International on-line Course on

Postharvest & Fresh-cut Technologies

Ethylene and Maturation

Dr. Daniel Valero

Head of the Postharvest Group.
AgroFood Technology Department.
Universidad Miguel Hernández
Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante. SPAIN
Phone: +34 966749743 E-mail: daniel.valero@umh.es
 International on-line Course on
Postharvest & Fresh-cut Technologies

Ethylene and Maturation

Daniel Valero
University Professor. Head of Postharvest Group UMH
Dept. Agro-Food Technology
University Miguel Hernández

E-mail: daniel.valero@umh.es
 Index of Presentation

01 Introduction

02 Fruit Growth Ripening Patterns

03 Climacteric and Non-climacteric fruits

04 Ethylene Biosynthesis
05 Ethylene and Action - Ripening
06 References
 Introduction
Scopus Fruit & Ripening 15.887 Papers
 Introduction
Fruit & Ripening & Ethylene 3.794 Papers
Scopus
Fruit & Ripening & Non Climacteric 325 Papers

Ethylene the gaseous plant hormone: mechanism

and regulation of biosynthesis.
Adams, D.O., Yang, S.F. 1981.
Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 6(C): 161-164.

Gane, R. 1934.
Production of ethylene by some ripening fruit.
Nature, 134(3400): 1008.

Ripening Hormone
Ethylene
of Climacteric Fruits
 Introduction
Maturation:
The stage of development leading to the attainment of
physiological or horticultural maturity
Physiological Maturity: is the stage of development when a
plant or plant organ will continue ontogeny even if detached.

Horticultural Maturity: is the stage of development when a

plant or plant organ possess the prerequisites for utilisation by
consumers for a particular purpose.

Ripening: follows or overlaps maturation, rendering the produce

edible, as indicated by taste.
Kader, A.A. 1999. Fruit maturity, ripening, and quality relationships. Acta Horticulturae 485: 203-
208.
 Introduction

Optimum maturity stage depends on the utilisation

of the produce

FRESH CANNED FROZEN DRIED

CONSUMPTION

CONSUMPTION
IMMEDIATE
STORAGE OR STORAGE OR
LONG TRANSPORT SHORT TRANSPORT
 Introduction
HORTICULTURAL MATURATION– PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

FLOWERING

SENESCENCE
MATURATION
CELL ELONGATION OR
DIVISION CELL PHYSIOLOGICAL RIPENING
ENLARGEMENT MATURATION

Prunes
Pumpkin Currant Pear Cítrus
Apple Cherries
Cucumber
Dates
Tomato
Plum
Avocado
Banana
 Introduction
HORTICULTURAL MATURATION– PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
 Introduction
HORTICULTURAL MATURATION– PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
FRUIT GROWTH PATTERNS
 Introduction
FRUIT GROWTH PATTERNS

S1 S2 S3

Colour a* or Total carotenoids (mg 100 g-1)

Fruit weight 60
300 Colour
Total carotenoids
250 40
Fruit Weight (g)

200
20
150
0
100

50 -20

0
-40
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

Days after fruit set

Serrano et al. Food Chem. 2010, 118, 497-503

 Introduction

S1 S2 S3 S4
Firmness (N mm-1), Colour (b*) or Acidiy (g kg-1)

Ethylene
°Brix
Fruit weight 100
40 160
2.0 Firmness

Total soluble solids (g kg-1)

Colour b*
Acidity
80
Ethylene (nl g-1 h-1)

140

Fruit weight (g)

1.5
30
60
120
1.0
20 40 100

0.5
20 80
10

0.0

40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Díaz-Mula et al., 2008.
‘Golden Globe’ Plum Days after full blossom J. Sci. Food Agric. 88:
2499-2507.
Díaz-Mula et al. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2008, 88, 2499-2507
Introduction
 Introduction
Ripening
v Combination of the processes (i.e., not a single process)
that occur from the latter stages of growth and
development through the early stages of senescence.
v This results changes in composition, color, texture, or
other sensory attributes
Phase I Phase II Phase III
20
1.5 14

Fruit weight (g) and Firmness (N mm-1)

1.4 12

Total acidity (g 100 g-1)

18

10
TSS (ºBrix) 1.3

16 8
Fruit weight 1.2
TSS
Total acidity 6
Firmness 1.1
14
4
1.0

12 2
0.9
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

Days after full blossom

Introduction
Introduction
 Introduction
Important Increases of Ethylene during On-Tree Ripening
Phase I Phase II Phase III
End Cell Division and Initial
Cell Enlargement
Ethylene production (nL g-1 h-1)

Sonata
1.5
-Brooks
Cristalina After Pit Hardening
1.0

Onset of Ripening
0.5

25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

Days after full blossom

 Introduction
Quality: Degree of Excellence or Superiority
 Climacteric and Non-Climacteric

The climacteric is a stage of fruit ripening associated with

increased ethylene production and a rise in cellular respiration.
Some examples are: apple, banana, melon, apricot, tomato
(considered as a model).

Citrus, grapes, strawberries are non-climacteric (they ripen

without ethylene and respiration bursts).

Climacteric is the final physiological process that marks the end of

fruit maturation and the beginning of fruit senescence.

The climacteric event also leads to other changes in the fruit

including pigment changes and sugar release.
Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
 Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
EHYLENE REGULATED NON-ETHYLENE
CLIMACTERIC FRUITS NON-CLIMACTER FRUITS

PEACH PEPPER
25 l
C2H4 CO2 5
l

300 C2H4 CO2

l
5 5 5
7
20 400

CO2 (mg / Kg x h)
Etileno (nl / g x h)

Etileno (nl / g x h)
CO2 (mg / Kg x h)
5 6
5
15 200 5 300
5
4 l
5 l
200
10 55 5 5 5
5 3
l5 l 100 5
5
5
5 5 2 l 5 5 100
5 55 l
l l 5
1 l l l l l l l
l l l l 55 l l l l
l
l l l l l l
ll l
l l 555 5 5
5 5
l 5
20 40 60 80 100 120
20 40 60 80 100 120
Days after anthesis Days after anthesis

Amorós, Serrano, Riquelme, Romojaro, 1989. Pretel, Serrano, Amorós, Riquelme, Romojaro, 1995.
Journal of Horticultural Science, 64: 673-677. Postharvest Biol Technol., 5: 295-302.
 Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
70
Blackstar
Santa Rosa
60 Black Diamond Typical IMPORTANT
Climacteric
ProducciÛn de etileno (nL g h )

Golden Japan
-1

50
DIFFERENCES
-1

AMONG
40 CULTIVARS
30

20 Suppressed
Climacteric
10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

DÌas
Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
 Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
In all Tissues
At the Preclimectaric Stage
In Non-Climaceric Fruits
Liu, Pirrello, Chervin,
Roustan and Bouzayen.
2015. Ethylene Control of
Fruit Ripening: Revisiting
the Complex Network of
Transcriptional Regulation.
Climacteric Fruits Plant Physiology, 169:
(autocatalytic) 2380-2390.

Expressed - ACS 2 y ACS 4:

by Ethylene Expressed Å by Ethylene
Expressed - By auxins
Climacteric and Non-Climacteric
Ethylene Biosynthesis
Ethylene Biosynthesis
Ethylene Biosynthesis
Ethylene Biosynthesis
 Ethylene Biosynthesis
n The precursor for ethylene biosynthesis is methionine, which is
converted sequentially to S-adenosylmethionine, ACC, and
ethylene. ACC can be transported and thus can produce
ethylene at a site distant from its synthesis.
n Two key enzymes: ACC synthase and ACC oxidase
n Ethylene biosynthesis is stimulated by environmental factors,
other hormones (auxin), physical and chemical stimuli
n The biosynthesis and perception (action) of ethylene can be
antagonized by inhibitors, some of them have commercial
applications
n ACC can be converted to a conjugated form, N-malonylACC
(MACC) to avoid over production
n Ethylene can travel through diffusion (short transport) or in the
form of ACC when long distance transport is required.
Ethylene Biosynthesis
Ethylene Biosynthesis

Figure 1. Phytohormone content evolution

during development and ripening of grape,
strawberry and raspberry fruits.
Abscisic acid (ABA), auxin (IAA), ethylene,
brassinosteroids (BR), gibberellins (GA),
cytokinins (CK), and jasmonic acid
isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile).

Fuentes, L., Figueroa, C.R., Valdenegro, M. 2019.

Recent advances in hormonal regulation and cross-talk
during non-climacteric fruit development and ripening.
Horticulturae , 5(2),45.
Ethylene Biosynthesis

LG, large green; SW, small white; LW, large white; P, pink/turning; R, red

Moya-León, M.A., Mattus-Araya, E., Herrera, R. 2019.

Molecular events occurring during softening of strawberry fruit.
Frontiers in Plant Science, 10,615.
Ethylene Action - Ripening

Fortes et al., 2015.

Molecules, 20: 9326-9343.
Ethylene Action - Ripening
Ethylene Action - Ripening
Ethylene Action - Ripening
Ethylene Action - Ripening
Ethylene Action - Ripening
Ethylene Action - Ripening
 Ethylene Action - Ripening
Processes associated with fruit ripening
• Seed maturation
– Ability of seeds to germinate successfully
• Development of wax on peel
• Abscission of fruit
 Ethylene Action - Ripening
Processes associated with fruit ripening
• Change in C2H4 production
(climacteric fruits only)
– Increase in endogenous ethylene
concentration until adequate to
initiate ripening.
– Autocatalytic ethylene production
• Increased sensitivity to C2H4
(climacteric fruits only)
 Ethylene Action - Ripening
Processes associated with fruit ripening
• Change in respiration rate
– Increased O2 consumption and CO2 production in climacteric
fruits.
• Membrane and cell wall changes:
– Increased membrane permeability affect juice leakage.
– Depolymerization of pectins and other cell wall polysaccharides
results softening.
• Protein and nucleic acid changes
– Synthesis of enzymes involved in compositional changes
• Compositional changes
– Starch to sugar conversion; loss of acids
– Pigment synthesis (anthocyanins & carotenoids) and degradation
(chlorophyll)
– Polymerization of tannins and resulting loss of astringency
– Formation of flavor volatiles
Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
 Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
1-MCP. INHIBITOR OF ETHYLENE ACTION

Prevents Ethylene
Effects
Non Toxic

Approved by
EPA and FDA

10-fod more
affinity than ethylene
for the receptors

Commercially known as Active at low

SmartFreshSM Concentrations
(nL/L ó ppb)
Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
1-MCP. INHIBITOR OF ETHYLENE ACTION
 Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
1-MCP. INHIBITOR OF ETHYLENE ACTION

Valero et al. Inno. Food Sci. Emerg. Technol. 2003, 4, 339-348.

 Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
1-MCP. INHIBITOR OF ETHYLENE ACTION

Valero et al. Inno. Food Sci. Emerg. Technol. 2003, 4, 339-348.

Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
1-MCP. INHIBITOR OF ETHYLENE ACTION
Ethylene Inhibitors -1-MCP
1-MCP. INHIBITOR OF ETHYLENE ACTION
 References
Bleecker, A.B. and Kende, H. 2000. Ethylene: a gaseous signal molecule in plants. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev.
Biol., 16:1-18.
Chang, C., and Bleecker, A.B. 2004. Ethylene biology. More than a gas. Plant Physiol., 136:2895-2899.
Gane, R. 1934. Production of ethylene by some fruits. Nature, 134:1008.
Giovannoni, J. 2001. Molecular biology of fruit maturation and ripening. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Mol.
Biol., 52:725-749.
Lelièvre, J. M., Latché, A., Jones, B., Bouzayen, M., and Pech, J. C. 1997. Ethylene and fruit ripening.
Physiol. Plant., 101: 727-739.
Martínez-Romero, D., Bailén,G. Serrano M., Guillén, F., Valverde, J.M. Zapata, P. Castillo, S. and l Valero, D.
2007. Tools to Maintain Postharvest Fruit and Vegetable Quality through the Inhibition of Ethylene Action:
A Review . Critical Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 47, 543-560.
Serrano, M.; Guillén, F.; Martínez-Romero, D.; Castillo, S.; Valero, D. 2005. Chemical constituents and
antioxidant activity of sweet cherry at different ripening stages. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2005, 53, 2741-2745.
Serrano, M., Zapata, P., Guillén, F., Martínez-Romero, D., Castillo, S., Valero, D. 2007. Postharvest Ripening
of tomato. In: Tomatoes and tomato products. Preedy, V.R. and Watson, R.R. Eds. Science Publishers,
London.
References

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