Effect of Different Concentrations of 1-MCP and Varied Storage Environments on Physical Characteristics and Consumer Acceptability of Solo Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Fruits

Abstract

The nature of papaya fruits is intently connected with their physical characteristics. Changes during aging are critical, yet uncontrolled ripening procedure can prompt fast degradation of quality. Despite the myriads of problems during storage and transportation or distribution, it is imperative to control ripening so as to reduce losses and maximize profit. A 4x2 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design was carried out to determine the effects of applying four concentrations of 1-MCP under two storage conditions on physical characteristics and consumer acceptability of ‘Solo’ papaya. During ripening, data on various physical characteristics including fruit firmness, cumulative weight loss (%), fruit skin color, shelf life and consumer acceptability were monitored. The 1-MCP treated fruit retained their firmness better than the control (untreated) fruit, regardless of whether they were stored under ambient or cold storage conditions. The percentage of weight loss decreased with increasing 1-MCP concentrations. In general, the 1-MCP treated fruit revealed a slower rate of color change compared to the control. The shelf-life of the papaya fruit treated with 1.5 ppm of 1-MCP and stored under ambient storage condition was extended by approximately 2 days. However, at the same concentration (1.5ppm) of 1-MCP but under cold storage condition, shelf life was extended by approximately 3 days.