losses from 50 percent in 8 months of storage at 40° F. to as much as 50 per- 
cent loss in 1 month at 3° C. (37.4° F.). However, it appears that storage 
conditions can be maintained to keep ascorbic acid losses at a level where the 
nutritive value will not be seriously affected (69). 
The apple also contains other vitamins but cannot be regarded as a rich 
source of carotene, thiamine, or any of the B vitamins. 
The sugars are readily available carbohydrates and, as mentioned earlier, 
a ripened apple contains almost no starch, The pectins may be responsible for 
some of the health-giving properties. They appear to be a beneficial supple- 
ment to a diet deficient in vitamin A and have been recognized as having pro- 
perties that aid in curing diarrhea and other disorders (14). 
The minerals in apples do not differ much from those of many other fruits. 
The mineral cations associated with the organic acids leave a basic residue in 
the body when the acids are oxidized. Although quite acid in taste, apples do 
not reduce the alkali reserve of the blood (14). 
A quotation from Esselen et al, (14) summarizes this section very well: 
"We have always eaten apples for their zest, attractiveness and flavor. Now 
with a recognized food value assigned to them we can appreciate apples for 
their nutritive as well as their aesthetic value." 
Literature Cited for Ripening and Composition 
1. Aso, K., and Matsuda, K, 
1951. Studies of Sugars in Apple Juice. Tohoku Jour. Agr. Res. 2:135. 
2 Barker Ji. 
1960. High Pressures of Oxygen and Respiration; an Improved Technique 
and a Demonstration That High Pressures as Such May Affect the Rate of 
CO» Output From Plant Tissues. Jour. Expt. Bot. 11:86-90. 
Se Bialiegesi..oB), 
1950. Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits. Ann. Rev. of 
Plant Physiol. 1:183-206. 
(> and Young, R. E. 
1962, The Biochemistry of Fruit Maturation. Endeavour 21:164-174. 
Die bUCh Men aneEeDiay.denmor. Cro, and Hills. «Co si. 
1955. Chromatographic Comparison of Non-Volatile Acids of Fresh and 
Stored Apple Juice Concentrates. Jour. Agr. and Food Chem. 3:960. 
Ge) PBuGe.W See 
1962. The Physiology of Ethylene Formation. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 
13 :265-302. 
Wc and Burg, E. A. 
1962. Conversion of the 2- and 3-carbon Positions of Triose to Ethylene 
by Apple Tissue, Plant Physiol. 37: Suppl. XVIII. Abstr. 
8. and Thimann, K. V. 
1960. Studies on Ethylene Production of Apple Tissue. Plant Physiol. 
35:24-35. 
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