Pectin is one of the most important components in cell wall materials of higher plants with the ability to maintain the integrity of cell wall architecture， which is closely related to the texture change of fruits. This review describes the structure and models of pectin， and the changes of pectin’s contents， components， neutral sugars and polymers’ nanostructure in some common fruits. Furthermore， this review analyses the degradation patterns of pectin in different fruits during softening， hoping to make reference for further understanding the role of pectin metabolism in different softening patterns of fruits.