Abstract
Effects of forced air precooling on storage quality and physiological metabolism of mangoes were evaluated in this study. Mango fruits were forced air precooled for 30 min at 0°C and then stored at 13°C. Control fruits were stored at 13°C directly. Results showed that forced air precooling treatment maintained fruit firmness, inhibited fruit peel coloration, retarded hydrolysis of polysaccharide to soluble sugar, and decreased fruit decay during storage. Biochemical studies revealed that precooling treatment could eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) effects by enhancing related antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), glutathione reductase (GR), and polyphenoloxidase (PPO). They all contributed to the delay of mango fruit ripening and senescence in storage. These results indicate that forced air precooling treatment could maintain mango fruit quality by enhancing antioxidant activity and delaying fruit ripening.
Highlights
Mango is a typical climacteric fruit that is characterized by increased ethylene production and a rise in respiration during fruit ripening [1]
The temperature of mango fruits increased rapidly after harvest, due to both eld heat and respiration heat. erefore, it is important to cool down mango fruits immediately after harvest to delay fruit ripening after harvest
Fruits were forced air precooled with 1 m/s 0°C air for 30 min until the central temperature reached 13°C and stored at 13°C and 85%∼95% relative humidity (RH). e control fruits were directly stored at 13°C and 85%∼95% RH. e experiment contained two hundred and seventy fruits
Summary
Mango is a typical climacteric fruit that is characterized by increased ethylene production and a rise in respiration during fruit ripening [1]. Postharvest precooling is a common process to decrease the fruit temperature rapidly to the expected core temperature. It slows down fruit respiration, water loss, and metabolism and inhibits nutrition loss and pathogen development during subsequent storage [4]. Precooling has made a great signi cance, such as removing eld heat, maintaining postharvest quality, and prolonging shelf-life, in cold-chain transportation for many fruits and vegetables [5, 6]. Among various industrial postharvest precooling techniques, forced air precooling is widely accepted as an e ective method to maintain postharvest quality and prolong shelf-life for many fruits like apple and plum [7,8,9]. Forced air cooling is much faster than other conventional cooling methods because the cool air comes in direct contact with the surfaces of the horticultural product [10]
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