EFFECTS OF HIGH O₂ PRETREATMENT AND HIGH O₂ MAP ON QUALITY OF CUCUMBER FRUIT

The responses of cucumber fruit to high O₂ (100%) MAP (HO-MAP) and high O₂ pretreatment with 100% O₂ for 48 hours were investigated at 5°C. The fruit stored in HO-MAP observed no weight loss through the storage.
The weight loss of air-stored fruit was 2 times higher than the fruit pretreated with 100% O₂. The desiccation of cucumber fruit was concomitant with the reduction of fruit weight.
The shrivel appearance was detected in control fruit and in fruit pretreated with 100% O₂ on day 4 and day 8, respectively.
The onset on chilling injury was inhibited by HO-MAP. Fruit pretreated with 100% O₂ found to have less severity of chilling injury compared to air-stored fruit.
The severity of chilling injury was related with the percentage of weight loss.
The concentrations of CO₂ in HO-MAP increased to 20% while O₂ levels decreased to 50% at the end of storage.
Fruit in the HO-MAP did not detect any abnormal visual quality throughout storage.
On day 8, however, off-flavor was detected in fruit stored in HO-MAP, furthermore, the percentage of ion leakage from flesh tissues also increased over those receiving other treatments.
The ion leakage of control and 100% O₂ pretreated fruit showed similar level during the first week of storage.
The sharply increase of ion leakage from control fruit to a higher level than those of 100% O₂ pretreated fruit was observed after day 8 till the end of storage.
Fungal decay was showed in control fruit and fruit pretreated with 100% O₂ on day 13 and day15, respectively.
Pretreatment with 100% O₂ lowered the respiratory rate in cucumber fruit compared to control.

V International Postharvest Symposium

V. Srilaong, S. Kanlayanarat, Y. Tatsumi

Cucumis sativus, high O₂ treatment, visual quality, modified atmosphere, sensory evaluation

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.682.207