The shelf-life of fresh-cut tomatoes mainly depends on loss of tissue integrity and firmness that occurs also in intact fruits after long-term cold storage due to chilling injury. Round-fruit tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. Jama were stored in 1.1-L plastic (polyethylene) fresh-cut produce containers as 10.0-mm-thick tomato slices and as intact tomatoes at 4 ± 0.5 °C. The aim of this work was to study the loss of membrane integrity and biochemical processes involved in membrane disruption. Electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation were studied at different stages of maturity: mature green, pink (PK), fully ripe and two different storage temperatures: 4 and 15 °C. The tomato slices of PK stage stored at 4 °C did not show changes for both parameters, while significant increase in membrane leakage and lipid peroxidation was observed at 15 °C, especially after 24 h of storage. The enzymes showed a simultaneous increase in their activities with a rise in electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation after 7 days of storage. Finally, phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase D (PLD) were investigated for intact fruit and tomato slices stored at 4 °C. The PLC had higher activity compared with PLD. In conclusion, the loss of membrane integrity in fresh-cut tomatoes is mainly affected by ripening stages, storage temperature and duration. The wounds enhance the PLC and PLD activities and they play a role late during storage
Tomatoes are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive molecules. The fresh cut industry is interested in including tomatoes among the fresh cut vegetables. The wounds usually induce tissue degradation and release of juice, which can negatively affect quality during storage. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of ethylene in the processed vegetables using the never ripe (Nr) mutant and wild type tomatoes. The ethylene accumulation affected shelf life and quality based on the differential sensitivity of the genotypes to ethylene. Physiological and biochemical parameters related to membrane stability, phospholipases activities, ethylene and carbon dioxide accumulation were investigated in Nr mutant and wild type tomatoes as processed products and whole fruits. Results indicate that ethylene biosynthesis significantly regulates membrane breakdown. Nr tomatoes showed higher membrane stability, higher tolerance to wounding, and lower variability of physiological and biochemical parameters. Hence, this genotype can represent a genetic source of traits that can be exploited in fresh-cut tomato breeding programmes
BACKGROUND: Fresh-cut vegetables are subjected to multiple stressing agents including: (i) slicing, which induces cellular decompartmentalization; (ii) low refrigeration temperatures, responsible for chilling injury in the most sensitive products (e.g. tomatoes), and (iii) storage time because tissue senescence and aging can occur and reduce the shelf-life. In tomato slices, one of the most important issues is the membrane, which is responsible for several disorders related to the alteration of physiological processes, including ethylene biosynthesis.RESULTS: Electrolyte leakage and the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in sliced tomatoes increased over time at two storage temperatures (4°C and 15°C) compared with intact fruit for the commercial variety (cultivar) Jama used as reference. However, in the tomato Italian landrace Canestrino, electrolyte leakage in sliced fruits increased after 120 h of storage compared to intact tomatoes, while the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content increased rapidly over time at both storage temperatures. In the packages, higher ethylene content and carbon dioxide concentrations were detected in sliced tomatoes compared with intact fruits for both genotypes. In the most sensitive genotype for slicing (Jama), phospholipase C activity increased in tomato slices after 24 h of storage, but phospholipase D reached a higher value only at 168 h after processing at 4°C of storage. CONCLUSIONS:The results evidence that the main damage in slices of full ripe tomatoes is more related to cutting, rather than chilling injury due to storage temperatures, with differences related to the genotype. Slicing enhanced membrane catabolism, ethylene production, and enzyme activity of phospholipases with a significant genotype effect.
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