Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) tech-nique was employed for the extraction of pectin from black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) pomace in this research. The effects of process variables namely microwave power (300-900 watt), irradiation time (10-30 min) and liquid to solid ratio (15-30 mL/g) on the yield, degree of esterification (DE) and galacturonic acid content (GalA) of pectin were i...

Although the pectin content of tomatoes is relatively low in comparison with other fruits (Money & Christian, 1950), the activity of pectinesterase (pectin pectyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.11) is particularly high (Kertesz, 1938). Softening of the fruit takes place relatively rapidly during ripening (Hobson, 1959), and the classical mechanism by which the effect is usually explained assumes the solub...

A new neolignan glycoside, (7R,8R)-7,8-dihydro-9'-hydroxyl-3'-methoxyl- 8-hydroxymethyl-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol 9'-O-beta-D- glucopyranoside (1) was isolated from the leaves of Acer truncatum along with (7R,8R)-7,8-dihydro-9'-hydroxyl-3'-methoxyl-8-hydroxymethyl-7-(4-O-alpha-L-rhamno- pyranosyloxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1'-benzofuranpropanol (2), schizandriside (3), lyonir...

Replacement of wheat flour by other kinds of flour in bread making is economically important in South East Africa as wheat is mainly an imported commodity. Cassava is widely available in the region, but bread quality is impaired when large amounts of cassava are used in the bread formulation. Effect of differently processed cassavas (sun-dried, roasted and fermented) on composite cassava-wheat-...

Fruit ripening is one of the developmental processes accompanying seed development. The tomato is a well-known model for studying fruit ripening and development, and the disassembly of primary cell walls and the middle lamella, such as through pectin de-methylesterified by pectin methylesterase (PE) and depolymerization by polygalacturonase (PG), is generally accepted to be one of the major cha...

We have characterized a novel small heat shock protein gene, viscosity 1 (vis1) from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and provide evidence that it plays a role in pectin depolymerization and juice viscosity in ripening fruits. Expression of vis1 is negatively associated with juice viscosity in diverse tomato genotypes. vis1 exhibits DNA polymorphism among tomato genotypes, and the alleles vis1-...