Mango ripening process

Mangoes are often harvested early in the ripening process and ripened to eating ripe stage after harvest. The quality of ripened mangoes will depend on maturity at harvest and on ripening conditions, especially temperature.

The ripening process of mango fruit involves numerous biochemical changes including increased respiration, ethylene, production, fruit softening, chlorophyll degradation, carotenoid synthesis and several other metabolic activities leading to changes in carbohydrates, organic acids, lipids, phenolics and volatile compounds.

Mango ripening is accompanied by increased ethylene production, which coordinates the ripening process. Mango expresses autocatalytic increase in ethylene production during ripening.

Ethylene production starts before full ripeness is reached. Ethylene production decreases as the fruit matures is then undetectable for a time and reappears upon imitation of ripening.

At the initiation of ripening, sucrose appears to be the major sugar component, which declines during the advancement of ripening with a simultaneously increase in glucose and fructose through the action of invertase. The starch is degraded by the activities of amylases during the ripening process.

The ripening process takes place within 4 to 8 days post-harvest at ambient temperature depending on cultivar and harvest maturity.
Mango ripening process