L. Almela et al., CHANGES IN PIGMENTS, CHLOROPHYLLASE ACTIVITY, AND CHLOROPLAST ULTRASTRUCTURE IN RIPENING PEPPER FOR PAPRIKA, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 44(7), 1996, pp. 1704-1711
Two typical cultivars of pepper for paprika (Bola Roja of red fruits a
nd Negral of brownish fruits) were analyzed for pigments, chlorophylla
se activity, and plastid ultrastructure. Three ripening stages were co
nsidered: green, unripe (changing color), and fully ripe. Fully ripe p
eppers of the Negral cultivar retained chlorophyll, while in the Bola
Roja fruits this disappeared at the end of maturation. Chlorophyllase
activity was higher in the cv. Negral at the first two ripening stages
, arid similar in both cultivars at the fully ripe stage. Plastids of
the early ripening stage were characterized by the typical grana-inter
granal structure and a highly developed peripheral reticulum. In the l
ast stage, plastids presented massive structural reorganization. All o
f these differences among both cultivars are discussed.