Question

What happens when fruits and vegetables undergo oxidation

Answer 1

Enzymes which are endogenous to plant tissues can have undesirable or desirable consequences. Examples involving endogenous enzymes include a) the post-harvest senescence and spoilage of fruit and vegetables; b) oxidation of phenolic substances in plant tissues by phenolase (leading to browning); c) sugar - starch conversion in plant tissues by amylases; d) post-harvest demethylation of pectic substances in plant tissues (leading to softening of plant tissues during ripening, and firming of plant tissues during processing).