The role of endogenous acetaldehyde and ethanol in the prevention of greening in cold-stored Kennebec potato tubers

Summary Analyses of the gaseous content of ev. Kennebee potato tubers which received post-storage applications of aqueous surfactant emulsions formulated to prevent greening, revealed minute increases ({0.5 μl/l) in internal acctaldehyde and ethanol content. When excised peel tissue was exposed to concentrations of acetaldehyde, or ethanol of ca. 0.6 μl/l for 6 days at 22 C with a bench level illumination of 1100 lx cool white fluorescent, the chlorophyll production was halved. It was felt that reductions in peel chlorophyll previously attributed to an increased concentration of internal CO₂ may also relate to the presence of the toxic volatiles of aerobic CO₂ zymasis, viz. acetaldehyde and ethanol.