ABSTRACT
Fruit ripening is an especially significant aspect of plant biology because of the importance of fruit in the human diet. Plant species devote vast amounts of energy and resources to the maturation of fruit organs (Gray et al. 1992). The ripening of fruit can be generally defined as the summation of changes in texture, flavor, aroma, and color marking the complete maturation of the organ in terms of attraction for seed dispersing organisms (Brady 1992, Grierson et al. 1992, Giovannoni 2001, Adams et al. 2004, Giovannoni 2004). Lipid metabolism, fiber content, and vitamin levels are also affected over the course of ripening, ultimately impacting the nutritional quality of mature fruit tissues. It has also been shown that levels of antioxidant compounds, capable of modifying enzyme activities and detoxifying potentially damaging free radical compounds, can be altered substantially during ripening, with effects on both fruit color and nutrient quality (Ronen et al. 1999, Verhoeyen et al. 2002).
