Olive fruit cell wall: Degradation of cellulosic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides during ripening

Cellulose and hemicelluloses obtained from the cell walls of partially depe ctinated olives have been studied at three stages of ripening (green, cherr y, and black). Hemicelluloses were fractionated into two groups, the amount s of which diminished during ripening: those soluble in 4% KOH diminished b etween the cherry and black stages, whereas those soluble in 24% KOH did so between the green and cherry stages. Arabinoxylans, xyloglucans, and homo- and/or rhamnogalacturonans to a lesser extent were present in these fracti ons. After ion exchange and size exclusion chromatographies, decreases in t he molecular weights of hemicelluloses, mainly in the neutral fractions, we re observed. The amount of cellulose also decreased, but at the second stag e of the ripening process. Approximately 2 mg/fruit of glucose was lost fro m cellulose, and the amount of uronic acids increased (0.23 mg/fruit).