Relationship between ADH activity, ripeness and softness in six tomato cultivars

Fruit from six tomato cultivars were harvested at progressive stages of ripeness. Fruit softness was measured together with the activity of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme in the pericarp tissue. The rate of increase in ADH activity in the ripening fruit was found to be strongly correlated (r = 0.970) with the rate of softening of the fruit suggesting that induction of ADH activity in the fruit was possibly a function of the softening of the fruit rather than a direct function of ripening. As the ADH enzyme is involved in several aspects of flavour development in the ripening tomato fruit, in particular the regulation of accumulation of some aldehydes and alcohols, a correlation between fruit softening and activity of the enzyme has important implications regarding flavour development in tomato fruit of firm or soft varieties. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.