Mango colour: Why are mangoes yellow inside?
A fruit undergoes significant changes when it ripens.
You must have observed a raw mango change its colour from green to green-yellow and eventually to bright yellow as it ripens when kept at room temperature.
Whenever a fruit ripens, the following changes occur:
- The respiration rate of the fruit heightens.
- The fruit produces ethylene.
- The flesh of the fruit turns from hard to soft.
- The colour or shade of the fruit changes.
- The fruit develops a distinct aroma and flavour.
- Mangoes, too, go through the same process. The outsides of mangoes soften. They turn yellow from the inside out and develop a unique flavour and aroma.
Mangoes are yellow inside.
One reason ripe mangoes are yellow is the loss of Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is an agent in leaves and fruits that lends them their green colour and aids the photosynthetic process.
This explains mangoes' yellow exteriors, but why are mangoes yellow on the insides? Mangoes contain beta-carotene, which lends their interiors a beautiful yellow hue.
Beta carotene is a phytochemical. Mangoes are packed with carotenoids, which are produced using phytoene. The phytoene leads to an integration of orange-yellow carotenoids, thereby turning mangoes yellow.
Another explanation suggests that a water-soluble pigment found in the mango membrane called anthocyanin is responsible for the yellow, orange, and reddish shades of mango.
Along with the soil, climate, and overall topographic conditions, mangoes' intricate biological and biochemical processes make them the most incredible fruit ever!