Permeability, sugar accumulation, and respiration rate in ripening banana fruits

The permeability of pulp tissue of banana fruits and aseptically prepared transverse slices of bananas increases before the respiratory climacteric begins. The permeability change may be measured as leakage of amino acids from pulp tissue, and is not dependent on the soluble carbohydrate content of pulp cells. During the climacteric, amino acid leakage into water increases further.