ENZYMATIC BROWNING OF POSTHARVEST LITCHI: A REVIEW

Litchi is a popular fruit for its bright red pericarp and the tasty aril, but its commercial value is reduced by pericarp browning during storage. Enzymatic browning was the main reason for the browning process. It was mainly caused by the acumulation of brown pigments resulted from the oxidation of polyphenols by some oxidases. In this paper, progress on studying the characteristics of enzymes and substrates involing in enzymatic browning and the associated changes of cell membrane of litchi pericarp were reviewed. And the prospects of research on litchi enzymatic browning were disscussed.