Role of calcium in quality and physiological function of fruits and vegetable

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The tyoe of calcium(Ca) in fruits and vegetables was investigated in relation to nutritional value and physiological role in plants. The predomirant type of Ca varied among species as follows; water soluble Ca in persley,Japanese radish seedling, mume(Japanese apricot) fruit, cucumber, etc., oxalic acid bound-Ca in spinach etc.,and pectin or protein bound-Ca in strawberry,tomato,bean,etc. The forms of Ca changed after harvest. Immature tomato fruit,for example,contained pectin or protein bound-Ca mainly,while ripening fruit increased water soluble Ca,especially Ca ion content. When ^<45>CaCl_2 solution was administered in mature green tomatoes through peduncle,it was found that oxalic acid or phosphoric acid bound-Ca was metabolized to water soluble form during ripening. A part of Ca was bound with chloroplast and mitochondria.CaCl_2 applied to immature tomato fruit suppressed fruit cracking, ripening and ethylene production. Activities of polygalacturonase and pectinesterase were also inhibited. Chilling injury of kaki and pepino fruits was supposed to relate the increase of water soluble-Ca at low temperature.