Physicochemical and biochemical characterization of ripening injujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk) fruits from two accessions grown in Guadeloupe
Jujube fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk) from two accessions grown in Guadeloupe were harvested andsampled at five ripening stages, from green to reddish-brown in colour. Their physiological character-istics were then investigated. Ascorbic acid increased with ripening until stage 4, to 463 mg/100 g and168 mg/100 g dry weight, for cultivars P3 and P5, respectively. Likewise, ethylene production increaseduntil stage 4, to 121 _l/kg/h and 116 _l/kg/h, for cultivars P3 and P5, respectively. High and transientsucrose accumulation was observed during ripening of P3 fruits, concomitantly with low and constantglucose and fructose contents. P5 fruits also accumulated sucrose transiently but at a lower level than P3fruits, with a marked decrease at the end of ripening. In contrast to P3 fruit, glucose and fructose accu-mulated continuously to high levels during P5 fruit ripening. These data suggested differential sucrosemetabolism during ripening of these fruits. Postharvest treatments with 1-MCP and acetylene were alsoperformed on the three first ripening stages of both cultivars P3 and P5. On the basis of the findings, wediscuss the climacteric behaviour of the P3 and P5 ripening process.