Abstract
The objective of this work was to determine the effects of postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and two calcium salts, applied individually or combined, on firmness and visual quality of fresh-cut muskmelon stored in air, for 18 days. Two sets of fruits, one of them exposed to 1-MCP at 300 nL L-1, were cut into cubes, dipped in deionized water, or in 1% Ca solutions as CaCl2, or in calcium amino acid chelate (Ca-chelate), placed in clamshell containers, and stored in air at 5±1ºC and 90±5% RH, for 18 days. The assay was conducted using an entirely randomized design, with three replications, in a split plot array. Evaluation of visual appearance, color, flesh firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH was performed right after treatments, and every period of three days, up to eighteen days. Application of 1-MCP at 300 nL L-1, calcium chloride or Ca-chelate, or the combination 1-MCP and calcium, preserved initial freshness and reduced softening of the samples. Ca-chelate synergistically enhanced the effect of 1-MCP on firmness after nine days of storage, while calcium chloride improved firmness of the samples throughout storage. Ca-chelate may serve as an alternative for shelf life extension of cantaloupe fresh-cut muskmelon.
Highlights
The variety of consumer trends and desires towards convenience, health and good taste have made freshcut products a growing segment of the horticultural industry
This study aimed to determine the effects of postharvest application of 1-MCP, Ca chloride, and Ca amino acid chelate, applied individually or combined, on firmness and visual quality of fresh-cut muskmelon stored in air for 18 days
Yellow color of samples was kept stable throughout storage, but treated samples presented lower values of hue angle than the control, specially those treated with 1-MCP combined with calcium amino acid chelate (Table 2)
Summary
The variety of consumer trends and desires towards convenience, health and good taste have made freshcut products a growing segment of the horticultural industry. The physical damages caused by preparation increase respiration rates and ethylene production (Rosen & Kader, 1989), with associated increase in rates of other biochemical reactions responsible for changes in color, flavor, and texture (Brecht, 1995). These unavoidable physical injuries cause undesirable physiological responses in the tissue. The greatest hurdle to the commercial marketing of freshcut melon is its limited shelf life due to excessive tissue softening and lack of freshness To minimize these effects, it is necessary to develop new technologies that, in conjunction with low temperature, extend shelf life of fresh-cut fruits
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