| Abstract: | The changes of physiological and biochemical indices in jujube fruits during the late development were investigated from 6-year-old jujube trees (Zizyphus jujuba Mill. cv. Lingwuchangzao). The results showed that the flesh firmness decreased slowly from white-green stage to full-red stage, being significantly related with the developmental maturity of jujube fruits negatively, the correlation coefficient reached -0.980 3**. The contents of ascorbic acid and titratable acid in jujube fruits were significantly related with the developmental process of jujube fruits negatively or positively, the correlation coef-ficients were -0.973 1** and + 0.974 6** respectively. The contents of soluble solids, total sugar, and sucrose increased with jujube ripening, while the relative sweetness of jujube fruits showed the same variation pattern, the correlation coefficients were 0.996 6** , 0.988 0** , and 0.982 8**, respec-tively. Befcre white-green stage during fruit development,the accumulation d moncsaccharide was predom/nant in jujube fruits, following a fast accumula-tion of sucrose, indicating that the main component of sugars is sucrose at the crisp-ripe stage. Furthermore, the starch content of the flesh reached the peak at about thirty percentage of jujube maturity, being 51.54 mg/100 g · FW. The respiratory rates varied between 10 mg/(kg·h) and CO2 26 mg/(kg·h) after fruit turning red and before softening, indicating a non-climacteric respiratory type. |
