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This study was carried out to investigate changes in the cell wall components during ripening and softening in persimmon fruits. The content of phenol:acetic acid:distilled water (PAVE-soluble materials increased while residual cell wall materials decreased during ripening and softening. When pectic polysaccharides from cell wall materials were solubilized in different solvents; distilled-water, 0.05M CDTA, 0.05M Na₂CO₃, 4M KOH and 8M KOH, polyuronides decreased in distilled-water, 0.05M Na₂CO₃, 8M KOH-soluble fractions, whereas they increased in 0.05M CDTA and 4M KOH-soluble fractions. Arabinose and galactose were the predominent non-cellulosic neutral sugars in the 0.05M CDTA and 0.05M Na₂CO₃-soluble pectic fractions, while glucose, galactose and xylose were the predominent neutral sugars in the 4M KOH-soluble hemicellulosic fraction. As fruits ripened, arabinose and galactose were slightly changed in the 0.05M CDTA-soluble fraction. However, in the 0.05M Na₂CO₃-soluble fraction, arabinose and galactose increased during maturation, and decreased after softening. The contents of galactose and xylose greatly decreased during ripening and softening in 4M KOH-soluble fraction.
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