1971 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 81-84
The experiment was carried out to determine the changes of free amino acids during the ripening of tomato fruits and in parthenocarpic tomato fruits induced by auxins (4-chlro-2-hydroxylmethylphenoxyacetic acid and p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid). The tomato fruits used were‘Fukuju No.2’grown in the field, and‘Yozu’and‘Fukuju No.2’grown in the greenhouse. Ripening test was made with the fruits which were harvested at mature green stage and stored at 20°C. Auxins were sprayed on the fourth cluster of greenhouse grown‘Fukuju No.2’ and the fruits were harvested at table ripe stage and analyzed.
In‘Fukuju No.2’fruits grown in the field, γ-aminobutyric acid, serine, glutamic and aspartic acids were present predominantly at the start of the experiment (breaker stage). γ-Aminobutyric acid decreased about 1/3 of the initial content during ripening, and glutamic and aspartic acids increased approximately 3.5 and 2.5 fold respectively. Leucine, iso-leucine and valine decreased slightly, and a small amount of proline and methionine was detected in over ripened fruits.
In‘Yozu’fruits grown in the greenhouse, the amounts of amino acids were generally less than in ‘Fukuju No.2’fruits.‘Yozu’fruits have a smaller amount of γ-aminobutyric acid as compared with ‘Fukuju No.2’fruits grown in the field and the content was almost constant during ripening, while glutamic and aspartic acids increased considerably as the fruits ripened.
The parthenocarpic tomato fruits were found to contain less amino acids than the control ones with, the exception of glutamic acid and serine fraction.
