O araça amarelo apresenta interessante potencial nutricional e funcional devido a sua atividade antioxidante e a presença de compostos bioativos e qualitativos que favorecem seu consumo nas mais variadas formas, contudo a baixa vida útil desse fruto compromete sua comercialização na forma in natura, sendo a forma processada incompatível com o desejo do consumidor em elaborar um novo produto. Deste modo o presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os efeitos da radiação UV-C como tecnologia de conservação sobre os aspectos fisiológicos e no prolongamento da vida útil do araça amarelo armazenado em condição de temperatura ambiente. Os frutos foram expostos aos raios UV-C por 0 (controle), 3 e 6 minutos e avaliados a cada quatro dias por 12 dias sobre as seguintes variáveis: Perda de massa fresca, firmeza do fruto, coloração da casca, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável, índice de maturação, teor de vitamina C, teor de clorofila, carotenóides, taxa respiratória e produção de etileno. A qualidade dos araçás foi comprometida logo após o quarto dia nos frutos do tratamento controle caracterizando pela elevada perda de massa e firmeza dos frutos além de perda da coloração natural e pico da atividade respiratória e da produção de etileno. A exposição à radiação por 3 e 6 minutos pouco diferiu entre si para as características avaliadas e mantiveram vida útil dos frutos por até 8 dias com pico da taxa respiratória e produção de etileno e ausência de podridões. A exposição dos frutos por 3 minutos é suficiente em gerar alterações fisiológicas benéficas quanto à qualidade dos frutos.

The banana is a climacteric fruit with a limited shelf life in the environment and sensitive to storage under refrigeration, necessitating strategies to improve its post harvest conservation. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of post harvest technologies on the quality and the prolongation of the useful life of 'Maçã' bananas during storage in ambient temperature condition (25 ºC). The fruits were obtained in physiological maturity in the green color and immersed in the following solutions: distilled water (control), cassava starch, maize starch and 3% calcium chloride for three minutes in addition to the sachets containing 3g KMnO4 for one period of 12 days in ambient condition. The evaluations took place every three days in terms of loss of fresh weight, firmness of peel, starch content, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, SS/AT ratio and incidence of rot. The postharvest treatments extended the shelf life of the fruits for 12 days in relation to the nine days of the control treatment. Among the evaluated technologies, the use of sachets of KMnO4 delayed ripening by observing fruits with higher green retention of the peel and pulp firmness, as well as lower fresh mass loss, starch degradation, soluble solids synthesis, ratio SS/AT and incidence of rot during the storage period. Thus, the ethylene absorber based on KMnO4 represents a viable alternative for the preservation of the quality of 'Maçã' bananas during commercialization at room temperature.

The present work aims to evaluate the efficiency of postharvest conservation treatments on the stability of minimally processed cabbage kept under refrigerated conditions. Cabbage heads from cv. Golden Acre purchased locally in Altamira, PA. After processing, the samples were exposed to the following treatments: bleaching for 1 and 3 minutes, 1% citric acid solution and 3% acetic acid solution at 1 and 3% plus a lot which represented the control treatment. The samples (100 g) were packed in tray polystyrene beads, coated with PVC plastic film and stored for eight days under refrigeration conditions (10 °C). At two days intervals the samples of each treatment were analyzed physicochemical and sensorially on the loss of fresh mass, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, pH and darkening index. The statistical analysis showed a significant effect on the interaction of the days storage factors and treatments for all the evaluated characteristics. The exposure of the samples to bleaching for 3 minutes and to citric and acetic acids in the concentration of 3% is efficient in prolonging the useful life without compromising the quality characteristics. Practicality and low cost favors the use of bleaching as a postharvest technology for the conservation of minimally processed cabbage.