Open Access400 Effects of Hot Air Treatments on the Postharvest Physiology and Quality of Mango Fruit
Author(s) -
Elhadi M. Yahia,
A. Mondragon,
M. Balderas,
Paúl Santiago,
L. Lagunez
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
hortscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.518
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 2327-9834
pISSN - 0018-5345
DOI - 10.21273/hortsci.34.3.512f
Subject(s) - ripening , postharvest , relative humidity , horticulture , cultivar , quarantine , biology , chemistry , botany , ecology , physics , thermodynamics
Heat treatments have several potential positive effects in fruit, including insect and decay control, amelioration of chilling injury, and delay of ripening and senescence. Hot water treatment (46.1°C for 65-90 min, depending on fruit weight) has been used in Mexico and some other countries as a quarantine insect control treatment for mangoes. Hot air treatments can provide several advantages compared to hot water in regard to installations, costs, reduced injury, and compatibility with other systems such as controlled atmospheres. In this work we have investigated the effect of hot air treatments at 44 to 48°C and 50% relative humidity for 160 and 220 min, on the physiology and quality of `Manila' and `Óro' mango fruit stored at 10°C and 85% relative humidity for up to 4 weeks. No injury was observed in both cultivars exposed for 160 min, but some injury was observed when fruit were exposed for 220 min. Some of these fruit also failed to ripen. Heat treatment (especially for 160 min) delayed ripening of fruit, as measured with color and texture changes, compared to the control. Heat treatment changed the protein composition of the fruit and affected the activity of peroxidases.