Articles
EFFECT OF POSTHARVEST MECHANICAL INJURY ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND QUALITY OF CANTALOUPE MELONS
Article number
768_42
Pages
323 – 328
Language
English
Abstract
Mechanical injury can cause changes in fruit tissue that affects quality and contributes to reduce postharvest life.
Impact damage can occur anytime during postharvest operations if handling is not careful, and the effects will be noticed during storage or within the distribution chain.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is an advanced and useful technique for evaluation of the quality of biological materials.
In the present work the micro structural changes in tissues of Cantaloupe melons submitted to mechanical injury by impact were evaluated during storage and correlated to the changes in fruit quality attributes.
Melons of Torreon were selected and sanitized, and half of the lot were submitted to mechanical injury by impact onto a rubber-covered hard surface, and stored for up to 7 d at room temperature (23°C). SEM evaluation was carried out on injured and non-injured melons.
Fast softening during the first three days of storage, as well as an increased weight loss occurred in injured melons compared to non-injured.
Flesh pH remained constant, while SS content and TA slightly decreased during storage.
Ultrastructural observations in non-injured melons revealed thin-walled, uniform and tightly packed parenchyma cells showing no cell separation at the middle lamella level.
For injured melons, progressive disruption of the middle lamella parenchyma cells was observed during storage.
Fungal contamination was seen next to micro-cracks originating from the injury, as opposed to the clean and intact epicarp of non-injured fruit.
Impact damage can occur anytime during postharvest operations if handling is not careful, and the effects will be noticed during storage or within the distribution chain.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is an advanced and useful technique for evaluation of the quality of biological materials.
In the present work the micro structural changes in tissues of Cantaloupe melons submitted to mechanical injury by impact were evaluated during storage and correlated to the changes in fruit quality attributes.
Melons of Torreon were selected and sanitized, and half of the lot were submitted to mechanical injury by impact onto a rubber-covered hard surface, and stored for up to 7 d at room temperature (23°C). SEM evaluation was carried out on injured and non-injured melons.
Fast softening during the first three days of storage, as well as an increased weight loss occurred in injured melons compared to non-injured.
Flesh pH remained constant, while SS content and TA slightly decreased during storage.
Ultrastructural observations in non-injured melons revealed thin-walled, uniform and tightly packed parenchyma cells showing no cell separation at the middle lamella level.
For injured melons, progressive disruption of the middle lamella parenchyma cells was observed during storage.
Fungal contamination was seen next to micro-cracks originating from the injury, as opposed to the clean and intact epicarp of non-injured fruit.
Authors
C. Rodrigues Muniz, A. Aparecida Soares, H.A.C. Filgueiras, S. Dussán Sarría, M. de Lima Matias, R.C. Albano Maia, E. de Oliveira Silva
Keywords
fruits, scanning electron microscopy, structure, quality
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