Studies on Peroxidase of Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Changes in the peroxidase activity and the gel-filtration pattern with Sephadex G-200 in the pulp and peel tissues of apple fruits stored in the controlled atmosphere (CA) and the conventional refrigerated room were investigated.The remarkable increase in the total activity was recognized in the pulp tissues of “Jonathan”and“Starking Delicious”apples stored under the CA condition. However, in other varieties the activities were held at almost same level during the CA storage, and also similar results were found in all varieties stored in the refrigerated room. On the other hand, the activities in the peel tissues of all varieties increased under the both storage conditions.The gel-filtration patterns on the activity in the protein fraction prepared from the pulp and peel tissues of apple fruits were composed of three fractions which were designated as fraction I, II and III except“Mutsu”variety which showed only two fractions, fraction II and III. It was not clear that, these differences were caused either by the maturity at which the fruit was harvested or the variety.The activity which increased in the pulp tissue of“Jonathan”stored under the CA condition was found in the fraction II, and the sum of the activity of the fraction II amounted to about 96% of the total activity.There were no significant differences in the pattern between apples stored under CA and cold condition.