Effect of different packaging film thicknesses on chilling injury in postharvest ‘Cuixiang' Kiwifruit

Abstract

ABSTRACT Chilling injury (CI) of kiwifruit is a major issue that severely affects its quality and commodity value. To investigate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) film thickness on the alleviation of CI and identify an appropriate thickness, kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Cuixiang) was packaged with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films of three different thicknesses and stored at 0 ± 0.5°C. Fruit packaging with 30 and 50 μm LDPE (MAP30 and MAP50, respectively) effectively alleviated CI and browning as well as delayed the decrease in total phenolic content and inhibited the increase in malondialdehyde. The decreased CI and browning may attribute to enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes while suppressing lipoxygenase activity and ethylene production under the optimal atmosphere within the package. Moreover, MAP treatment restrained polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, which may lead to the alleviation of browning. According to the sensory evaluation results, MAP30 with 4.2%–4.8% CO2 and 14.0%–14.8% O2 was appropriate for Cuixiang storage at 0°C.