Abstract
In this study, a new technology was tested for its efficacy in the conservation of tomato fruits. An initial experiment was conducted to determine the effects of eugenol on the main quality parameters of Raf tomato fruits; then, a main experiment was performed to test the effectiveness of the new technology. In both experiments, fruits of the tomato cultivar Raf at the mature green stage were used. The preliminary experiment demonstrated the effectiveness of eugenol in maintaining fruit quality during the postharvest life of the fruit. In the main experiment, the fruits were packed using a sachet filled with a mixture consisting of 10:1:1 clinoptilolite clay, ground clove buds, and activated charcoal. This mixture was evaluated against a commercial ethylene scavenger composed mainly of KMnO4-impregnated sepiolite. Three lots of fruits were used: One batch was considered as the control, where the fruits were not packed but kept in an open box at room temperature. The fruits in the other two batches were packed in 2 L PET containers with lids at a rate of three fruits per container, and a sachet of ground cloves and a commercial scavenger was added inside each container in each batch. The containers were kept at room temperature, and the following main quality parameters were analyzed: ethylene production rate, firmness, color, content of soluble solids, and pigments. The results showed that ground clove buds led to a reduction in ethylene production which was associated with a delay in maturation and could be a good alternative for use in the active fruit packaging of horticultural products.
Highlights
A climacteric peak was registered for the control fruits, while for the fruits treated with eugenol, a maximum ethylene production peak was not observed
Differences were found only between the fruits treated after 1 day of storage, as the fruits treated with 60 microliters of eugenol produced less ethylene than the fruits treated with 40 microliters of eugenol
The results indicate that both the Commercial scavenger and Ground clove delayed the ripening of the fruits, which was reflected by a delay in the appearance of red coloring, as well as a delay in the appearance of the ethylene production peak
Summary
Technologies used to extend the postharvest lives of fruits and vegetables include ethylene removal by means of ventilation, the use of ethylene scavengers, or the use of ethylene binding inhibitors such as 1-methylcyclopropene (1MCP). Ethylene scavengers are based on the oxidation of ethylene via potassium permanganate. This compound is impregnated on clay, and different commercial presentations are available [1,2,3]. Ethylene absorbents based on active charcoal are available on the market (Sekisui Jushi Co., Osaka, Japan; Mitsubishi Chemical Company, Tokio, Japan). The use of these ethylene absorbents as additives in plastic films for packaging has been reported [4,5]. Other technologies widely used include controlled atmosphere storage and active packaging, which is based on incorporating active substances into the packaging
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