Preservation of cv. Jubileu peaches in a conventional cold storage system under a dynamic controlled atmosphere

Abstract

The peach tree (Prunus persica) has a considerable global economic impact because its fruits are consumed worldwide. As climacteric fruits, peaches ripen after harvest and are also highly perishable postharvest. The aim of this study was to investigate alternatives for extending storage time and preventing a decline in quality in peaches using conventional cold storage (CS) compared with controlled atmosphere (CA) and ultralow oxygen (ULO) systems. A completely randomized design was used, with a 3 x 6 factorial scheme (3 storage systems x 6 storage times), thirteen parameters assessed by analysis of variances and significance by Tukey’s test and regression. Total soluble solids (TSS) varied from 12.72 to 16.07ºBrix, titratable acidity (TA) declined during storage and pH varied significantly among the systems used from 40 days of storage onwards. The best TSS/TA ratio was obtained under ULO after 40 days, while firmness and weight loss declined in CA and ULO, contrasting with the brightly colored pulp. Reducing and non-reducing sugars decreased under CA and ULO at 30 and 40 days of storage, whereas phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity remained similar in these systems at 30, 40 and 50 days. Carotenoids remained stable for up to 40 days in ULO.CA and ULO maintained the best physical and chemical quality parameters, both systems being the most recommended. The phytochemical compounds analyzed in this study changed little during storage in the systems analyzed.