The study authors: J. O. Aina, O. O. Oladunjoye. Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. The results of research on "Respiration, pectolytic activity and textural changes in ripening African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) fruits" conducted by J. O. Aina, O. O. Oladunjoye (Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 4, 1993, Pages 451–454).



Post-harvest changes in fruit firmness, respiration, pectinesterase (PE) and polygalacturonase (PG) activities were followed in African mango fruits during storage ripening at tropical ambient conditions (28±1°C and 68±2% RH). Respiration followed a climacteric pattern attaining a peak of 99·37 ml CO₂ kg⁻¹ hr⁻¹ on the fifth day of storage while full ripeness (colour index—5) was attained on the tenth day. PE and PG activities increased with progressive fruit ripening attaining their optima on the fifth day (1·8 PE unit) and tenth day (27 PG units), respectively. Fruit firmness decreased as pectolytic activity increased with a concomitant reduction in the deformation force from 49 kPa in the unripe fruit to 25 kPa at the edible ripe stage.

The complete study "Respiration, pectolytic activity and textural changes in ripening African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) fruits" (J. O. Aina, O. O. Oladunjoye):

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.2740630412/abstract

Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 4, 1993, Pages 451–454