Application of 1-methylcyclopropene, calcium chloride and calcium amino acid chelate on fresh-cut cantaloupe muskmelon

Abstract

-The objective of this work was to determine the effects of postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and two calcium salts, applied individually or combined, on firmness and visual quality of fresh-cut muskmelon stored in air, for 18 days. Two sets of fruits, one of them exposed to 1-MCP at 300 nL L -1 , were cut into cubes, dipped in deionized water, or in 1% Ca solutions as CaCl 2 , or in calcium amino acid chelate (Ca-chelate), placed in clamshell containers, and stored in air at 5±1 o C and 90±5% RH, for 18 days. The assay was conducted using an entirely randomized design, with three replications, in a split plot array. Evaluation of visual appearance, color, flesh firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH was performed right after treatments, and every period of three days, up to eighteen days. Application of 1-MCP at 300 nL L -1 , calcium chloride or Ca-chelate, or the combination 1-MCP and calcium, preserved initial freshness and reduced softening of the samples. Ca-chelate synergistically enhanced the effect of 1-MCP on firmness after nine days of storage, while calcium chloride improved firmness of the samples throughout storage. Ca-chelate may serve as an alternative for shelf life extension of cantaloupe fresh-cut muskmelon.Index terms: Cucumis melo, shelf life, firmness, quality, storage. Aplicação de 1-metilciclopropeno, cloreto de cálcio e quelato amino-cálcico em melão cantaloupe minimamente processadoResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o efeito da aplicação pós-colheita do 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP) e dois sais de cálcio, na firmeza e na qualidade visual do melão cantaloupe minimamente processado, armazenado por 18 dias; a aplicação foi feita individualmente ou de forma combinada. Dois grupos de frutos, um deles exposto ao 1-MCP (300 nL L -1 ), foram cortados em cubos e imersos em água destilada ou em soluções com 1% de Ca, na forma de cloreto de cálcio ou de quelato amino-cálcico (Ca-quelado), colocados em embalagens de plástico e armazenados em atmosfera ambiente (5±1 o C e 90±5% RH), por 18 dias. Avaliaram-se, imediatamente após a aplicação dos tratamentos e a cada três dias, até o décimo oitavo dia de armazenamento: aparência visual, coloração, firmeza da polpa, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável e pH. As aplicações individuais ou combinadas de 300 nL L -1 1-MCP, cloreto de cálcio ou de Ca-quelado preservaram a qualidade visual inicial e reduziram o amaciamento das amostras. A aplicação de Ca-quelado aumentou o efeito do 1-MCP sobre a firmeza, após nove dias de armazenamento, enquanto a imersão em cloreto de cálcio aumentou a firmeza das amostras, durante todo o período de armazenamento. O Ca-quelado pode ser utilizado como alternativa para a manutenção da firmeza do melão cantaloupe minimamente processado.Termos para indexação: Cucumis melo, vida de prateleira, firmeza da polpa, qualidade, armazenamento.

Effect of Calcium Chloride Treatments on Quality Characteristics of Blackberry, Raspberry and Strawberry Fruits After Cold Storage

“…Calcium contributes in improving the rigidity of cell walls; retard tissue softening also reduces the accessibility of cell wall degrading enzymes to their substrates (Vicente et al, 2009). Moreover, calcium is considered to be an important mineral element that regulates fruit quality, specifically, maintenance of fruit firmness (Lurie et al, 2009, Machado et al, 2008. Effect of calcium treatment on quality of fruits, has been investigated intensively (Garsia et al, 2001), but there is a lack of information about effect of calcium treatment on berry fruits.…”

Combination of alginate coating and repetitive pulsed light for shelf life extension of fresh-cut cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. reticulatus cv. Glamour)

“…In contrast, the RPL‐treated samples without and with coating maintained constant pH and titratable acidity throughout the storage. This indicates the stability of organic acids contributed by the stable metabolic reactions in the samples (Machado, Alves, & Figueiredo, ). The insignificant changes of pH and titratable acidity for RPL‐treated samples without and with coating were mainly contributed by the effect of RPL in inactivating microorganisms.…”

“…PPO is responsible to oxidise phenolic compounds producing quinones which subsequently are converted to melanins (Charles, Vidal, Olive, Filgueiras, & Sallanon, ). Cantaloupes were reported to have low PPO activity (Lamikanra & Watson, ). This could describe the maintenance of total phenolic content in untreated samples throughout the storage.…”

Monitoring of Change in Cantaloupe Fruit Quality under Pre-Cooling and Storage Treatments

“…The decrease in the color purity may be caused by the occurrence of physical damage during fresh-cut processing. The lack of maintenance of the cutting utensils, for example using a blunt knife, can be the main cause of the development of surface darkness or a decrease in the yellow color of the cantaloupe [21]. From Table 2, mean values of firmness of flesh cantaloupe decreased from 11.98 to 4.32 N for stored precooled fruit and from 27.22 to 4.78 N for stored non-cooled fruit as the duration of postharvest storage increased.…”