(202) Quality of Sapote Mamey Fruits Treated with Hot Water and Stored at 12 °C

Abstract

Sapote mamey (Pouteria sapota) fruit commercialization to different markets is limited due to the fact that it is a host of the fruit fly (A. serpentina), so there is a special interest in generating a quarantine treatment protocol. In the present study, fruits from Jalpa de Mendez, Tabasco, Mexico, were harvested at physiological maturity and divided in two groups: a) fruits treated with hot water (46.1 °C) for 1 h, and b) control fruits, with no hot water treatment. Fruits were then stored at 12 °C for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. After storage, days to ripening as well as respiration rate, ethylene production, and weight loss were evaluated for 6 days. Pulp color (ligthness, hue angle, and chroma), fruit firmness, total soluble solids and sugars, and total phenols (at the end of storage and 6 days after) were also evaluated. Results show that fruits stored for 0 days ripened in 5.8 days, while fruits stored between 7 and 28 days took between 3.2 and 5.6 days to reach the ripe stage. Considering the storage periods, effective postharvest life was increased between 11 and 32 days. Respiration rate markedly increased in control fruits after 21 days of storage, but no chilling injury symptoms were observed. Hot water treatment did not affect ethylene production, sugar or phenol content, color, and fruit firmness. Total soluble solids and sugars increased as storage period increased and even more after storage, thus suggesting that storage temperature does not stop the ripening process. No significant changes were observed in the color components. Results suggest that the hot water inmersion treatment is an alternative to reach the quarantine protocol (not affecting quality) and when combined with refrigeration could be used to sent fruit to distant places.