Effects of Controlled Atmosphere on the Storage Quality and Aroma Compounds of Lemon Fruits Using the Designed Automatic Control Apparatus.

Yuan Ma,Hongbin Lin,Qinglian Xu,Cunkun Chen,Xiufang Bi,Yage Xing,Xiaocui Yin,Shaohua Li

doi:10.1155/2019/6917147

Yuan Ma, Hongbin Lin + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6917147

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Abstract

‘Eureka' lemon fruits were stored under four controlled atmosphere- (CA-) combinations at 8°C for 20 days to investigate the effects on weight loss (WL), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), vitamin C (VC), total phenolic content (TPC), sodium carbonate-soluble pectin (SSP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and volatile compounds. Results showed that the contents of TSS, TA, VC, and SSP in the stored fruits reduced during the storage period, while the WL and MDA increased. Fruit stored under CA2-combination (6 % O2+8 % CO2) showed the lower contents of WL and MDA and the higher content of TSS, TA, TPC, and VC than that of other treated fruits. The main volatile compounds present in the lemons were terpenoids, aldehydes, alcohols, and esters. In addition, both the terpenoid and aldehyde content are substantially higher in lemons exposed to CA2 conditions. In contrast, the alcohols and esters displayed elevated levels in the regular air (RA) stored fruit. In conclusion, CA with the suitable conditions proves to be better than RA as a storage regimen to keep the quality of lemons. These results indicated that the application of 6% O2+8% CO2 CA conditions could maintain the quality of ‘Eureka' lemon fruit during the storage time of 20 days and should be the optimal storage environment for postharvest Eureka lemons.

Highlights

The lemon fruits used in this study is classified as Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f, which is the third most important Citrus species after orange and mandarin
The working principle and process of controlled atmosphere (CA) equipment used in this investigation are introduced in detail, as shown in Figures 1(a)–1(c), which might provide the reference for other researchers to develop the upgraded version of similar apparatus and for the investigation on the storage quality of other fresh fruits and vegetables
The model of an intelligent CA device used an automatic control system based on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

Summary

Introduction

The lemon fruits used in this study is classified as Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f, which is the third most important Citrus species after orange and mandarin. The lemon fruits used in this study is classified as Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F, which is the third most important Citrus species after orange and mandarin. Citrus fruit is nonclimacteric fruit, with persistently low respiration and ethylene production rates [4]. Peel pitting and peteca spots can occur on the lemons during storage [4, 5]. These disorders cause physiological and biochemical changes and eventually lead to fruit quality deterioration, such as VC loss, water loss, and decay during storage and transportation and cause massive commercial revenue losses [4, 5]. The demand to develop appropriate operational techniques has increased significantly [6]

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Results

Conclusion