ABSTRACT
Knowledge of phenolic compounds in fruits has increased considerably, particularly with regard to qualitative and quantitative analysis. It has been possible to plot the phenolic pattern of most of the common fruits and to monitor their evolution during growth and all maturation when very characteristic changes take place. Quantitative studies should be extended to a greater variety of cultivars to be able to characterize each of them by a phenolic pattern taking into account both genetic control and the differences related to the biological and physicochemical environment of the fruit. Although fruits have been recognized as an organ in which the phenolic metabolism is active, very few studies have been devoted to enzymatic regulation. Utilization of in vitro culture of fruit material should be more broadly developed in the future to approach this question and in particular the mechanisms of vacuolar accumulation of phenols in fruits.
