The Food Science behind Fruits & Vegetables

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Across
  1. 7. One of the three types of ‘flavonoid’ plant pigments that is a composite of compounds, known as flavones, flavonols, and flavonones. Anthoxanthins contribute the cream or white colour of cauliflower, onions, white potatoes, and turnips. They turn an undesirable yellow colour in alkaline water, and can even change to blue-black or red-brown under excessive heating or in the presence of iron or copper.
  2. 8. One of the three major classes of plant pigments that are found in plastids and are fat-soluble. Carotenoids (α-, β-, and γ-carotenes) along with lycopenes and xanthophylls, range in colour accounting for most of the yellow-orange and some of the red colour of fruits and vegetables. They are relatively stable at acid or alkaline pH values.
  3. 10. An enzyme that hydrolyzes the alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds between galacturonic acid residues. Polygalacturanase becomes abundant during ripening and has a major role in cell wall degradation and fruit softening.
  4. 14. A subtype of the carotenoid plant pigments, that contributes its light-yellow colour to pineapples.
  5. 16. Located in the cell sap and contribute to the tart flavour component in fruits. Common organic acids in fruit include citric acid in citrus fruits and tomatoes; malic acid in apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, and strawberries; tartaric acid in grapes; oxalic acid in rhubarb; and benzoic acid in cranberries.
  6. 17. One of the few types of fibre found in foods that is a noncarbohydrate compound, instead being made from polymers of phenolic alcohols.
  7. 18. A general term describing peptic polysaccharides, which act as a cementing substance between cell walls and are partially responsible for the plant’s firmness and structure. It is used commercially to contribute to the gelling of fruit preserves.
  8. 20. One of the anthoxanthin compounds (along with flavanols and flavonones) that contribute the cream of white colour of cauliflower, onions, white potatoes, and turnips.
  9. 21. One of the most abundant compounds on earth that comprises part of every plant cell wall. Its structure consists of long chains of repeating glucose molecules that cannot be digested by human enzymes. Therefore, cellulose fibre is not absorbed, provides no energy, and simply passes through the digestive tract.
Down
  1. 1. A chemical compound that serves as the first electron carrier intermediate in the electron transfer pathway of Photosystem II in plants, and the photosynthetic reaction centre found in purple bacteria.
  2. 2. A reaction in which an enzyme acts on a phenolic compound in the presence of oxygen to produce brown-coloured products.
  3. 3. One of the three classes of plant pigments that are found in plastids and are fat soluble. Specifically, chlorophyll is the pigment responsible for the green colour of plants that also makes possible the essential process of photosynthesis, in which leaves capture the sun’s light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates.
  4. 4. A subtype of carotenoid plant pigments that range from pale yellow to red hues (eg. in carrots and winter squashes), depending on the arrangement of double bonds in the molecule.
  5. 5. A large, insoluble molecule and one of the three types of pectic substance found in immature fruit prior to the formation of pectin. As the fruit ripens, enzymes convert protopectin to the more water-soluble pectin.
  6. 6. One of the three types of ‘flavonoid’ plant pigments that derives most of the red, purple, and blue colours seen in fruits and vegetables. They are sensitive to changes in pH and to the presence of some metals, hence changing from red in an acid medium to blue in a more alkaline environment. Examples of foods containing predominantly anthocyanin pigments are cherries, blueberries, red cabbage, strawberries, plums, and grapes.
  7. 9. Widely distributed in nature in both plants and animals. In relation to fruits and vegetables, it helps protect flavour and increases the effectiveness of antioxidants.
  8. 11. The movement of a solvent through a semi-permeable membrane to the side with the higher solute concentration, equalizing the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane.
  9. 12. To dip food briefly in boiling water to inactivate enzymes or to remove skins from fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Specifically, this moist-heat preparation technique sets the colour of green vegetables; loosens the skins of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for peeling; and destroys enzymes that contribute to deterioration.
  10. 13. A subtype of carotenoid plant pigment compounds that are a deeper red and responsible for the bright red colour of tomatoes and some fruits, such as watermelon.
  11. 15. The compound gradually produced from pectin, as fruit continues to ripen and becomes overripe.
  12. 19. Organelles that store several of the substances in parenchyma cells, such as starch and pigments. The three types of plastids include leucoplasts, chloroplasts and chromopasts.