Abstract
Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a tropical fruit that presents fast post-harvest ripening; therefore it is a very perishable product. Inappropriate storage temperature and retail practices can accelerate fruit quality loss. The objective of this study was to evaluate the respiratory activity (RA), the ethylene production (EP) and Q10 of guava fruit at different storage temperatures. 'Paluma' guava fruits were harvested at maturity stage 1 (dark-green skin) and stored at either 1, 11, 21, 31 or 41ºC; RA and EP were determined after 12, 36, 84 and 156 h of storage. RA and EP rates at 1 and 11ºC were the lowest - 0.16 and 0.43 mmol CO2 kg-1 h-1 and 0.003 and 0.019 µmol C2H4 kg-1 h-1, respectively. When guavas were stored at 21ºC, a gradual increase occurred in RA and EP, reaching 2.24 mmol CO2 kg-1 h-1 and 0.20 µmol C2H4 kg-1 h-1, after 156 h of storage. The highest RA and EP were recorded for guavas stored at 31ºC. In spite of high RA, guavas stored at 41ºC presented EP similar to guavas stored at 11ºC, an indicator of heat-stress injury. Considering the 1-11ºC range, the mean Q10 value was around 3.0; the Q10 value almost duplicated at 11-21ºC range (5.9). At 21-31ºC and 31-41ºC, Q10 was 1.5 and 0.8, respectively. Knowing Q10, respiratory variation and ripening behavior in response to different temperatures, fruit storage and retail conditions can be optimized to reduce quality losses.
Highlights
IntroductionTemperature heavily influences metabolic activity of plant tissues and organs, such as fruit (Chitarra & Chitarra, 1990)
Temperature heavily influences metabolic activity of plant tissues and organs, such as fruit (Chitarra & Chitarra, 1990). Metabolic reactions, such as respiration and ethylene production, are fundamental for fruit ripening, but harmful to fruit conservation. These reactions ordinarily increase with increasing temperature up to 40oC, when ethylene biosynthesis is impaired by heat stress (Eaks, 1978)
Respiration rate and ethylene production were determined by measuring the difference between the initial and the final gas concentration, ahn-1d, reexsppercetsisveedlya. sQm10mvaollueCsOfo2 rkrge-s1phi-r1aatinodn μmol were
Summary
Temperature heavily influences metabolic activity of plant tissues and organs, such as fruit (Chitarra & Chitarra, 1990). Metabolic reactions, such as respiration and ethylene production, are fundamental for fruit ripening, but harmful to fruit conservation. These reactions ordinarily increase with increasing temperature up to 40oC, when ethylene biosynthesis is impaired by heat stress (Eaks, 1978). Temperature, respiration and Q10 of guava cur more slowly at low temperatures, extending fruit shelf life (Chitarra & Chitarra, 1990). Low temperatures can cause chilling injuries, but the threshold temperature is specific for each species and depends on the ripening stage (Wang, 1982)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
