Pathway of Ethylene Production in Harvested Broccoli

Abstract

Rates of carbon dioxide and ethylene production in broccoli were measured during storage at 20, 10, and 5°C. A climacteric-like temporary increase in carbon dioxide and ethylene production were observed in the storage at 20°C. These increases were more remarkable in flower buds rather than the stalk of broccoli. Contents of 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC) and 1- (malonylamino) cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (MACC) in the flower buds increased slightly during storage at 20 and 10°C, but this increase in ACC content did not coincide with the dramatic increase in ethylene production. Changes in activity of ACC oxidase (Ethylene forming enzyme) and the ACC malonyltransferase associated with conversion of ACC to MACC in flower buds during storage at 20t were more remarkable than those during storage at 10°C. The change in the activity of ACC oxidase in flower buds during storage at 20°C coincided with the change in ethylene production.