ISHS Acta Horticulturae 682: V International Postharvest Symposium
INFLUENCE OF SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE AND POSTHARVEST ETHYLENE CONTROL ON CAROTENOIDS CONTENT OF PEACH FRUIT |
| Authors: | F. Cecchi, G. De Martino, A. Bellincontro, R. Botondi, F. Mencarelli |
| Keywords: | MCP, nitrogen treatment, carbon dioxide treatment, hydrocooling |
| Abstract:
Carotenoids content in fresh fruits is very important for the health-promoting properties in human life. Peach is one of the fruits with the highest content in carotenoids. In this research the influence of sun exposure and postharvest treatments on peach (cv. ‘SpringBelle’) carotenoids has been studied Fruits, exposed to EAST and to WEST during the field growth and ripening, were treated at 10°C with 1-MCP (0.5 ppm for 20 h), CO2 and N2 (for 48 h), cold water (1°C for 1 hour), and then stored at 10°C; finally they were moved, for two days, to 20°C in order to investigate the control of ripening features and carotenoids content. Control fruits were kept continuously at 20°C. Peaches, picked at an early ripening stage, coming from EAST or WEST did not show significant difference in term of ethylene production at harvest and after maintenance in air (control). When treated, all the samples showed a lower ethylene production even after the end of treatments, regardless the sun exposure. 1-MCP treated fruits, at the moment of the transfer to 20°C, exhibited a very high ethylene production. At this time, the fruits from WEST exposure responded less than the one from the EAST. Notwithstanding this upsurge of ethylene from 1-MCP-treated peaches, deformation values remained much lower than the control and similar to the other treatments. No difference was observed between the two exposures. Total carotenoids were higher (0.55 μg g-1 fw vs 0.35) in peaches from WEST exposition and decreased in postharvest treated fruits. In contrast peaches from EAST exposure increased the total carotenoids content, regardless the treatments. Total carotenoids of control fruits showed the highest amount which increased significantly in EAST exposed fruits. | |
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