Green Tomato Research Articles

The Whistle Stop Café and Luke’s Diner

This paper compares the Whistle Stop Café in Fanny Flagg’s 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café to Luke’s Diner in the pilot episode of the TV show Gilmore Girls (2000). I argue that the two cafes are similar in that both offer up a utopian space where women can be themselves, enact their desires and speak their minds without fear of judgement or violence. Through a comparison of the two, I also show the ways in which gendered power dynamics have changed over time: while the Whistle Stop Café provides a refuge from male violence, Luke's Diner functions as a space in which women can exert their own agency through speech, thus keeping the threat of male violence at bay. My analysis shows that the culinary space of the café or diner contains traditionally feminine elements through its association with food and cooking as well as traditionally masculine elements through its presence in the public sphere.

Modelling net irrigation water requirements using FAO-CROPWAT 8.0 and CLIMWAT 2.0: a case study of Tina Plain and East South ElKantara regions, North Sinai, Egypt

ABSTRACT The present study aims at estimating net and gross water requirements of eight major irrigated crops in the agro-ecological regions Tina Plain (AER 1), and East South ELKantara (AER 2) in Egypt using FAO-CROPWAT 8.0 and its attached meteorological parameters CLIMWAT 2.0 model. Historical weather data at Ismailia and Port Said stations for 40 years (1975 to 2014) were recalled from the CLIMWAT 2.0. The net irrigation requirements for berseem clover, barley and cotton in AER 1 were computed at 612 mm, 283 mm and 901 mm, respectively, while, in AER 2, the corresponding values were 738 mm, 287 mm and 1113 mm showing a 19% increase. District water balance scenarios show for crop pattern with maximum net and gross irrigation water requirement, and irrigation efficiencies 40% and 60% in AER 1 and AER 2, respectively, indicates 22.1% increase above the licensed water limit, crop pattern with minimum net and gross irrigation requirements indicates 23.1% saving of allocation water limit, and the current crop pattern indicates 8.1% saving. Therefore, better water management should be adapted to focus on improving irrigation efficiency and cultivating crops with lower water need, such as green beans, wheat, barely, sugar beet, and tomato.

Post-Harvest Use of Ultraviolet Light (UV) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) to Enhance Bioactive Compounds in Refrigerated Tomatoes

Different strategies have been developed to increase the concentration of bioactive compounds in tomatoes during post-harvest, with ultraviolet light (UV) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) being interesting tools. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ultraviolet (UVA at 366 nm and UVC at 254 nm) pre-treatment (1 kJ/m2) and red–blue LED light (25.4 µmol/m2/s) on the concentration of carotenoids, (poly)phenols and hydrophilic/lipophilic antioxidant capacity during 7 days of refrigeration storage of green tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivar “Raf”. In addition, special attention was paid to quality parameters (weight loss, colour, acidity, soluble solids and ripening index). Tomatoes exposed to LED light at 6 °C for 7 days increased up to three times the total carotenoids content (mainly β-carotene and E-lycopene) compared to tomatoes refrigerated in the dark, while UV treatments alone did not significantly affect the carotenoid content. Besides, exposure to LEDs increased the hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacity of tomatoes by 30%, without affecting phenolic contents. Thus, LED treatments alone during refrigerated storage fostered ripening and improved the nutritional value of tomatoes, without compromising quality parameters. Further studies must be carried out to evaluate the impact on sensory attributes and consumer acceptance.

Development of tetra-primer amplicon refractory mutation system (T-ARMS) strategy for identification of the dark green mutant allele in tomato.

The high pigment (hp) tomato mutants increase the fruit pigment content in tomato. The dark green (dg) tomato mutant belonging to this category contains the hp-2 dg recessive allele, resulting from a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the DEETIOLATED1 (DET1) gene. Naturally, identification of this functional SNP is crucial for introgression of this important mutant allele in suitable tomato cultivar(s). Hence, we developed a functional co-dominant marker for detecting the hp-2 dg mutant allele using the tetra-primer amplicon refractory mutation system (T-ARMS) strategy. Although the other available techniques for identification of SNPs require specialized costly equipments and reagents, our method allows the reliable identification of this functional SNP in time-, labour- and cost-effective manner, using standard molecular biology equipments and reagents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T-ARMS strategy for the detection of the dg mutant allele in tomato, which will definitely help in identification and introgression of this allele by the breeders, working even under limited fund and resources.

A Multiyear Survey and Identification of Pepper- and Tomato-Infecting Viruses in Yunnan Province, China.

During pepper and tomato production seasons in 2013–2017, large-scale virus disease surveys were conducted in different regions of Yunnan Province, China. A total of 1,267 pepper and tomato samples with various virus-like symptoms were collected and analyzed for virus infections through dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR. The detection results showed that 19 different viruses were present in about 50.9% of the assayed samples, and among these viruses, seven viruses were found in both pepper and tomato samples. Mixed infections with two to three of the 15 identified mixed infection types were found in the pepper samples and 10 identified mixed infection types were found in the tomato samples. Among the infected samples, Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) was the most common virus, with a detection rate of about 20.0% followed by Pepper vein yellows virus (PeVYV, 13.0%). This survey revealed for the first time that pepper is a natural host of Tobacco vein distorting virus (TVDV) worldwide and tomato is a natural host of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) in China. PeVYV, Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV) and Wild tomato mosaic virus (WTMV) were first time found in pepper and Tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV) and Chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV) were first time found in tomato in Yunnan Province. Finally, the virus incidences were higher in Kunming, Yuxi, Chuxiong, and Honghe region than other regions.

Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of green tomato ( Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) calyxes’ extracts

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic and antioxidant potential of green tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) calyxes' extracts. Three methods were used to obtain the extracts: maceration (M), ultrasound-assisted (US), and infusion. Regarding in vitro hypoglycemic evaluation, glucose diffusion assay and enzymatic inhibitory action of α-amylase and α-glucosidase were performed. Whereas, for in vivo assessment an oral starch tolerance test (OSTT) was tested with aqueous extracts [infusion (40mg/kg b. wt.), maceration (M) water (98mg/kg b. wt.), and US water (82.24mg/kg b. wt.)] on male Wistar rats. Additionally, in vitro antioxidant activity of P. ixocarpa calyxes' was evaluated through inhibition of scavenging radical assay and lipid peroxidation. Extracts decreased the glucose diffusion in a range of 18%-56% compared with the negative control. Additionally, extracts inhibited α-amylase (above 80%) and α-glucosidase enzymes (above 90%). All groups treated with P. ixocarpa calyxes' significantly reduced the glucose levels at 120min (infusion=13.3%, M Water=12.7%, and US Water=19.4%) in comparison with the negative control, and similar levels to acarbose at 120min (13.1%). Finally, extracts showed IC50 values in a range of 2.5-6.6µg/µl for radical scavenging, and 118-199µg/µl for lipid oxidation. Our results show that P. ixocarpa calyxes' extracts induce hypoglycemia and antioxidant effects in vitro and in vivo. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The green tomato is usually consumed in Mexico, the United States, and Central America. This fruit grows inside a calyx, which is considered an agro-food waste. However, some regions of Latin America have a traditional medicine purpose for diabetes affections. To the best of our knowledge, there are no published data that supports its hypoglycemic action. The information provided will be useful to nutraceutical applications that allow value-added products and sustainable green tomato production.

Selection of industrial tomatoes using TD-NMR data and computational classification methods

Tomato processing chain has a world economic relevance for the food industry and the agribusiness, providing ready-to-eat products and raw material for other production chains. The product quality is depending on control of some fruit attributes, such as color, soluble solids content (SSC), and defects. The aim of this study was to develop accurate and nondestructive classification models according to the tomato maturation stage, SSC, and presence of defects using Time-Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) associated with computational classification methods. Each class showed different decay times. Green tomatoes showed a shorter decay signal than red tomatoes, mainly due to the relaxation signal being related to the water mobility in different vegetable tissue compartments. Classification models resulted in great accuracy performances, the best accuracy for each classification were: maturity index: 97% (SVM); SSC: 100% (SVM and kNN); presence of defects: 90% (PLS-DA). These results show that CPMG decays associated with computational methods can be used in the tomato processing industry to classify tomato samples. These classification models showed the potential of TD-NMR technique in a high-throughput screening application before the processing.

In vitro tolerance to antifungal glycoalkaloids and biofilm forming ability of the antagonistic yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain SQUCC-33Y

Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain SQUCC-33Y is an antagonistic yeast against Alternaria alternata, the tomato fruit rot pathogen. In a previous study, we demonstrated the potential of M. guilliermondii SQUCC-33Y in the control of A. alternata-induced postharvest fruit rot of tomato. In this study, M. guilliermondii SQUCC-33Y was evaluated for its ability to tolerate antifungal glycoalkaloids of tomato and to form biofilm under in vitro conditions. Glycoalkaloids were extracted from immature green tomato fruits. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis showed the presence of α-tomatine, β-tomatine, tomatidine, lycoperoside A, lycoperoside H, coumaric acid and sinapic acid in the glycoalkaloids extract. In vitro antifungal assays showed that M. guilliermondii SQUCC-33Y and A. alternata were tolerant to glycoalkaloids of tomato, while Rhizoctonia solani was sensitive. M. guilliermondii SQUCC-33Y was able to form biofilm as determined by in vitro microtiter plate assay.

The effect of concentrations and exposure durations of ethylene gas on the respiration rate of tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum)

Ethylene gas is often used in artificial ripening of fruit, including tomato. One of the physical characteristics which is influenced by ethylene application is the respiration rate. This research aimed to find out the effect of ethylene concentrations and exposure durations on the respiration rate of tomato in the ripening process. Ethylene concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 ppm and exposure time durations of 24, 48, and 72 hours were investigated in a 3×3 factorial design with three replications. Selected green mature tomatoes were exposed to ethylene gas, after being exposed were then loaded in the respirometer and stored in ambient room. Oxygen and carbon dioxide changes were monitored until the fruits were ripened. Using three-way repeated measurement analysis, it was found that the interaction effect of the treatments on the respiration rate only significant for time of measurements and exposure time durations (P<0.05). These finding confirmed that exposure duration was important to be considered in the application of ethylene. It could also be reported that exposure duration of 24 hours was significantly different with 48 and 72 hours, whereas these two later exposure time durations were not different.

Ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction are enhanced during accelerated ripening of postharvest tomato treated with exogenous methyl jasmonate

Phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) plays an important role in fruit ripening. This research aimed to investigate the regulation of MeJA in ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction during postharvest tomatoes ripening. After mature green cherry tomatoes were infiltrated with MeJA (0.5 mM) or deionized water (control) respectively, fruit colour and firmness, ethylene production, the activities and expressions of ACS and ACO, as well as the expressions of major genes involved in ethylene signal transduction were periodically monitored. Results showed that a significant acceleration in ripening in MeJA-treated fruit was observed, along with the accelerated changes of ethylene production, the enhanced activities and expression levels of ACS and ACO. The expression levels of ETR3, ETR4, ETR6, ETR7, EIN2, EIL2, EIL3, EIL4 and ERF1 were up-regulated (from 1.26- to 6.50-fold) by MeJA during tomatoes ripening. The expression of CTR1, however, was down-regulated (from 0.23- to 0.54-fold). Moreover, the expression of EIL1 was positively regulated at the early ripening stage whereas negatively regulated at the late ripening stage (11.76-/0.39-fold), whereas the expressions of CTR3 and CTR4 showed the opposite expression patterns (0.15-/7.78-fold, 0.48-/2.00-fold). Results suggested the up-regulation of the genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis, as well as the up-regulated transcriptional levels of the most genes involved in ethylene signal transduction, leading to the increase of ethylene production, response and action, would be one of the major mechanisms of MeJA in accelerating postharvest tomatoes ripening.

Amelioration of oxidative stress, inflammation and liver function by nutraceuticals in rat model of hepatic cancer initiation induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine

Introduction:Nutraceuticals might serve as protective agent against liver cancer induced by pro-cancerous chemicals that initiate high oxidative stress, inflammation and affect DNA integrity. The aim of the present research was to study the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma initiation induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) through treatment by nutraceuticals.Methods:Two nutraceuticals were prepared; the first (NI) was a mixture of different extracts of green tea, wheat germ and tomato, the second one (NII) was composed of extracts mixture of broccoli, hazelnuts and carrot. Total flavonoids and flavonols were determined in the nutraceuticals. Four groups of rats were run; the first served as control normal, the other three groups were treated by intraperitoneal injection of NDEA, one of these groups was designated as control NDEA, the other two groups (test groups) were treated daily with oral doses of NI and NII, respectively. The experiment continued for 8 weeks. Plasma transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and catalase activities, total protein, albumin, malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) along with liver MDA level and catalase activity were assessed.Results:NI showed higher flavonoids and lower flavonols than NII (P&lt; 0.05). High oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers, liver dysfunction, reduced plasma albumin and total protein were demonstrated in control NDEA compared to control normal (P&lt; 0.05). Test groups showed significant improvement in all parameters (P&lt; 0.05) compared to NDEA control. NI was superior in improving plasma transaminases and catalase activities, MDA and TNF-α levels and liver catalase activity compared to NII (P&lt; 0.05).Conclusion:Both NI and NII might prevent liver cancer initiation during exposure to carcinogenic agents, NI being superior to NII.

Effect of postharvest irradiation with red light on epidermal color and carotenoid concentration in different parts of tomatoes

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of red light irradiation during postharvest ripening with focus on the outer (epicarp and mesocarp) and inner (endocarp and seed) parts of tomatoes by evaluating concomitant alterations in bioactive compounds, such as lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolic and total flavonoid concentrations, external fruit color and spectral reflectance pattern, and the Simple Chlorophyll Fluorescence ratio. As promising measure, deriving from previous studies, green stage-1 tomatoes were harvested and treated daily with red light for 12 h per day, for 15 days (followed by storage in darkness for additional 6 days) or continuously radiated with red light for 21 days. Control untreated tomatoes were kept in the dark for the same period. Application of continous red light strongly accelerated changes in the outer layer of fruit, for example visible in color parameters. Significant differences between treatments were analyzed for major secondary metabolite compounds such as lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolic and total flavonoid in both outer and inner fruit layers. Continuous red light treatment led to the highest concentration of secondary metabolite compounds in all parameters. Therefore, it can be concluded that continuous red light radiation is the most effective treatment to accelerate the color development and ripening of the outer layer of the epicarp. Furthermore, it plays a role in stimulating the inner layer of the endocarp to provide beneficial secondary metabolite compounds.

Physiological Response of Mature Green Tomatoes to Treatment with Ethylene at High Temperature

This study investigated the effect of ethylene treatment at high temperatures of 30 to 40 °C for up to 72 hours on subsequent ripening-associated processes in mature green ‘Sunny’ and ‘Agriset 761’ tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Compared with ethylene-treated fruit at 20 °C, ethylene exposure at 30 or 35 °C stimulated ripening in terms of ethylene biosynthesis and color development, but the ethylene effect was only apparent after transfer to air at 20 °C. There were no negative effects on ripe tomato quality related to ethylene exposure at 30 or 35 °C. However, ethylene production of tomatoes was permanently impaired by ethylene exposure at 40 °C for 48 or 72 hours even after transferring fruit to air at 20 °C; these fruit exhibited slow softening and color development. Our results suggest that tomatoes perceive ethylene at 30 to 35 °C despite impairment of ripening at those temperatures, with the accelerated ripening response becoming apparent only after transferring the tomatoes to air at lower temperature.

Effect of different post-harvest storage conditions and heat treatment on tomatine content in commercial varieties of green tomatoes

Green tomatoes are rich in tomatine (a natural mixture of α-tomatine and dehydrotomatine, in the 10:1 ratio), which has been shown to have many beneficial effects on human health. The content of tomatine depends on several factors including tomato variety, agricultural processing and post-harvest storage conditions. In the present study, the quantification of α-tomatine and dehydrotomatine contents was performed by reverse phase liquid chromatography, coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS), in three commercial varieties (Camone, Merinda, Nerina), post-harvest ripened fruits, which were stored at different temperatures (22 ± 2, 10 ± 1 and -20 ± 1 °C). Data showed that the tomatine concentration decreased as the maturity stage increased. On the other hand, there was an increase observed for long storing periods, after mold occurrence, and a few days at -20 ± 1 °C storage temperature. The content of the two glycoalkaloids in green Camone fruits that underwent heat treatment simulating industrial processing conditions (boiling procedure at 100 °C) showed that thermal treatment did not modify the total tomatine content.

Impact of Wild Bees (Apis cerana) and Stingless Bees (Tetragonula laeviceps) to Some Crops of Small-Scale Farm in West Java

One of the essential ecosystem services which profoundly affect the human population is pollination. Studies in subtropical countries which applies modern and expansive agricultural systems showed the significant impact of pollinator agent. However, the study on pollination service impact on the productivity of farms in Indonesia is quite rare. This research was conducted to determine pollination efficiency both open pollination by wild bees (Apis cerana) and stingless bees (Tetragonula laeviceps) to the quality and quantity of green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a monocropping system of a local small-scale farm. This research was conducted from January to April 2018 in Sukawangi Village, Pamulihan, Sumedang, West Java. The observation was started at 08.00-16.00 every five minutes during the flowering period. In these experiments, ten flowers that still not bloomed, in each of 10 plants per treatment were randomly selected. The effects of the pollinator were assessed by the visitation pattern of visits and plant reproductive success. This study showed that each of the pollination treatments did not affect the weight and the average length of all tested fruits. However, the application of stingless bees as pollinator revealed a significant difference in the average diameter (p=0.013) and fruit shape of the cucumbers.

Narrative Desire and the Book of Ruth

Narrative Desire and the Book of Ruth

Transfer efficacy of Escherichia coli O157:H7 between surfaces of green mature tomatoes and common food processing materials

The objectives of this study were: a) to evaluate E. coli O157:H7 survival on green mature tomatoes and squares of common food processing materials – stainless steel, plastic (HDPE), and vinyl conveyor belt (PVC) – post-drying, stored at 25 ºC in the humidified environment for four days; b) to determine pathogen transfer rates (wet, 90 minutes, or 24-hours drying post-inoculation), from inoculated tomato surfaces to uninoculated steel, plastic, and vinyl conveyor belt squares and conversely. It was shown that E. coli O157:H7 did not survive well on the surface of tomatoes, resulting in a decline from 5.3 log10 CFU.mL-1 90 minutes post-drying to 1.4 log10 CFU.mL-1 on day 4. Similarly, the pathogen did not survive well on the surface of food processing squares, with numbers declining over 4 days from 4.04, 4.44, and 4.19 CFU.mL-1 of rinsate 90 minutes squares post-drying to 0.72, 0.50, 0.83 log10 CFU.mL-1, which is close to the detection limit, for the steel, vinyl belt, and plastic, respectively. Successful cross-contamination between tomatoes and food processing surfaces was achieved during wet transfer; while transfer after 90 minutes inoculum post-drying and 24 hours were less successful. This can be explained by both lack of liquid media with suspended bacteria for transfer and fast pathogen die-off after desiccation. Dry transfers, as shown by the percentage of “positive” for pathogen presence tomatoes and squares, as well as bacterial counts, were more successful from tomatoes to squares, but not conversely. Special concern raised vinyl conveyor belt, where the surface picked up the most pathogen cells from the surface of tomatoes, resulting in 100% positive during 90 minute-dry transfers, followed by plastic (66.7% positive) and steel (55.6% positive). To summarize, we presented data on the possibility of cross-contamination between mature green tomatoes and common food processing surfaces, which may be interesting for the processors for risk evaluation.

Green Tomato Extract Prevents Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Rats, a Model of Osteoporosis.

Although drug therapies are available for postmenopausal osteoporosis, these drugs are not free of side effects and long-term adherence to them are low. A safe and effective nutritional approach to counter postmenopausal osteoporosis is an important research goal. We fed ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague–Dawley rats a diet supplemented with 1% or 2% green tomato extract (GTE). After 12 weeks, micro-computed tomography scans revealed that GTE supplementation effectively prevented distal femur bone loss. This prevention was due to improved bone formation and suppressed bone resorption as observed by the regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast activities. GTE supplementation also improved bone formation through Bmp2-Smad 1/5/8-Runx2 signaling, while bone resorption was regulated by the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (RANKL)/osteoprogeterin (OPG) pathway. These results suggest that GTE supplementation prevents severe postmenopausal bone loss by maintaining the regulation of bone homeostasis in OVX rats. GTE as a diet supplement might be a potential novel alternative for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Constant temperature during postharvest storage delays fruit ripening and enhances the antioxidant capacity of mature green tomato

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of storage temperature fluctuation (TF) (15 ± 5°C, 15 ± 1°C, and 15 ± 0°C) on the ripening quality and antioxidant capacity of mature green tomato. Results indicated that tomato subjected to high TF (15 ± 5°C) had higher respiration rate and weightlessness rate, earlier ethylene release peak, and developed rapid color transfer greater than that to 15 ± 0°C. Besides, tomato exposed to high TF (15 ± 5°C) reveal low lycopene, total phenols, and ascorbic acid content, and inferior activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase later in the storage period. Indicated in this study is the fact that a consistent storage temperature (15 ± 0°C) helps to delay ripening and the senescence process of mature green tomato, and a good sensory quality and high antioxidant capacity after storage is maintained. Practical applications Storage temperature fluctuation in cold chain logistics of fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the main factors leading to quality loss. In this experiment, the effects of different temperature fluctuations on ripening quality and antioxidant properties of mature green tomato were evaluated. The results showed that the high TF would lead to the abnormal ripening of tomatoes and reduce the ripening quality and antioxidant capacity, while the constant storage temperature had the opposite effect. Operators should ensure as far as possible that the temperature of any link in the cold chain logistics of fresh food is stable, so as to extend the full-ripening time of green mature tomato after harvest, and improve their edible quality and antioxidant capacity.

Iron homeostasis regulates maturation of tomato (climacteric) and capsicum (non-climacteric) fruits

Endogenous iron quickly interchanges its oxidation states (Fe III and Fe II), which modulate production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), and also serve as co-factor for various enzymes. A sharp increase in Fe(III) content in mature fruits of tomato (climacteric) is a unique observation from the present work. Iron homeostasis in non-climacteric capsicum fruits, however, accompanies a balancing of Fe(III) and Fe(II) levels during turning and ripe stages. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which mobilizes toxic heme and produces Fe(II), apparently regulates iron homeostasis in tomato. Nearly static HO-1 activity in capsicum indicates that HO-1 probably does not have a major role in iron homeostasis in non-climacteric fruit maturation. Endogenous NO content is much higher during tomato fruit maturation than in capsicum. ROS production is highest in green (unripe) tomato and capsicum fruits and it sharply declines with fruit maturation. Tomato fruits exhibit very high β-cyanoalanine synthase (β-CAS) activity in turning stage and mature fruits, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining a static level of cyanide (CN) generated as a byproduct of ethylene biosynthesis during fruit maturation. In contrast, β-CAS activity is very low in maturing capsicum fruits. Thus, a coordination between iron signal and, NO and ROS accumulation in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits is apparently perceived by hormonal (ethylene) signals getting altered differentially during fruit ripening.