Turnover of white asparagus cell wall polysaccharides during postharvest storage

The main polysaccharides involved in asparagus cell wall turnover have been indentified. Homogalacturonans are lost from both the apical and basal sec tions of the spear; Galactans are mobilized from the cellulose residue of t he apical section and recovered in the KOH-soluble fractions while they are lost from the cellulose residue of the basal section. Xyloglucans are inco rporated in the apical region and degraded from the basal one. Cellulose is incorporated in the basal region and lost from the apical one, and acidic xylans are incorporated in high amounts in the basal section of the spear.