Effects of an ethylene absorbent and 1-methylcyclopropene on tomato quality and antioxidant contents during storage

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Abstract

We compared the effects of an ethylene absorbent and the ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill. cv. Dotaerang) during storage. Tomato fruits at the ‘breaker’ stage were harvested and treated with an ethylene absorbent, 1 μL·L-1 1-MCP or 2 μL·L-1 1-MCP and stored at 20°C for 15 days. We then measured weight loss, peel color, firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity, pH, ethylene production and total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the fruits. Color development occurred more rapidly in the control than in fruits treated with the ethylene absorbent or 1-MCP (1 μL·L-1 and 2 μL·L-1) on day 6 and 9. The Hunter a value (redness) of 1-MCP (2 μL·L-1)-treated fruit on day 6 was 2.24 ± 3.8, while that of the control was 13.39 ± 2.23, indicating that color development was delayed by 1-MCP treatment (2 μL·L-1 was more effective than 1 μL·L-1). Ethylene absorbent treatment was not more effective at maintaining fruit firmness than 1-MCP (2 μL·L-1) treatment. There was no statistically significant difference in fruit firmness between the ethylene absorbent treatment group and the control. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents increased in all treatment groups during storage. These contents did not significantly differ among groups on day 15. These results suggest that 1-MCP treatment is highly effective in delaying tomato ripening during storage and that 2 μL·L-1 1-MCP treatment is more effective than 1 μL·L-1 treatment. However, the ethylene inhibitor did not influence the levels of antioxidant compounds compared with the control.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)38-45
Number of pages8
JournalHorticulture Environment and Biotechnology
Volume57
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 2016

Keywords

  • Solanum lycopersicum
  • flavonoid
  • phenolic
  • physicochemical

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