Ripening and quality of 'Golden' papaya fruit harvested at different maturity stages

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine how ripening physiology and quality of Golden papaya are affected by maturity stages at harvest. Papayas were harvested at four maturity stages (Stage 0: totally green; Stage 1: up to 15% of yellow skin; Stage 2: 16-25% of yellow skin; Stage 3: 26-50% of yellow skin) and evaluated during ripening at 23ºC. Physical and physicochemical (skin color, pulp firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid), physiological (respiratory activity and ethylene production), and sensorial (flavor, odor, firmness, and appearance) characteristics were evaluated. Regardless of maturity stages, fruit showed similar variation in respiration rate, exhibiting constant values after the 2 nd day of storage at 23ºC (~31 mL CO 2 kg -1 h -1 for stages 0, 1, and 2, and ~37 mL CO 2 kg -1 h -1 for stage 3). Typical climacteric behavior was not observed for any maturity stage. Only fruit harvested at stage 0 and 1 showed a well defined ethylene production peak of 2.1 µL C 2 H 4 kg -1 h -1 after 7 d of storage and 1.3 µL C 2 H 4 kg -1 h -1 after 6 d, respectively. Fruit harvested at stages 0, 1, 2 and 3 reached the edible condition (pulp firmness ≤ 20 N) after 7, 6, 4, and 3 d at 23ºC, respectively. The ascorbic acid concentration increased 20-30% during ripening, while skin hue angle and titratable acidity was reduced. Independent of the maturity stages at which papayas were harvested, soluble solids did not alter during ripening. Fruit harvested at stages 2 and 3 had superior scores for sensorial evaluation, mainly for flavor and appearance. Harvest at different maturity stages altered fruit postharvest physiology and when effectuated at early stages, it reduced fruit quality but did not make its consumption unacceptable. Key words: Carica papaya, ethylene, harvest time, postharvest, respiration Amadurecimento e qualidade do mamão Golden colhido em diferentes estádios de maturação: O trabalho objetivou estudar como a fisiologia do amadurecimento e a qualidade do mamão Golden são afetadas pelo estádio de maturação no momento da colheita. Foram colhidos mamões em quatro estádios de maturação (Estádio 0: totalmente verde; Estádio 1: até 15% da casca amarela; Estádio 2: 16-25% da casca amarela; Estádio 3: 26-50% da casca amarela) e, durante o amadurecimento, a 23ºC, foram avaliadas características físicas e físico-químicas (cor da casca, firmeza da polpa, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável e ácido ascórbico), fisiológicas (atividade respiratória e produção de etileno) e sensoriais (sabor, odor, firmeza e aparência). Desconsiderando-se o estádio de colheita, os frutos apresentaram variação similar na respiração, exibindo valores constantes após o 2º dia de armazenamento a 23ºC: ao redor de 31 mL CO 2 kg -1 h -1 para os estádios 0, 1 e 2, e de 37 mL CO 2 kg -1 h -1 para o estádio 3. Não foi observado comportamento climatérico típico em nenhum dos estádios de maturação. Somente frutos colhidos nos estádios 0 e 1 apresentaram pico bastante definido na produção de etileno, de 2,1 µL C 2 H ...

Effect of packaging materials and storage environment on postharvest quality of papaya fruit

“…This trend was in agreement with the previous reports by Wills and Widjanarko (1995) and Bron and Jacomino (2006) which indicated that AA content increased with stage of ripening and decreased once the fruit reached full ripe stage. The authors reported that cell wall degradation during ripening provides substrates for AA synthesis, explaining the AA increase of papayas with advance in ripening (Bron and Jacomino 2006).…”

“…Generally, TA of papaya fruits showed a trend of an initial increase followed by a decrease. This trend is in agreement with the findings of Lazan et al (1989) and Bron and Jacomino (2006) which showed increased TA content of papaya towards ripening and then followed by a decrease which could be due to its use by the cells as a respiration substrate (Selvaraj et al 1982). …”

“…Consequently, as the fruit respires, the O 2 level could decrease and the CO 2 level increases in the bags (Kader 1985). Under these atmospheric conditions, the respiration rate of the fruit decrease which is helpful since high acidity in fruit has been suggested to contribute in part to the flavor retention of ripened fruit (Bron and Jacomino 2006).…”

Papaya pulp gelling: is it premature ripening or problems of water accumulation in the apoplast?

“…Papaya (C. papaya L. 'Golden') fruits were utilised in all the experiments at the three-quarters yellow stage of maturity (fruit with 51-75 % of yellow skin), according to Bron and Jacomino (2006). The number of replications was, at least, ten healthy and ten gelled fruit.…”

Bioactive components, antioxidative properties and inhibition of Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation of mango peel as affected by the storage of mango fruit

“…The maturity stages of mango fruit used in this study were evaluated visually based on the skin colour as defined by Bron and Jacomino (2006): Stage 0 -totally green; Stage 1 -yellow colour that does not cover more than 15% of skin surface; Stage 2 -fruit with 16-25% of yellow skin; Stage 3 -fruit with 26-50% of yellow skin. Freshly harvested, matured, just ripe mango fruit (Sheri Mango variety) at stage 1, with slight appearance of yellow colour, obtained from the Ondo State University of Science and Technology farm was used for this study.…”