Control of Postharvest Quality in Blueberry Fruit by Combined 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and UV-C Irradiation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) combined with UV-C irradiation on postharvest quality of blueberry fruit (Vaccinium spp. Berkeley) stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 8 days. Respiration rate, ethylene production, decay incidence, softness, color, total anthocyanin content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, titratable acid content, soluble solid content, peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and catalase (CAT) of treated blueberry fruit were examined. The results indicated that treatment with 1-MCP plus UV-C irradiation inhibited respiration rate, ethylene production, decay incidence, and MDA content. The combined treatment also delayed softness, color, titratable acid, and soluble solid content and improved total anthocyanin content of blueberries throughout the storage period at 4 ± 1 °C compared to the untreated samples. The efficiency of the combined treatment (1-MCP + UV-C irradiation) was better than that of 1-MCP or UV-C irradiation alone. Furthermore, combination of 1-MCP and UV-C irradiation effectively enhanced PAL and CAT activities and inhibited the increasing of POD activity in blueberries. Therefore, our results shows that 1-MCP plus UV-C irradiation treatments may be a useful method in maintaining commercial quality and extending shelf life of blueberries.