What are Fruits?
The seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) produced after flowering from the ovary is a fruit. It is a flowering plant’s fleshy or dry ripened ovary, enclosing the seed or seeds. Botanically, fruit and its related parts are a mature ovary. It typically contains seeds that have formed after fertilization from the enclosed ovule, but developing without fertilization, called parthenocarpy, is found in bananas, for example. Different changes in a flower are caused by fertilization: the anthers and stigma wither, the petals drop off, and the sepals can be shed or altered; the ovary enlarges and the ovules grow into seeds, each holding an embryo plant.
Types of Fruits
There are 5 main types of fruits, namely:
Drupes
Peaches, cherries, and apricots are examples of drupes, which are fleshy fruits with a large seed. Botanically, some berries are other forms of drupe that could also be grouped under this group. Raspberries and blackberries, for example, are made up of a variety of drupelets.
Berries
In the culinary world, small juicy sweet or sour fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are berries that do not have a stone or a pit. A ‘true berry,’ on the other hand, is a fleshy fruit developed from the ovary of a single flower and contains a seed or seeds embedded in the flesh. Blueberries, gooseberries, and cranberries are included.
Pomes
Fruits in this group have a fleshy area around a seed-filled center. For example, apples and pears are types of pomes.
Hesperidia (Citrus Fruits)
These fruits, such as lemons, oranges, and limes, have a dense, tangy rind and sectioned pulp inside.
Pepo
There are several seeds in the flesh or clustered together in the middle of this sort of fruit. Some of the main kinds of pepo fruits are melons. This range encompasses different fruit sizes, from big watermelons to tiny cucamelons.
Tropical fruits
Bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, and guavas are all tropical fruits, but they aren’t always labeled as such. Pumpkins, onions, cucumbers, beans, and peppers are few examples of fruits that we typically refer to as vegetables. Botanically, for instance, tomatoes are known as berries. On the other side, pumpkins are known as pepo berries.
Classification of Fruits
The number of carpels surrounding the initial ovary, dehiscence (opening) versus indehiscence, and dryness versus fleshiness, is taken into account in the classification systems for mature fruits. It is necessary to have the properties of the ripened ovary wall or pericarp that may grow entirely or partially into fleshy, fibrous, or stony tissue. Three separate layers of the pericarp can also be identified: the outer (exocarp), the middle (mesocarp), and the inner layer of the pericarp (endocarp).
| Classification of fruits | ||
| structure | ||
| major types | one carpel | two or more carpels |
| dry dehiscent | follicle—at maturity, the carpel splits down one side, usually the ventral suture; milkweed, columbine, peony, larkspur, marsh marigold | capsule—from compound ovary, seeds shed in various ways—e.g., through holes (Papaver—poppies) or longitudinal slits (California poppy) or by means of a lid (pimpernel); flower axis participates in Iris; snapdragons, violets, lilies, and many plant families |
| legume—dehisces along both dorsal and ventral sutures, forming two valves; most members of the pea family | silique—from bicarpellate, compound, superior ovary; pericarp separates as two halves, leaving persistent central septum with seed or seeds attached; dollar plant, mustard, cabbage, rock cress, wall flower | |
| silicle—a short silique; shepherd’s purse, pepper grass | ||
| dry indehiscent | peanut fruit—(nontypical legume) | nut—like the achene (see below); derived from 2 or more carpels, pericarp hard or stony; hazelnut, acorn, chestnut, basswood |
| lomentum—a legume fragmentizing transversely into single-seeded “mericarps”; sensitive plant (Mimosa) | schizocarp—collectively, the product of a compound ovary fragmentizing at maturity into a number of one-seeded “mericarps”; maple, mallows, members of the mint family (Lamiaceae or Labiatae), geraniums, carrots, dills, fennels | |
| achene—small single-seeded fruit, pericarp relatively thin; seed free in cavity except for its funicular attachment; buttercup, anemones, buckwheat, crowfoot, water plantain | ||
| cypsela—achenelike, but from inferior compound ovary; members of the aster family (Asteraceae or Compositae), sunflowers | ||
| samara—a winged achene; elm, ash, tree-of-heaven, wafer ash | ||
| caryopsis—achenelike; from compound ovary; seed coat fused with pericarp; grass family (Poaceae or Graminae) | ||
| fleshy (pericarp partly or wholly fleshy or fibrous) | drupe—mesocarp fleshy, endocarp hard and stony; usually single-seeded; plum, peach, almond, cherry, olive, coconut | |
| berry—both mesocarp and endocarp fleshy; one-seeded: nutmeg, date; one carpel, several seeds: baneberry, may apple, barberry, Oregon grape; more carpels, several seeds: grape, tomato, potato, asparagus | ||
| pepo—berry with hard rind; squash, cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon | ||
| hesperidium—berry with leathery rind; orange, grapefruit, lemon | ||
| structure | ||
| major types | two or more carpels of the same flower plus stem axis or floral tube | carpels from several flowers plus stem axis or floral tube plus accessory parts |
| fleshy (pericarp partly or wholly fleshy or fibrous) | pome—accessory fruit from compound inferior ovary; only central part of fruit represents pericarp, with fleshy exocarp and mesocarp and cartilaginous or stony endocarp (“core”); apple, pear, quince, hawthorn, mountain ash | multiple fruits—fig (a “syconium”), mulberry, osage orange, pineapple, flowering dogwood |
| inferior berry—blueberry | ||
| aggregate fleshy fruits—strawberry (achenes borne on fleshy receptacle); blackberry, raspberry (collection of drupelets); magnolia | ||
Composition of Fruits
| Fruit composition is important because it determines the nutrient content of the fruit. While the composition of all fruits is identical to some degree, the nutritional value of various types of this food differs about as much as that of vegetables. Fruits contain so small amounts of protein and fat that these components need relatively little consideration.
In avocados or alligator pears and in mature olives, both of which are rich in fat, exceptions are found. Whatever food value fruits may have, the carbohydrate they produce is responsible for whether it’s high or poor. There is a very small amount of starch in some green fruits and bananas, but the fruit carbohydrate is in the form of sugar and is in the solution in the fruit juices. ‘Levulose,’ or ‘fruit sugar,’ is the most common source of this carbohydrate. However, in almost all fruits, grapes and dried fruits, such as figs, raisins, etc., which contain an extremely large amount, ‘glucose’, another source of sugar, is also contained. A certain proportion of mineral salts are present in all fruits. The amount varies with the various kinds of fruit. These salts have the opposite effect on the blood than those present in meats and cereals, but they function similarly to vegetable minerals. Iron, lime, sodium, magnesium, potash, and phosphorus are minerals commonly present in fruits. These are to a very significant degree in the solution in the fruit juices and the minerals remain in them until the juices are removed. There is just a small amount of acid in some fruits, while others have greater concentrations. The entire taste of this food is made up of these acids, as well as sugar and volatile oils from fruits. Many ripe fruits have less acid than unripe fruits, and cooked fruits also have more acid than raw fruits. The diverse types of fruits produce several kinds of acid. Citrus fruits, such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and a few other fruits, contain ‘citric acid;’ peaches, plums, apricots, and apples, ‘malic acid;’ and grapes and many other fruits, ‘tartaric acid.’ Fresh fruits have a high water content, up to 94 percent in some species. Dried fruits, on the other hand, contain far less water, with some having as little as 15 to 20%. As a result, fruits with little water have a high nutritional value, while those with a lot of water have less of the content that contributes to food value in their composition. In addition to the acids they absorb, the high proportion of water in fresh fruit accounts for the fact that these fruits are so refreshing. cellulose is present in varying proportions in all fruits and vegetables. The higher the amount, the lower the fruit’s food value, even where, as in the case of dried fruits, the water has evaporated. The digestibility of this cellulose, on the other hand, is unimportant since, while small quantities of very young and tender cellulose from fruits may be digested, this trait can be overlooked in general. What are Fruit Pigments? Lycopene and anthocyanin are considered the red pigments found in fruits such as watermelon, red grapes, tomatoes, and strawberries. The risk of many types of cancers, especially prostate cancer, may be reduced by these pigments. These pigments are also potent antioxidants that protect the heart and cells from harm. Carotenoids are orange and yellow pigments present in fruits such as oranges. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A that can decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease, boost immune function, and minimize the risk of macular degeneration associated with age. Green fruits contain chlorophyll pigmentation in green apples Dark leafy greens contain folate, which, especially during pregnancy, is a very important nutrient for women’s health. They also contain a compound that is integral to good eyesight, called lutein. Blue and purple pigmented fruits produce anthocyanins that are strong antioxidants that resist harm to the cells, minimize cancer risk and cardiac disease. Included in this group are blackberries, eggplant, figs, purple grapes, raisins, and blueberries. Anthoxanthins are pigments that give white fruits their colour. These pigments contain protective chemicals like allicin, which can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure while also lowering the risk of stomach cancer. Bananas are included in this category. |
Enzymatic and Non- enzymatic Browning of Fruits
Browning is a process of gradual change in the color of food products to brown or dark brown over time, which can affect the food quality in either a positive or negative manner. This reaction is considered undesirable for most fruit and vegetable (FV) products and seafood such as shrimp; however, it is important to produce a unique color and flavor in some other foods, such as bread, soy sauce, black tea, coffee, cocoa, raisins, and dried jujube.
The browning reaction in food products is generally divided into enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning, depending on the mechanism. The non-enzymatic browning reaction generates a brown-colored substance through a chemical reaction involving a single compound or multiple constituents in food, without having any enzyme involved. The non-enzymatic browning reactions include the Maillard reaction, caramelization, and ascorbic acid oxidation; in food products, these reactions occur mostly in a combination rather than as isolated reactions, because food is composed of complex constituents.
Unlike non-enzymatic browning, the enzymatic browning reaction involves the action of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme present in food. Enzymatic browning mostly occurs in FV products during harvesting, transportation, storage, and processing; consequently, it influences the sensory and nutritional values of food products.
