Why does very little pigment leak from a beetroot at 5*C?

I'm doing a coursework on the light transmission of beetroot samples that have been heated or chilled. At 5*C, very little pigment is released, why is this?

Why does very little pigment leak from a beetroot at 5*C?
The lower temperature is having an effect on the cell membrane. Remember this is a mixture of lipids, cholesterol and a great deal of other goodies. What happens to butter in the fridge compared to out in the sun. A simplification but this is what is happening to the cell membrane of the cells of the beetroot. As the temperature drops the lipids are less mobile and consequently less leaky. Conversely, if you heat it up, depending upon the temperature the membrane becomes more fluid and more leaky, at high temperature the phospholipid membrane structure will break down completely. Additionally of course fluid mobility of the cell contents is also reduced at low temperatures compared to high, and will effect how much leakage there can be.
Reply:I remember doing light transmission in AP Biology, and the reason being is that the temperature of the chemicals is lowered and therefore chemical reactions cannot react as quickly as they can with a raised temperature. Remember that heat is what causes chemical reactions to happen most of the time. Because 5 degrees celsius is very cold, the chemical reactions cannot take place as quickly.

fern