The Degreening Process

Unlike the prolamellar body of higher plants, the structure found in Chlamydomonas has a noncrystalline disorganized core (Fig. lOB), which does not show fast changes and is not completely transformed into thylakoids, even after several hours of illumination.  

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Fraits with a total disappearance of chlorophylls, usually having a characteristic yellow colour due to unmasked carotenes and xanthophylls following the degreening process (i.e., banana, plantain). 

This procedure requires 2 to 3 weeks during which time juice yield and citric acid increase (153). In an effort to speed up the process, ethephon or standard degreening practices have been used but these usually enhance decay, particularly stem-end rot (126, 148, 150, 153). Degreening was achieved with standard degreemng practices if mature fruit were treated with an effec-... 

During ripening of non-climacteric fruits like citrus, the process of colour change is named degreening and the natural loss of chlorophylls, accumulated into the chromoplasts of the epidermis (flavedo) and vesicles, and the concomitant manifestation and new biosynthesis of carotenoids, generally occurs very slowly (Eaks 1977). 

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