Effect of heat treatments on gene expression and enzyme activities associated to cell wall degradation in strawberry fruit

Strawberries at white ripening stage were heat treated at 45 °C for 3 h in an air oven and then stored at 20 °C for 72 h. Firmness, activity of enzymes associated to cell wall degradation, and expression of related genes were determined during the storage. Fruit firmness decreased during the incubation time, and after 24 h of storage the heat-treated fruit softened less than the control fruit. However, after 3 days at 20 °C no differences in firmness were detected between control and heat-treated fruit. Immediately after heat treatment application, the activity of endo-1,4-β-d-glucanase (EGase), β-xylosidase and β-galactosidase decreased, while polygalacturonase activity remained at a level similar to the control fruit. However, lower activities of all these enzymes, including polygalacturonase, were detected in heat-treated fruit after 24 h at 20 °C. The enzyme activity of β-xylosidase, β-galactosidase and polygalacturonase increased after 72 h up to similar or higher values than those of controls. However, endo-1,4-β-d-glucanase activity remained lower in heat-treated samples even after 72 h at 20 °C. The expression of genes encoding endoglucanase (FaCel1), β-xylosidase (FaXyl1), polygalacturonase (FaPG1) and expansin (FaExp2) was reduced immediately after treatment and during the following 4 h, and then increased after 24 h to levels similar to or higher than those of control fruit.

Therefore, the selected treatment (45 °C, 3 h in air) effectively reduced strawberry softening and caused a temporary reduction of both the expression of above-mentioned genes and the activity of a set of enzymes involved in cell wall disassembly.     

Effect of combined application of heat treatments and plastic packaging on keeping quality of ‘Oroblanco’ fruit (Citrus grandis L.×C. paradisi Macf.)

Combinations of various heat treatments with individual fruit sealing, packaging in polyethylene liners or waxing were tested as means to control pathological and physiological spoilage of ‘Oroblanco’ fruit (Citrus grandis L.×C. paradisi Macf.). The following heat treatments were used: curing at 36°C for 72 h, hot water dip at 52°C for 2 min or ‘hot drench brushing’ at 52, 56 or 60°C for 10 s. The standard packinghouse treatment included waxing with addition of thiabendazole (TBZ) and 2,4- isopropyl ester. The fruit was stored for 2 weeks at 1°C (simulated low-temperature quarantine treatment), followed by 12–13 weeks at 11°C (simulated sea transportation to Japan) and 1 additional week at 20°C (simulated retail shelf-life period). The lowest weight loss and the highest firmness were observed with individually sealed fruit. Polyethylene liners were usually more efficient for weight loss control than waxing. However, the liner packaging enhanced the risk of postharvest disease development, if not accompanied by appropriate decay-controlling measures. Applying TBZ, hot water dip or curing controlled the development of postharvest pathogens, especially that of Penicillium molds. In another trial, both hot drench brushing at 56 or 60°C and hot water dip reduced decay incidence. Hot drench brushing at 60°C and hot water dip slowed fruit softening and reduced buttons abscission. In addition, the hot drench brushing at 60°C significantly delayed the loss of ‘Oroblanco’ green rind color, especially at the stylar and stem ends of the fruit. The hot dip at 52°C inhibited yellowing only when combined with individual seal-packaging.     

Chilling-induced oxidative stress and antioxidant responses in mume (Prunus mume) fruit during low temperature storage

Mume (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) fruit are harvested and consumed at the mature green stage and have a short storage life at ambient temperature. While cold temperature extends their storage life, improper refrigeration causes severe chilling injury (CI), with fruit suffering more severe CI at of 5–6 °C than at 1 °C. The objective of this research was to determine the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant systems in fruit under chilling stress. ‘Nankou’ fruit were stored at 1 °C or 6 °C for 15 days. Hydrogen peroxide, a preventive ROS, decreased at a slower rate at 6 °C than 1 °C during storage. Malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation caused by ROS, increased during storage and the contents were higher in fruit stored at 6 °C than at 1 °C. On the other hand, fruit stored at 6 °C had a lower total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lower activities of antioxidant-related enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) than at 1 °C. These results indicate that the fruit at 6 °C had more oxidative stress; thus the fruit had more severe CI symptoms than at 1 °C.     

The effect of delays in establishment of a static or dynamic controlled atmosphere on the quality of ‘Hass’ avocado fruit

The effect of delays of 1, 5, 10 or 15 d after harvest in establishing a static controlled atmosphere (SCA) or dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) on the quality of ‘Hass’ avocados (Persea americana Mill.) was investigated. Fruit were stored at 5 °C in SCA (5% O₂/5% CO₂) or DCA (<3% O₂/0.5% CO₂) for 6 weeks and compared with fruit stored in air. In addition, to determine whether increasing the CO₂ in the DCA would affect the fruit quality, DCA-stored fruit were compared with fruit held in a DCA with 5% CO₂ (DCA + CO₂) established 1 d after harvest. The quality of fruit was assessed at the end of storage and after ripening at 20 °C. DCA-stored fruit ripened in 4.6 d compared with 7.2 d for SCA-stored fruit, or 4.8 d for air-stored fruit. In addition, the incidences of stem end rot (SER), body rot (BR) and vascular browning (VB) were lower in DCA-stored fruit (35%, 29% and 29%, respectively) than in SCA-stored fruit (57%, 52% and 49%, respectively), or air-stored fruit (76%, 88% and 95%, respectively). Delaying the establishment of both SCA and DCA for 15 d resulted in significantly more advanced skin colour at the end of storage (average rating score 11.9) compared with other delay periods (4.6–5.1). There was no significant effect of delay on the time to ripen, skin colour when ripe or any ripe fruit disorder incidence. The incidence of diffuse flesh discolouration (DFD) was not only <1% when averaged over all delays but only occurred at >0.5% incidence in the 15 d delay treatment in DCA (4.8%) and not in SCA. The incidence of diffuse flesh discolouration was 62% in air-stored fruit. Inclusion of 5% CO₂ in DCA retarded fruit ripening from 4.7 to 6.9 d and increased the incidence of rots at the end of storage from 5% to 14%, and increased the incidence in ripe fruit of SER from 30% to 56% and of BR from 27% to 55%. It is concluded that fruit quality was better after CA storage than after air storage, and that DCA storage was better than SCA. The effect of DCA is to independently reduce the time to ripen after storage and the incidence of rots when ripe. Delaying the application of SCA or DCA did not affect the expression of rots, but may increase the incidence of DFD. Inclusion of CO₂ at 5% in CA retarded fruit ripening but stimulated rot expression and should not be used for CA storage of New Zealand grown ‘Hass’ avocados.     

Effect of high-pressure hot-water washing treatment on fruit quality, insects, and disease in apples and pears: Part I. System description and the effect on fruit quality of ‘d’Anjou’ pears

A manually operated high-pressure hot-water washing system consisting of a boiler, hot-water mixing tank, contact loop, heat exchanger, spray mixing tank, high-pressure hot-water washing manifold, low-pressure fresh water rinse manifold, and pressure pump was constructed and installed in a packingline. The system developed 20–50 °C washing water at pressures up to 980 kPa. ‘d’Anjou’ pears (Pyrus communis L.), shortly after harvest, and after storage for 3 and 4 months in regular air (RA) or for 4, 7 and 8 months in controlled atmosphere (CA) at −1 °C were washed through the packingline with different wetting agents (0.1% Silwet, 0.01 and 0.1% Defoamer, and water), water pressures (regular and high-pressure (210–980 kPa)), water temperatures (control (tap water, 4–22 °C), 40 °C, and 50 °C), and brushes (soft and firm), respectively. The effect of the washing conditions on fruit quality was investigated after 1 month of storage at −1 °C to simulate shipping condition, and then again after 1 week at 20 °C to simulate marketing condition. Hot-water caused severe heat scald. When nozzle temperature was 50 °C, the incidence of heat scald increased to over 50% for the fruit stored in RA for 3 months. Combined with hot-water, 540 kPa high-pressure washing increased the incidence of friction discoloration. There were lower incidences of friction discoloration and heat scald for fruit stored in CA for 7 months, in comparison to that in RA for 3 months. However, those fruit did not ripen properly as indicated by a high extractable juice content. Fruit washed at harvest had minor incidences of friction discoloration regardless of different brushes, water pressures, and wetting agents. Fruit washed after storages in either 4 months RA or 4 or 8 months CA suffered a high incidence of friction discoloration including scuffing symptoms and pressure marking. The firm brushes caused a higher incidence of friction discoloration mainly because of scuffing symptoms. However, no differences were found between different water pressures and wetting agents with respect to friction discoloration. Fruit stored for 4 months RA suffered 26–28% friction discoloration in comparison to 16–18% in CA stored fruit with firm brush washing. Extended CA storage increased friction discoloration even with soft brush washing. The results suggest that a washing system with high-pressure spray, <30 °C warm water, wetting agent Defoamer and rotating soft brushes were significantly effective in removing surface pests and decay control without causing internal or external damage of fruit.     

Plant oil emulsion modifies internal atmosphere, delays fruit ripening, and inhibits internal browning in Chinese pears

'Laiyang Chili’ and ‘Ya Li’ (Pyrus bertschneideri Reld) pears were treated with 3, 6, and 9% emulsions of commercial or refined (reduced -tocopherol levels) plant (soybean, corn, peanut, linseed, and cottonseed) oils at harvest an stored at 0°C for 6 months. Effects of oil treatments on ethylene production, respiration, fruit firmness, fruit color, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acids (TA), internal browning (IB), and internal CO₂, O₂, and ethanol were studied. At the same concentration, oil treatments induced similar responses regardless of their sources or their -tocopherol concentrations. In both cultivars, ethylene production and respiration in fruit treated with 9% oils were lower in early storage and higher in late storage than that in the controls. Oils at 6% reduced IB, at 9% inhibited IB completely, and at 3% was not effective after 6 months at 0°C and 7 days at 20°C. Plant oil treatment maintained fruit color, firmness, SSC, and TA in a concentration-dependent manner during storage. In the first 4 months storage, 9% corn oil-treated fruit contained similar partial pressure of CO₂ and O₂ as the controls. After 5 months storage, oil-treated fruit contained higher partial pressure of CO₂ and lower levels of O₂ than the controls. When held at 20°C for 7 days, changes of internal CO₂ and O₂ were slower but partial pressure of CO₂ were higher, and O₂ were lower, in 9% corn oil-treated fruit than in the controls. Internal ethanol was not affected by oil treatment compared with control, either during storage or 7 days at 20°C. No off-flavor was detected in either oil-treated and control fruit by sensory evaluation.     

Effect of high temperature stress on ethylene biosynthesis, respiration and ripening of ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit

Temperatures up to 35°C have been shown to increase ethylene production and ripening of propylene-treated kiwifruit (Stavroulakis, G., Sfakiotakis, E.M., 1993. We attempted to study the regulation by high stress temperature of the propylene induced ethylene biosynthesis and ripening in ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit. ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit were treated with 130 μl/l propylene at temperatures from 30 to 45°C up to 120 h. Ethylene biosynthesis pathway and fruit ripening were investigated. Propylene induced normal ripening of kiwifruit at 30–34°C. Fruit failed to ripe normally at 38°C and above 40°C ripening was inhibited. Propylene induced autocatalytic ethylene production after a lag period of 24 h at 30–34°C. Ethylene production was drastically reduced at 38°C and almost nil at 40°C. The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) content was similar at 30–38°C and was very low at 40°C. The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACC synthase) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACC oxidase) activities decreased with a temperature increase above 30°C, but ACC oxidase decreased at a faster rate than ACC synthase. Fruit not treated with propylene showed no ripening response or ethylene production. However, kiwifruit respiration rate increased with temperature up to 45°C, reaching the respiration peak in 10 h. At temperatures up to 38°C, propylene treatment enhanced the respiration rate. After 48 h at 45°C, fruit showed injury symptoms and a larger decrease in CO₂. The results suggest that high temperature stress inhibits ripening by inhibiting ethylene production and sensitivity while respiration proceeds until the breakdown of tissues.     

Combined effects of 1-methylcyclopropene, calcium chloride dip, and/or atmospheric modification on quality changes in fresh-cut strawberries

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene, 1-MCP (1 μL L⁻¹ for 24 h at 5 °C) on quality attributes and shelf life of fresh-cut strawberries. The 1-MCP was applied before (whole product) and/or after cutting (wedges), followed by storage in a continuous flow of air or air +1 μL L⁻¹ C₂H₄. The combined effects of 1-MCP and CaCl₂ dips (1% for 2 min) and/or CA (3 kPa O₂ + 10 kPa CO₂) were also examined. The application of only 1-MCP before and/or after cutting did not have a significant effect on firmness and appearance quality during storage for up to 12 days at 5 °C. The exposure to a continuous flow of 1 μL L⁻¹ C₂H₄ in air during storage did not increase the softening rate. 1-MCP applied before cutting or both before and after cutting of the strawberries increased respiration rates but reduced C₂H₄ production rates. Exposure to 1-MCP had a synergistic effect when combined with CaCl₂ plus CA. The combined treatment of 1-MCP + CaCl₂ + CA slowed down softening, deterioration rates, TA and microbial growth. Compared to the control, which had a 6-day shelf life, the shelf life of fresh-cut strawberries subjected to the combination treatment was extended to 9 days at 5 °C.     

Expression of ROP/RAC GTPase genes in postharvest loquat fruit in association with senescence and cold regulated lignification

ROP/RAC GTPases regulate various development processes and play important roles in plant defense responses. Recently, lignification or secondary cell wall formation related ROP members were reported in rice, zinnia, cotton and Eucalyptus. The present study aimed to investigate the possible association of loquat ROPs with flesh lignification under different temperatures. Four ROP cDNA fragments, EjROP1.1, EjROP1.2, EjROP2 and EjROP3, were isolated from ‘Luoyangqing’ (LYQ) loquat fruit, and all of them shared over 80% nucleotide identity with known ROPs from other plants. Sequence analysis revealed that EjROP1.1, EjROP2 and EjROP3 might be functional while EjROP1.2, with mutated C-terminal resulted from a 65 bp deletion in the corresponding nucleotide sequence as compared with EjROP1.1, might be dominant-negative and consequently act as a negative regulator of ROP signal transduction. Increase in expression of EjROP1.1, EjROP2 and EjROP3 was observed during first 4 or 6 d of storage at 20 °C and was positively correlated with the increase in flesh firmness. Expression of EjROP1.2 was constantly low under 20 °C but was quickly, within 6 h, induced under 0 °C, and it increased by about 20 times within 24 h. The expression was induced under 5 °C as well but not so strong as that under 0 °C, and transfer of fruit from 5 °C to 0 °C re-stimulated the expression. The possible roles of EjROPs played during senescence and cold regulated lignification was discussed, and the simultaneous increase in the expression of three functional EjROPs and the negative regulator EjROP1.2 was suggested to be important for maintaining a ROP rheostat to protect cells from excessive lignification. To our knowledge, this is the first study on a dominant-negative ROP resulted from a deletion mutation, and a ROP responded to low temperature.     

Maturity assessment at harvest and prediction of softening in a late maturing nectarine cultivar after cold storage

The absorption coefficient μ_a measured at 670 nm in fruit pulp at harvest by time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy (TRS) has been shown to be a good maturity index for early nectarine cultivars. By including individual fruit maturity as a biological shift factor (BSF) into a kinetic model for softening it is possible to select fruit with different shelf-life potential. The BSF approach combined with TRS measurement and kinetic modeling of firmness was applied to a late maturing nectarine cultivar (‘Morsiani 90’), ripened at 20 °C after harvest or after storage at 0 °C and 4 °C, the latter conditions inducing chilling injury. At harvest the absorption coefficient μ_a had low values and low variability, indicating advanced maturity, while firmness was similar to that of early cultivars. The softening model took into account these differences, showing parameters similar to those of the early cultivars with the exception of the softening rate which was 2-6 times lower, indicating a slower softening in ‘Morsiani 90’ fruit. Decay of μ_a at 20 °C was also slower. Softening continued during storage at 4 °C, but not at 0 °C. After storage at 0 °C softening was resumed similarly to non-stored fruit, but with much variability. Fruit stored at 4 °C, which showed chilling injury, had a softening rate at 20 °C significantly higher than that of 0 °C fruit. It is suggested that the same changes in cell wall metabolism which induce the appearance of chilling injury also affect firmness and increase softening rate.     

Effect of high-pressure hot water washing treatment on fruit quality, insects, and disease in apples and pears: Part II. Effect on postharvest decay of d’Anjou pear fruit

A hot water pressure process (HWP) was evaluated for its effect on conidia of Penicillium expansum and on development of blue mold, gray mold, and mucor rot of d’Anjou pear fruit. Spores were removed from the water system through dilution and also as a result of hot water in the system that was lethal to the spores. When the system was heated, viable spores were not detected after 2–4 h of operation. Reductions in decay in the HWP system were 36, 29, and 13% for Botrytis cinerea, Mucor piriformis, and P. expansum, respectively. The response of P. expansum appeared related to the length of time fruit was in cold storage. Heat injury was observed on fruit treated with 40 and 50 °C water but not on fruit at 30 °C nozzle temperature. The HWP system described in this study should be considered as a component of an integrated decay control strategy.     

Influence of aqueous 1-methylcyclopropene concentration, immersion duration, and solution longevity on the postharvest ripening of breaker-turning tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit

The influence of aqueous 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) concentration, immersion duration, and solution longevity on the ripening of early ripening-stage tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) has been investigated. Tomato fruit at the breaker-turning stage were fully immersed in aqueous 1-MCP at 50, 200, 400 and 600 μg L⁻¹ for 1 min, quickly dried, and then stored at 20 °C. Ethylene production, respiration, surface color development, and rate of accumulation of lycopene and polygalacturonase (PG) activity were suppressed and/or delayed in fruit exposed to aqueous 1-MCP. Suppression of ripening was concentration dependent, with maximum inhibition in response to 1 min immersion occurring at concentrations of 400 and 600 μg L⁻¹. Climacteric ethylene peaks were delayed approximately 6, 7, and 9 d and respiration was strongly suppressed in fruit treated with aqueous 1-MCP at 200, 400, and 600 μg L⁻¹, respectively, compared with control fruit. Fruit firmness, lycopene content, PG activity, and surface hue of fruit treated at the three higher levels remained strongly suppressed compared with control. Skin hue values and pericarp lycopene content in response to treatment at the subthreshold 50 μg L⁻¹ provided evidence for differential ripening suppression in external versus internal tissues. Maximum delay of softening and surface color development in response to 50 μg L⁻¹ aqueous 1-MCP occurred following immersion periods of between 6 and 12 min. Factors affecting fruit penetration by aqueous 1-MCP and mechanisms contributing to recovery from 1-MCP-induced ripening inhibition are discussed.     

贮藏温度对黄金梨品质和相关生理指标的影响

研究了-1.5℃、0℃、1.5℃和5℃贮藏温度对黄金梨采后品质和果心褐变以及软化、衰老等指标的影响。结果表明,黄金梨在5℃下只能短期贮藏(＜60d);0℃和1.5℃果实贮藏期为120d左右;-1.5℃贮藏180d 能明显抑制果实腐烂率,保持果实较高的硬度,但冷害果率达20%,未发生冷害的果实风味保持较好。     

Delaying establishment of controlled atmosphere or CO2 exposure reduces ‘Fuji’ apple CO2 injury without excessive fruit quality loss

Storage of ‘Fuji’ apple fruit in a high CO₂ (3 kPa) and low O₂ (1.5 kPa) controlled atmosphere (CA) reduced firmness and titratable acidity (TA) loss during long term storage. This CA environment also induced development of internal CO₂-injury (brown-heart) and slowed the disappearance of watercore. The symptoms of internal CO₂-injury were first detected 15 days after CA establishment and the severity increased during the first 4 months of CA-storage. Delaying establishment of CA conditions for 2–12 weeks significantly reduced the severity of CO₂-injury. Delaying CO₂ accumulation to 3 kPa for 1–4 months during CA (1.5 kPa O₂+0.05 kPa CO₂) storage also reduced development of CO₂-injury symptoms. Delaying CA or CO₂ accumulation resulted in lower firmness and TA compared to establishment of CA within 72 h of harvest. However, the delay treatments did result in firmness and TA that were significantly higher compared to values for fruit stored in air. The incidence and severity of senescent injuries (flesh browning and core flush) detected during the late period of storage were greater in air- than CA-stored fruit. The results indicate the susceptibility of ‘Fuji’ apples to CO₂-injury is highest during the first weeks of storage after harvest. Delaying establishment of CA or exposure to elevated CO₂ after harvest may be a practical strategy to reduce CO₂-injury while maintaining other important quality attributes at acceptable levels.     

热空气处理对‘白玉’枇杷品质及冷害的影响

为研究热空气处理对“白玉”枇杷贮藏品质及冷害的影响,本文以“白玉”枇杷为试材,探索了46℃热空气处理对蛋白组分含量变化的影响,并对各处理（6±1）℃冷藏期间果实冷害指数、可溶性固形物、可滴定酸、失重率、腐烂率和果实硬度进行测定。试验结果表明：冷藏及货架期间,46℃热空气处理果实可维持较高的可溶性蛋白和热稳定蛋白含量;抑制了冷藏期间果实可溶性固形物、可滴定酸含量的下降,保持了较高的果实硬度,显著降低了果实的腐烂率、失重率和冷害指数,其中以46℃热空气处理30min后冷藏效果最好。以上结果显示,果实蛋白组分含量的变化与果实采后冷藏过程中抗冷性有关,且热空气处理提高了果实的贮藏品质。     

Measurement of avocado softening at various temperatures using ultrasound

The low-temperature storage of avocado affects its subsequent softening process and shelf life. One of the main indices of ripeness in avocado fruit is firmness, which changes during the ripening and softening process. The temperature and duration of storage fundamentally influence the firmness of the stored fruit, and monitoring the softening of fruit enables us to regulate its shelf life. The objective of the present study was to use nondestructive ultrasonic tests to elucidate the influences of storage temperature and time on the softening process of avocado fruit. The attenuation of the ultrasonic waves transmitted through the fruit tissue changes as the fruit passes through the various softening stages during and after low-temperature storage. Four groups of avocados, each stored at a different low temperature, and a control group which was stored at room temperature (20°C) were examined during and after their designated storage times, until they reached full ripeness at room temperature. Nondestructive ultrasonic tests and destructive penetration measurements were carried out in order to determine the attenuation and the tissue firmness, respectively, of the avocados. Statistical analysis showed quite good correlation between the firmness and the ultrasonic attenuation, and their dependence on previous storage time-temperature history. This suggests that the ultrasonic measurements could be used as a nondestructive method of monitoring avocado ripeness during low-temperature storage.     

A high temperature/low oxygen pulse improves cold storage disinfestation

Short periods of elevated temperature under controlled atmospheres (CA) effectively control insect pests. Cold treatment is also an effective non-chemical disinfestation process. If synergistic effects can be found by combining treatments, these may provide opportunities for cost reduction. Tests were performed to evaluate the tolerance of Packham's Triumph pears (Pyrus communis L.) to a range of temperatures (30–40 °C) combined with low oxygen (O₂ < 1 kPa). Treatment duration was 16–48 h and was followed by 1 month storage at 0 °C under air. When held at 30 °C, pears withstood up to 30 h of hypoxia. After cold storage, pears ripened slightly faster than controls but were undamaged. A temperature of 35 °C induced slight skin browning, and 40 °C resulted in substantial skin blackening. Some treatments were also tested on survival of lightbrown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker). All developmental stages were subjected to either 16 h at 30 °C, or 16 h under hypoxia, or 1 month at 0 °C, or a combination of the three treatments. With all treatments combined, all eggs, larvae and adults were killed. Only 4% of the pupae produced adults and combined treatments led to an increase in pupa mortality of 38%. A combined treatment (tolerated by pears) consisting of 30 h at 30 °C under low O₂ plus 1 month cold storage under air, killed 100% of LBAM pupae, and 100% of 5th instar larvae of both codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), and oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck). Implementation of such treatments would not require substantial investments for fruit industries equipped with CA storage facilities.     

Active label-based packaging to extend the shelf-life of “Calanda” peach fruit: Changes in fruit quality and enzymatic activity

Nectarine fruit after cold storage soften normally, but become dry instead of juicy and can develop flesh browning, bleeding and a gel-like or glassy formation of the flesh near the pit. An experiment was conducted to see if time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy could distinguish these internal disorders non-destructively. The optical parameters of absorption coefficient (μ_a) and reduced scattering coefficient (μ′_s) were measured at 670 nm and 780 nm, on nectarine (Prunus persica cv. Morsiani 90) fruit held at 20 °C after harvest or after 30 d of storage at 0 °C or 4 °C. Each day for 5 d 30 fruit were examined both non-destructively and destructively. Other measurements were firmness with a penetrometer, peel colour on the blush and non-blush side, expressible juice, weight loss, and visual rating of internal browning, bleeding, and gel. The fruit had been sorted at harvest according to the value of μ_a670 so that each batch had a similar spread of fruit maturity. More mature fruit (lower μ_a670 values) developed internal browning and bleeding with more severe symptoms compared to less mature ones (higher μ_a670 values). It was found that μ_a780 could distinguish healthy fruits from the chilling injured ones. Canonical discriminant analysis indicated that fruit without cold storage had low μ_a780, less water loss, low firmness, but high μ_a670 and high expressible juice compared with cool stored fruit. Fruit cool stored at 4 °C had high μ_a780 and less expressible juice, lower water loss and lower firmness compared with fruit cool stored at 0 °C. It was concluded that time resolved reflectance spectroscopy could detect internal woolliness and internal browning in nectarines after storage.     

Effect of fruit maturity on efficiency of 1-methylcyclopropene to delay the ripening of bananas

Three bunches of unripe ‘Williams’ banana fruit of different maturity, 173, 156 and 71 days from bunch emergence, were harvested. Fruit from the top, bottom and middle hands from each bunch were fumigated for 24 h with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) at 0, 5, 50 or 500 nl l⁻¹ at 20^oC. All fruit were then stored at 20^oC in air containing 0.1 μl l⁻¹ ethylene and the time taken for each fruit to ripen (green life) was noted. The green life of fruit treated with 500 nl l⁻¹ 1-MCP varied with fruit maturity. In the two most mature bunches it was 27.9±2.3 days, 4-fold longer than fruit fumigated with 0 nl l⁻¹ 1-MCP (6.7±0.6 days). In the least mature bunch, green life was 39.7±3.0 days, 1.5-fold longer than fruit fumigated with 0 nl l⁻¹ 1-MCP (25.7±2.5 days). Most fruit treated with 500 nl l⁻¹ 1-MCP showed an unacceptable uneven skin colouration when ripe. There was no significant effect on green life of 1-MCP at 50 nl l⁻¹ and 5 nl l⁻¹. Other fruit from these bunches were not exposed to 1-MCP and were held in ethylene-free air until ripe. In the two most mature bunches, these fruit had a significantly shorter green life (11.2±5.6 days in hand 1; 18.9±4.1 days in hands 4 and 6) than fruit that were fumigated with 500 nl l⁻¹ 1-MCP. In the least mature bunch, however, these fruit had a significantly longer green life (56.0±5.9 days) than 1-MCP treated fruit. Since the effectiveness of 1-MCP varied with fruit maturity and in any commercial consignment there is a mixture of fruit maturity, it is concluded that 1-MCP has limited commercial potential for the storage of unripe ‘Williams’ bananas.     

Non-destructive monitoring of flesh softening in the black-skinned Japanese plums ‘Angeleno’ and ‘Autumn beaut’ on-tree and postharvest

There is a need to develop alternative harvest indexes for black skinned plums. The aim of this research was to analyze and compare the most commonly used indexes for deciding the harvest date for Japanese plum, and evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches for studying maturation. The ripening process was monitored on-tree and during postharvest in a non-destructive way, through the absorbance of chlorophyll (I_AD), the compression strength of the intact fruit, and the traditional parameters associated with ripening. Fruit were harvested at commercial ripeness and “tree-ripe”, and were stored for 10 d at 22 °C and 75-80% RH. The I_AD decreased during the last phase of development of the fruit on-tree, and it was related to the common indexes used for plums. ‘Angeleno’ showed a decrease of the I_AD 24% lower than that observed for ‘Autumn beaut’. The I_AD versus time showed the highest coefficients of determination when compared with the soluble solids concentration (SSC), flesh firmness, hue (H°) and chroma (C*) of the skin. The compression strength of the intact fruit was associated with flesh firmness, and to a lesser extent with the SSC for ‘Angeleno’, whereas for ‘Autumn beaut’ higher correlations for both the SSC and flesh firmness were observed. The C* of the skin on ‘Autumn beaut’ showed an erratic change during ripening; by contrast, for ‘Angeleno’, this index showed a clear trend. During postharvest it was observed that for ‘Angeleno’ fruit picked at commercial ripeness, the rate of change of the I_AD was practically the same as observed on-tree, while for ‘Autumn beaut’ the rates of change on-tree and at postharvest were 0.075 I_AD d⁻¹ and 0.024 I_AD d⁻¹, respectively. For the “tree-ripe” fruit, the rate of change was practically the same for both cultivars. Similar trends were observed for the compression strength.