Rise in respiration
Respiration is required for releasing energy and the substrate for synthesis of several organic compounds required in the ripening process. During ripening in climacteric fruits, there is rise in respiration called climacteric. The clirnacteric peak is obtained very fast when temperature is relatively high. Respiration is a most deteriorating process of the harvested fruits and vegetables which leads to the oxidative breakdown of the complex materials (carbohydrates or acids) of cell into simpler molecules (CO2 and water)