FACTORS AFFECTING METABOLIC PROCESS OF

RESPIRATION IN PERISHABLES :

SUBMITTED BY : GOUSIA GULZAR

MFT-21-04
 PERISHABLE FOODS :
 Perishable foods are those likely to spoil, decay or become unsafe to consume if not kept refrigerated at 4
°C or below, or frozen at -18 °C or below. Examples of foods that must be kept refrigerated for safety
include fruits , Vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products etc
RESPIRATION :

 Respiration (i.e., biological oxidation) is the oxidative breakdown of complex substrate molecules
normally present in plant cells—such as starch, sugars, and organic acids to simpler molecules
such as CO2 and H2O , accompanied with the release of energy.
 Respiration processes can be summarised as;

Carbohydrates + O2   ►   CO2 + H2O + Energy
 SHELF LIFE AND RESPIRATION RATE :

 In general, there is an inverse relationship between respiration rates and the postharvest life of fresh vegetables. The
higher the respiration rate, the more perishable (shorter post-harvest life) the commodity.

Higher respiration =>Shorter Shelf Life

 FACTORS AFFECTING RATE OF RESPIRATION :

 Temperature: the chemical reaction goes faster at a higher temperature, though,

when the temperature is too hot, enzymes will break down and respiration will stop.
 Like most substance reactions, the rate of respiration is deeply influenced by temperature.
Below 20 C and above 45 C the rate of respiration reduces. The optimum temperature for
respiration is 20 C – 45 C.
 Within the physiological temperature range, the velocity of a biological reaction increases
two- to threefold for every 10°C rise in temperature (Van't Hoff rule). The ratio of reaction
rates at two dissimilar temperatures is called the temperature coefficient or Q 10 if the
interval between the two temperatures is 1O°C
 Oxygen concentration: The reaction needs oxygen, so if there is no oxygen, no respiration occurs. In
general, less oxygen leads to a slower reaction rate.
 The proportion of oxygen in the immediate atmosphere deeply influences the rate of respiration. If the amount of
oxygen is reduced the rate of respiration will reduce. But the reduction of the oxygen content of the air, however,
causes no momentous lowering in the respiratory rate until the proportion drops to about 10%. The rate of respiration
for most plants peaks around the usual oxygen level in the atmosphere (20%) . At 5% oxygen exact retardation of
respiration occurs.
 Carbon dioxide concentration: The influence of carbon dioxide concentration depends
strongly on the fruit or vegetable eg, lettuce very sensitive vs.strawberries very tolerant .
 Some might increase in respiration rate, whereas with others more carbon dioxide might lead to
slower reactions. When the concentration of this gas rises to between I and 5 percent in the
atmosphere, it will quickly ruin produce by causing bad flavours, internal breakdown, failure of fruit
to ripen and other abnormal physiological conditions.
 Effect of Light: The rate of respiration is not influenced directly by light and so it takes
place in the present as well as an absence of light. However light as a factor may influence
the rate of respiration as follows:
 Light causes an increase in temperature which may cause an increase in the rate of
respiration.
 Photosynthesis results in the synthesis of sugar which acts as a respiratory substrate.
 In the presence of light stomata open and so, the gaseous exchange is facilitated.
 Water: Water acts as a medium for all the metabolic activities. The protoplasm contains up
to 90-95% of water. Water plays an important role in enzyme activation, gaseous diffusion,
:
transportation, etc.
 In dry seeds and fruits rate of respiration is extremely low due to the shortage of water and so
these can be stored for a long duration. In the presence of water stored carbohydrates convert
into soluble sugar and the rate of respiration increases.
Stage of development : Respiration rates vary due to stage of the development. Storage organs
such as nuts and tubers have low respiration rates. Tissues with vegetative or floral meristems such as
asparagus and broccoli have very high respiration rates. The commodities harvested during active
growth, such as many vegetables and immature fruits, have high respiration rates. Mature fruits,
dormant buds and storage organs have relatively low rates
. After harvest, the respiration rate typically declines; slowly in non-climacteric fruits and storage organs,
rapidly in vegetative tissues and immature fruits. The rapid decline presumably reflects depletion of
respirable substrates that are typically low in such tissues.
Stress : Yes, vegetables can be stressed, for instance if they are cut or damaged. This
will initiate all sorts of reactions, including those that accelerate respition.
 For example, the respiration rate of grated or shredded carrots (Daucus carota L.) is
higher than that of sliced carrots, whose respiration rate is higher than that of whole-
peeled carrot sections (Gorny, 1997).
REFERENCE :

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