Articles
USE OF HIGH PRESSURE TREATMENT TO PROLONG THE POSTHARVEST LIFE OF MUME FRUIT (PRUNUS MUME)
Article number
628_46
Pages
373 – 377
Language
English
Abstract
High-pressure treatment (HPT) has the potential of extending the postharvest life of fresh fruits by suppression of ethylene production.
Pressures over 5 MPa, however, are above the threshold for irreversible tissue damage for several fruits.
This study was conducted to evaluate whether HPT below 5 MPa could prolong the postharvest life of mume fruit that produce large amounts of ethylene after harvest.
Pressure was generated by compressing air into a high-pressure unit (OM labotech, Japan). Fruit were subjected to HPT at 5, 4, 3, 1 and 0.5 MPa for 10 min, and subsequently maintained at 0.5 MPa for 5-days.
Physical and physiological changes of fruit subjected to pressures were investigated.
HPT of 5 MPa for 10 min changed surface color and decreased ethylene production.
Pre-climacteric fruit subjected to lower pressures (<3 MPa) kept a commercially acceptable color quality.
These fruit exhibited higher rates of CO2 and ethylene production just after transfer to atmospheric pressure.
The peel of control fruit and those subjected to <3 MPa changed similarly in color from green to yellow.
Treatment of 0.5 MPa for 5-days decreased CO2 and ethylene production during storage.
It dramatically decreased weight loss and showed benefits against chilling injuries such as skin pitting and browning.
Visual comparison indicated a retardation of peel color development in treated fruit.
These results indicated that long-term HPT at 0.5 MPa affects not only CO2 and ethylene production but also water loss, and it may prolong the postharvest life of mume fruit.
Pressures over 5 MPa, however, are above the threshold for irreversible tissue damage for several fruits.
This study was conducted to evaluate whether HPT below 5 MPa could prolong the postharvest life of mume fruit that produce large amounts of ethylene after harvest.
Pressure was generated by compressing air into a high-pressure unit (OM labotech, Japan). Fruit were subjected to HPT at 5, 4, 3, 1 and 0.5 MPa for 10 min, and subsequently maintained at 0.5 MPa for 5-days.
Physical and physiological changes of fruit subjected to pressures were investigated.
HPT of 5 MPa for 10 min changed surface color and decreased ethylene production.
Pre-climacteric fruit subjected to lower pressures (<3 MPa) kept a commercially acceptable color quality.
These fruit exhibited higher rates of CO2 and ethylene production just after transfer to atmospheric pressure.
The peel of control fruit and those subjected to <3 MPa changed similarly in color from green to yellow.
Treatment of 0.5 MPa for 5-days decreased CO2 and ethylene production during storage.
It dramatically decreased weight loss and showed benefits against chilling injuries such as skin pitting and browning.
Visual comparison indicated a retardation of peel color development in treated fruit.
These results indicated that long-term HPT at 0.5 MPa affects not only CO2 and ethylene production but also water loss, and it may prolong the postharvest life of mume fruit.
Publication
Authors
T. Baba, F. Ikeda
Keywords
ethylene production, respiration, transpiration, chilling injury, water loss, fruit quality
Online Articles (111)