10 



In an immature fruit, chlorophyll is constantly being broken 

 down and re-made, so that a healthy fruit retains a rich green 

 color. But as a fruit matures, chlorophyll synthesis gradually 

 ceases and the pigment that breaks down is no longer replaced. 

 Thus, a ripening fruit rapidly loses its green color, this change 

 being so characteristic that it can be used as a maturity index. 



Th 

 for mos 

 phylls, 

 anthocy 

 tive. 

 are usu 

 f rui t, 

 all red 

 V a r i e t i 

 tified 

 Of the 

 obvious 

 that of 



e antho 



t of th 



which 



a n i n s a 



Colorat 



ally mo 



In app 



V a r i e t 



es . In 



in sing 



fruit i 



that c 



apples 



cyam 

 e red 

 have 

 ppear 

 ion f 

 re th 

 les , 

 ies , 



cont 

 1 e va 

 s an 

 olora 



ns are 

 and bl 

 a very 



to fun 

 rom the 

 an 1 an 

 the sam 

 though 

 rast, a 

 rieties 

 i nterac 

 t i n of 



a large 

 ue colo 

 importa 

 c t i n s 

 se pigm 

 thocyan 

 e 3 ant 

 in diff 

 t least 



of blu 

 tion of 



bluebe 



family 

 rs in na 

 nt physi 

 imply in 

 ents is 

 in prese 

 hocyanin 

 erent pr 



14 anth 

 eberries 



all the 

 rries is 



of pigmen 

 ture. Un 

 ol ogical 

 making a 

 no simple 

 nt in a c 

 s seem to 

 oportions 

 ocyanins 

 Since 

 pigments 

 much mor 



ts responsible 

 like the chloro- 

 function, the 



structure attrac- 



matter. There 

 ertain kind of 



be present in 



in different 

 have been iden- 

 the actual color 



present, it's 

 e complex than 



An i 

 ments may 

 to purple 

 vi ronment 

 thocyan in 

 centratio 

 pie if th 

 si ightly 

 of the an 

 Slight c h 

 of the CO 

 berri es . 

 due to ra 

 This synt 

 it can go 

 black und 

 ment. 



ntere 

 prod 

 , dep 

 with 

 i s p 

 n of 

 e pH 

 less 

 thocy 

 anges 

 lore 

 Howe 

 pid s 

 h e s i s 



too 

 er Ne 



sti ng 

 uce a 

 e n d i n 

 i n th 

 roduc 

 any p 

 of ce 

 acid, 

 anins 



in a 

 hange 

 ver , 

 ynthe 



acco 

 far, 

 w Eng 



feature 

 color r 

 g on the 

 e eel 1 s . 

 ed. On 

 igment, 

 lis rise 

 Thi s c 

 and thu 

 cidity i 

 s during 

 most of 

 sis of n 

 mpaning 

 as in th 

 land con 



of an 

 anging 

 ir con 

 A pi 

 the ot 

 color 

 s si ig 

 hange 

 s chan 

 n this 



ripen 

 the fo 

 ew ant 

 ripeni 

 e case 

 d i t i n 



thocyanins 

 from pink 

 centrations 

 nk fruit wi 

 her hand, w 

 can turn fr 

 htly, that 

 of acidity 

 ges the col 

 way may be 

 ing of frui 

 rmation of 

 hocyanins a 

 ng is usual 

 of the Del 

 s--they sim 



is that the sam 

 to red to black 



and the chemie 

 11 turn red as 

 ithout a change 

 om red to blue 

 is, if the cell 

 changes the str 

 or they produce 



responsible fo 

 ts like plums a 

 red and blue co 

 s the fruits ri 

 ly very desirab 

 icious sports t 

 ply form too mu 



e pig- 



to blue 

 al en- 

 more an- 



in con- 

 to pur- 

 s become 

 uctures 



r some 

 nd blue- 

 1 r s is 

 pen . 

 le, but 

 hat turn 

 ch pig- 



The third family of pigments is the carotenoids. They produce 

 most of the yellow and orange colors in nature. In addition, one 

 of these pigments (lycopene) produces a red color and is responsi- 

 ble for red and pink colors in some fruits, for example tomatoes, 

 watermelons, and pink grapefruit. Most of the carotenoids function 

 merely as attractants, but one of them (beta carotene) is very im- 

 portant nutritionally, for it is converted into vitamin A. 



Most fruits contain only small amounts of carotenoids until 

 they begin to ripen. During ripening, considerable carotenoid syn- 

 thesis occurs, and this along with the loss of chlorophyll accounts 

 for the yellowing often used as an index of fruit ripening. This 

 synthesis continues until death of the fruit, so intense yellowing 

 often makes a valid index of overmaturity . 



