Factors involved in quality and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables during processing

Introduction

Various parts of different plants can be used as fruits or vegetables for human consumption. They can be roots, tubers, bulbs, stems and shoots, flowers, leaves and fruits, or pods and seeds.

It is crucial to study and learn about the plant cell and compounds responsible for flavour, texture and colour to obtain reliable information about the effects of different treatments on these quality characteristics.

Structure of Plants:

Cells

Cell components are divided into two categories; protoplasmic and non-protoplasmic.

The protoplasm is the living active section of the cell and it contains certain components. The nucleus than controls the metabolic activities of the cell.

The cytoplasm is an undifferentiated constituent of the protoplasm surrounding the nucleus and creating a relatively thin layer inside the cell wall.
The plasma membrane (plasmalemma), is a thin membrane on the external surface of the cytoplasm. The plasmic membranes are permeable and can help separating and transporting metabolites and allow the enzymes to distribute regularly.

There are some arranged bodies within the cytoplasm called plastids which are classified in three groups; leucoplasts, chloroplasts and chromoplasts.
Leucoplasts are poor in pigmentation and are related to food storage. Many of them produce and store starch.
The chloroplasts are present in green plants containing chlorophyll.
Chromoplasts include xanthophylls or carotenes which are normally in orange or yellow colour. They appear in some vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes.

The non-protoplasmic components of the cell contain cavities called vacuoles incorporating cell sap. The cell sap is a watery material containing several substances like sugars, salts, organic acids, polysaccarides, phenolic derivatives, flavones and the red or blue pigments (anthocyanins). The substances in the cell sap are nutrients consumed by the protoplasm or metabolism products.
The liquid in the vacuole of the cell is accountable in terms of texture of fruits and vegetables.



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