The amount of browning depends on the concentration and nature of polyphenol compounds that are present.
Enzymatic activity determines the amount of initial browning.
Substrates also determine what color the discoloration will be. Apples, apricots, peaches and pears will turn brown but never black. But bananas and potatoes will first turn pink and then brown and will eventually turn black, which is the polymer melanin. The maturity of a fruit is a factor in the amount of browning in a fruit or vegetable. Persimmons, apples, potatoes and bananas have been shown to increase in browning as they ripen, but then decrease as the amount of substrate decreases with maturity.