APE 134 – PROCESSING, HANDLING AND STORAGE OF AGRICULTURAL

PRODUCT 2

ASSIGNMENT ON MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY OF PERISHABLE PRODUCTS

SUBMITTED TO:
ENGR. BEN-HUR C. RAFOSALA Ph. D

SUBMITTED BY: JENNY T. VILLANUEVA

5E-BSAE

AUGUST 2017
Name: JENNY T. VILLANUEVA BSAE-5E

MORPHO- ANATOMICAL BASIS FOR PERISHABILITY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

The response of a commodity to its surroundings and to the method of handling depends on
what organ it is.
1. Plant part or organ utilized
Leaves and flowers wilt easily, flower buds open, fruits ripen, bulbs, tubers and storage roots
sprout and shoot tips elongate. Fruits and fruit vegetables vary in the nature of their fruit walls. The fruit
wall consists of both the peel and the edible portion excluding the seed.
2. Nature of the fruit wall
Some terminologies in relation to fruit wall:
Rind – the tough and leathery peel of citrus and watermelon.
Pulp – the edible portion of citrus.
Aril – the edible portion of rambutan, mangosteen, durian and lanzones.
The nature of the fruit wall greatly influences the effect of the environment on the organ and its
susceptibility to mechanical damages. The thin outer part of the fruit wall and succulent pulp of some
fruits like tomatoes make them susceptible to damage. Fruits with leathery peel are less susceptible to
bruises as in star fruit and apple. Fruits with thick and hard fruit wall like cucumbers; melons and squash
are better able to withstand damage than those with soft fruit walls like tomatoes and bananas. It
determines the reactive area for respiration, transpiration penetration of chemicals and
microorganisms.
3. Surface area to volume ratio
The greater the surface area to volume ratio, the faster the diffusion of gases involved in
respiration, exit of water through transpiration and entry of microorganisms and chemicals. These result
to shorter postharvest life.
4. Nature of the cuticle
The cuticle is the non-cellular waxy layer above the epidermal cells of the commodity. The
epidermal cells comprise the first layer of the cells exposed to the environment. The thicker and more
complex the cuticle, the greater is its protective capacity for:
moisture loss penetration of microorganism and chemicals mechanical damage
temperature changes escape of flavor components

Immature fruits deteriorate at a faster rate than mature ones. Mature fruits have thick, complex
and waxy cuticles whereas immature ones have thin, irregular and less waxy cuticle. In winged beans,
the wing portion has thinner cuticle hence it wilts at a faster rate than the other parts of the pod.
Lanzones is not waxy. Hence, Lanzones losses water fast which shows up as browning. Banana
deteriorates at a much slower rate. Pomelo has thicker rind hence losses water slower compared to
dalandan.
5. Number of Stomata
The stomata are the main passageways for the loss of water and entry of air for respiration. The
more stomata, the faster will be the deterioration of the commodities. As the cuticle develops during
full development and maturation some of the stomata get covered. Pechay has 13,000 stomates per
cm2 in the lower surface of one leaf and possibly twice as much for both surfaces. Immature fruits have
more stomata than mature ones which partially explain why immature fruits deteriorate faster. Hairs or
spines are elongations of the epidermal cells. Visible hairs or spines are known as emergences, while tiny
hairs which may not be visible to the naked eye are called trichomes. The special name for the hair of
rambutan is spintern.

6. Amount of Hairs and/or Spines

The more trichomes, the faster is the deterioration since they increase the surface area to
volume ratio of the commodities. A single rambutan fruit has 200 to 400 spinterns with several
trichomes per spintern. Lanzones has trichomes aside from having no wax on the cuticle. Chinese
cabbage has more trichomes than mustard while pechay has none.
7. Presence of lenticels
Lenticels are circular groups of protruding air-filled cells with a central opening which often
takes the place of stomates in fruits, stems and roots.
8. Presence of laticifers
Laticifers are sap or latex producing ducts surrounding the vascular bundles. When the laticifers
are cut open (when harvested or injured) latex is released. Hence the flows of latex on the stem must be
avoided or washed off before it hardens.

CLASSIFICATION OF FOOD CROPS BASED ON THEIR POSTHARVEST LIFE

Perishables are food crops whose food value is maintained over a short period of time after
harvest. Durables are food crops which can be maintained as food over a long period of time.

The Chemical Bases of Handling the Harvested Commodities

1. Carbohydrate Content
Fruits and vegetables are complex carbohydrates which supply nutrients, such as vitamins and
minerals. Storage organs contain more carbohydrates hence usually last longer. When sugars are being
converted to starch, there is a loss of sweetness in commodities such as in corn. The conversion of
starch to sugars in potatoes (when stored at a temperature below 10ºC) becomes undesirable for
processing. Sugar causes browning during cooking.

2. Presence of protopectins
Pectic substances are mainly deposited in the cell wall and middle lamella, acting as cementing
materials. They occur in the form of:
-Protopectin -Pectinic acids -Pectin Pectic acids
 Total pectic substances increase in amount during the development of fruits. As the fruit ripens,
the contents of soluble pectates increase while the total pectic substances decrease. Protopectin is one
of the substances which form insoluble salts with calcium or magnesium and is found as a cementing
substance between cells. Pectin is a carbohydrate in the cell wall of plants. It is a breakdown product
from hemicelluloses (protopectins) which is generated during ripening of the fruit. . Pectin itself is later
broken down to pectinic acid and finally pectic acid. During this chemical breakdown process, the fruit
gets softer as the cell walls degenerate Guava, pineapples and oranges contain high pectin, while soft
fruits like cherries and strawberries contain few. Under acidic conditions, pectin forms a gel. This effect
is used for making jams and jellies.
3. Pigment
The change of color during ripening is due to changes in the pigments.
Color Main Pigment:
Green, blue green, yellow green in most commodities
Red in tomatoes Orange of carrots Red in strawberry
Yellow in papaya Purple in eggplant
Main Pigments Responsible for specific color of some commodities:
*chlorophyll *Lycopene *Carotene *Anthocyanin *Cryptoxanthin *delphinidine

Pigment Color Found in:

anthocyanins
 blue/purple/red berries, grapes, red peppers, beets, eggplant, plums
beta-carotene
 orange/yellow carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, citrus, papaya, melon, squash curcumin
yellow turmeric lutein yellow/orange kale, broccoli, spinach
lycopene
 red tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruits
zeaxanthin
 yellow corn

4. Fats and Acid

Fats-avocado
Malic acid- apple
Citric acid-citrus and pineapple, lemons, grapes

Ascorbic acid - guava, orange, grapes

Tartaric acid - grapes, bananas, tamarind

Avocado Fat
You need not worry about the fat content of avocado, as this fat is not harmful nor does it incre
ase your cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are those types of fat that are harmful and increase
cholesterol levels. However, monosaturated fats (avocado fat is of this type) and polyunsaturated
fats are not harmful and do not increase cholesterol levels. On the contrary monounsaturated fats and
avocado fat help lower cholesterol.

(Source: www.all-about-lowering- cholesterol.com/avocado)

 At maturation, reducing sugar increases while the acidity decreases, hence the matured/ripe
commodities taste sweeter.

DIFFERENT PRACTICES IN PHM (Physiological Processes that Occur in Harvested Commodities)

All fruits and vegetables are living organs.

They use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide during respiration, the process by which carbohyd
rate and other substrates, such as organic acids, proteins and fats, are metabolized.

1. Respiration- is an oxidation process by which organic materials or products of photosynthesis

are broken down to simple forms accompanied by the release of energy and heat.
C6H12O6 + O2 CO2 + H2O + energy enzymes
Respiration ,thereby provides the energy necessary for cells to maintain structure and for ripe
ning processes such as color and flavor development. The substrates cannot be replenished once the
fruit or vegetable has been removed from the plant. Faster respiration rates will result in loss of food
nutritional value, loss of saleable weight, poorer flavor, and thus reduced product quality. This process is
a very good indicator of the potential postharvest life of a commodity. Faster respiration means faster
release of heat which increases the temperature of the surroundings of the commodity especially if
packed tightly. The energy source is depleted and the built up of compounds necessary for maintaining
the organization of the tissues and cell stops. The commodities with high respiration rates cannot be
expected to last long.
Commodities with low respiration rates are storage organs.
Ex. Onions, potato, gabi, sweet potato, yams and ginger. Respiration date as about 1.52 mg CO2/kg/ha

Commodities with intermediate rates are exemplified by many fruits at physiological maturity.
The respiration rate of lanzones is 70 mg CO2/kg/ha.

Commodities with high rates are organs at immature stage.

Ex: asparagus, snap beans, cauliflower, okra, young corn, bean sprouts. The respiration rate is 570.6 mg
CO2/kg/ha at 26 degrees centigrade.

The main organs of a plant are root, stem, leaf, flower and fruit. To keep these organs alive,
their organization must be maintained. Once there is a breakdown in this organization even at the
cellular level, there is a corresponding change in the metabolism of the commodity which eventually
shows in the state of deterioration. To maintain the organization and sustain metabolism, energy is
made available through respiration using carbohydrates accumulated before harvest.

Post Harvest Changes

A view of spoilage of fresh fruits by microbes and biochemical changes
1.Product quality at harvesting
Poor quality of products due improper handling after harvest. Lengthening of postharvest life,
therefore, calls for good production practices in order to have greater energy source at harvest, and
respiration should be slowed down after harvest to enable the source of energy to last for a long period
of time.
2. Transpiration is the loss of water from the plants. Most fruits and vegetables are composed of cells
loosely bound together with considerable intercellular spaces which interconnect and lead to lenticels or
stomates.
 Water from cells vaporizes into the intercellular spaces and maintains an essentially saturated
atmosphere. Water vapor may then move to the atmosphere through the stomates or lenticels, stem
scars or through injured areas or directly through breaks in the cuticle.

Horticultural products can be regarded as “water inside pleasing packages” or “water with a mechanical
structure”. Therefore, water loss or transpiration is a major factor affecting quality of fruits and
vegetables.

Consequences of water loss :

Loss in weight of all commodities softening of fruits and vegetables
Wilting of leaves and flowers shrivelling of fruits and root crops
Stem end rind breakdown of oranges discoloration of rambutan and lanzones

Fresh fruits and vegetables consist mainly of water. It could be as high as 98% by weight in fully turgid
leaves. Loss of water can dry up a commodity. A 10% loss in weight may result in 100% commercial loss.
The high amount of water in commodities makes them succulent and therefore susceptible to
mechanical damage.

Implication: The faster water is lost from the commodity, the faster it loses its freshness. Therefore,
transpiration should be slowed down to keep the commodity fresh.

3.Ethylene Production Ethylene (C2H4) is a hormone in gas form which causes the following in
harvested crops:
hasten ripening promotes sprouting of root, tuber and bulb crops
induces abscission of leaves, petals or cutflowers

Implication: If you want to avoid the ethylene effects, eliminate ethylene from the atmosphere
surrounding the commodity. On the other hand, if you want to hasten the ripening process add
ethylene or induce it to increase.

CONDITIONS WHICH WILL SLOWDOWN THE RATE OF RESPIRATION AND TRANSPIRATION IN PLANTS
1. Low Temperature
The higher the temperature above the optimum temperature, the faster is the rate of
respiration and transpiration and consequently shorter postharvest life. Keeping a commodity at
a low temperature is thus the most effective way of extending postharvest life.

2. Low oxygen in the immediate environment

A high concentration of oxygen (21%) will result to faster respiration rate and shorter
postharvest life. Oxygen levels below 21% but usually not less than 5% will slow down
respiration. Very low oxygen concentration will however result in fermentation which is an
abnormal form of respiration resulting in alcoholic odor or undesirable flavor and tissue collapse

3. High relative humidity

The lower the relative humidity of the air, the faster is the transpiration. Since
commodities are considered to have relative humidity close to 100%, it is therefore important to
keep them under moist conditions, that is, at high relative humidity even at low temperature.