzyme 9-cis-epoxy carotenoid dioxygenase.
 Ex:- FaMRLK47, which is a FERONIA-like receptor kinase47, a negative regulator of strawberry, it acts
as a negative regulator because it interacts with ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE1.
16

17. CONCLUSION
 Studying ripening processes is very important as to prolong the post-harvest storage life by
impeding ripening and senescence. We see so many news regarding the losses farmers
experience due to the ripening and rotting of fruits before they could transport the goods to the
market.
 There are several others ways to slow down fruit ripening process like storage at low
temperature, storing in air tight atmosphere & suppression of ethylene can also be induced
chemically by ethylene absorbents or by inhibitors.
 Hence it is better to know what is the shelf life of the fruit by studying their ripening pattern
and plan their storage process accordingly which will help cultivators immensely.

18. REFERENCES
1. G. B. Seymour, J. E. TayIor & G.A. Tucker. 1993. Biochetnistry of Fruit Ripening, Springer Science+Business
Media, UK, 461pp.
2. Elhadi M. Yahia & Armando Carrillo-López. 2019. Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and
Vegetables, Woodhead Publishing An imprint of Elsevier, Cambridge, UK, 490pp.
3. Alkan N and Fortes A M. 2015. Insights into molecular and metabolic events associated with fruit
response to post-harvest fungal pathogens, Frontiers in Plant Science. 6:889.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.00889
4. Avtar K. Handa, Martín-Ernesto, Tiznado-Hernández & Autar K. Mattoo. Fruit development and ripening:
a molecular perspective, 406-424pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381466-1.00026-2
5. Cornelius S. Barry, & James J. Giovannoni. 2007. Ethylene and Fruit Ripening, Journal of Plant Growth
Regulation 26:143–159pp. DOI: 10.1007/s00344-007-9002-y
6. Gajanan Gundewadi, Vijay Rakesh Reddy & Bb Bhimappa. 2018. Physiological and biochemical basis of
fruit development and ripening - a review, Journal of Hill Agriculture 9(1): 7-21pp. DOI 10.5958/2230-
7338.2018.00003.4
7. Harry J. Klee and James J. Giovannoni. 2011. Genetics and Control of Tomato Fruit Ripening and Quality
Attributes, Annual reviews 45:41–59pp. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-110410-132507

19. 9. Meiru Jia, Ning Ding, Qing Zhang, Sinian Xing, Lingzhi Wei, Yaoyao Zhao, Ping Du, Wenwen Mao, Jizheng
Li, Bingbing Li and Wensuo Jia. 2017. A FERONIA-Like Receptor Kinase Regulates Strawberry (Fragaria
× ananassa) Fruit Ripening and Quality Formation, Frontiers in Plant Science, 8:1099.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01554
10. Muriel Quinet, Trinidad Angosto, Fernando J. Yuste-Lisbona, Rémi Blanchard-Gros, Servane Bigot, Juan-
Pablo Martinez & Stanley Lutts. 2019. Tomato Fruit Development and Metabolism, Frontiers in Plant
Science, 10:1154.
11. Payasi. A & G.G. Sanwal. 2010. Ripening Of Climacteric Fruits And Their Control, Journal of Food
Biochemistry 34, 679–710pp. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-4514.2009.00307.x
12. Rashmi Shakya and Manju A. Lal. 2018. Fruit Development and Ripening, Springer, chap 27.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2023-1_27
13. Shan Li, Benzhong Zhu, Julien Pirrello, Changjie Xu, Bo Zhang, Mondher Bouzayen, Kunsong Chen,
Donald Grierson. 2019. Roles of RIN and ethylene in tomato fruit ripening and ripening associated
traits, New Phytologist.
14. Shan Li, Kunsong Chen & Donald Grierson. 2021. Molecular and Hormonal Mechanisms Regulating
Fleshy Fruit Ripening, Cells 10, 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10051136
15. Yudong Liu, Mingfeng Tang, Mingchun Liu, Deding Su, Jing Chen, Yushuo Gao, Mondher Bouzayen, and
Zhengguo Li. 2020. The Molecular Regulation of Ethylene in Fruit Ripening, Small Methods, 1900485.
https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.201900485
16. Yu Han, Ruihong Dang, Jinxi Li, Jinzhu Jiang, Ning Zhang, Meiru Jia, Lingzhi Wei, Ziqiang Li, Bingbing Li,
and Wensuo Jia. 2015. SUCROSE NONFERMENTING1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE2.6, an Ortholog of
OPEN STOMATA1, Is a Negative Regulator of Strawberry Fruit Development and Ripening, Plant
Physiology, 167, 915–930pp. http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.114.251314

20. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank the dept. of Molecular Biology for
providing this opportunity to present this seminar.
I would also like to thank my guide Prof. N. S. Devaki for
her valuable guidance and support throughout my
seminar.
Thank you one and all.