The role of polyamines in the improvement of the shelf life of fruit

Polyamines are natural compounds involved in many growth and developmental processes with ubiquitous presence in all cells. Fruits have been the main plant organ in which a comprehensive research has been developed to get a better understanding of the role of polyamines, both endogenous and exogenous, especially during the ripening and senescence processes. The purpose of this review is to describe the latest advances about the relationship between polyamines and fruit ripening and post-harvest storage. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.