A pectic fraction, accounting for about 0.3% of the total cell wall polysaccharide, was derived from the hot water extract of an insoluble fraction of the buffer-homogenate of Zea shoots. The pectic polysaccharide fraction was characterized by fragmentation analysis after hydrolysis with acid and Erwinia carotovora pectate lyase. The results suggest that the fraction consists of mostly a linear...

Olive fruits at the green, cherry and black stages were used to investigate the structural and microstructural changes in tissues during ripening. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tissue fracture of green olives resulted in cell wall breakage of epicarp and mesocarp cells. Tissue fracture resulted in fewer broken cells in cherry than in green olives and even less in black olive tissues. Cell ...

Pectin is considered by many investigators to be the tetramethyl ester of an acid composed of 4 molecules of d-galacturonic acid, 1 molecule of d-galactose, and 1 molecule of Larabinose (1). However, experimental work described by Morell, Baur, and Link (2) indicates that the pectin molecule is more complex and contains between 8 and 10 molecules of d-galacturonic acid. The data obtained by rep...

The molecular structure, chemical properties, and biological function of the xyloglucan polysaccharide isolated from cell walls of suspension-cultured sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) cells are described. The sycamore wall xyloglucan is compared to the extracellular xyloglucan secreted by suspension-cultured sycamore cells into their culture medium and is also compared to the seed "amyloid" xylog...

Yeast polygalacturonase (YPG) is a constitutive type enzyme, produced exocellularly and free of pectinesterase by Saccharomyces jragilis (1). It has an optimal pH of 4.4 and appears to be specific in its activity towards polygalacturonides (2). YPG differs from preparations of commercial fungus polygalacturonase in that it cannot carry out a complete breakdown of pectic acid to galacturonic aci...

Pectinases (EC 3.2.1.15) are a class of enzymes that catalyze the depolymerization or de-esterification reactions degrade pectic substances. In present study, we have isolated Aspergillus niger strain from soil samples, in India and evaluated pectinase production. The highest producing A. was further optimized with various agricultural wastes. Plackett-Burman design (PBD) Central composite ‘(CC...

Pectins from apple, citrus and sugar beet injected intravenously to ewes markedly stimulated blood prolactin, growth hormone (GH) and cortisol. Pectic acid and polygalacturonic acid exhibited the same property. A preparation of oligogalacturonic acid with a polymerisation degree of 12 to 13 was also active, whereas oligomers with a smaller degree of polymerisation ( ! 10) were devoid of activit...

An earlier report (5) has described the effect of thiocyanate sprays on sugars and certain other constituents in apples. The present paper is a continuation of the general problem with attention directed to the pectic constituents. In previous work it was noted occasionally that apples spray.ed with thiocyanates were found to keep better in cold storage at 30 to 50 C. than control samples not s...