The effect of degreening on antioxidants of tangerine cv. Batu-55

Abstract

Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture has selected several superior citrus cultivars to be widely cultivated, one of which is tangerine cv. Batu-55 (Citrus reticulata). The shortcoming of this cultivar is its green colour when harvested, causing low attraction and selling price. Degreening is a common method practiced by farmers and traders to promote colour development in citrus. However, concerns on the effect of degreening methods on the internal quality of the fruit had arisen. The objective of this research was to study the effect of degreening treatment on the antioxidants of tangerine cv. Batu-55. Completely Randomized Design was applied with ethylene concentration (0, 1, 3, 5 ppm) and the temperature of storage rooms (ambient, air-conditioned) as factors. Ethylene exposure was applied for 24 hours. The parameters observed were vitamin C, flavonoid and phenol contents, total acid, and total soluble solid. The results showed that storage temperature gave more influence on vitamin C, flavonoid contents, total acid, and total soluble solid compared to the concentration of ethylene gas. There were no significant differences in the total soluble solid, total acid, vitamin C, and flavonoids content between samples with and without degreening treatment. This result suggested that degreening treatment would not negatively affect the internal quality of this particular cultivar of tangerine.