Turnover of white asparagus cell wall polysaccharides during postharvest storage.

The main polysaccharides involved in asparagus cell wall turnover have been identified. Homogalacturonans are lost from both the apical and basal sections of the spear. Galactans are mobilized from the cellulose residue of the apical section and recovered in the KOH-soluble fractions while they are lost from the cellulose residue of the basal section. Xyloglucans are incorporated in the apical region and degraded from the basal one. Cellulose is incorporated in the basal region and lost from the apical one, and acidic xylans are incorporated in high amounts in the basal section of the spear.