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Effects of Ionized Air Treatments on Postharvest Physiology and Quality of Fresh Cucumber
Author(s) -
Li Jie,
Yan Shoulei,
Wang Qian,
Li Yuxia,
Wang QingZhang
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4549.2012.00773.x
Subject(s) - postharvest , cucumis , ozone , chemistry , horticulture , respiration rate , food science , respiration , botany , biology , organic chemistry
Methods to maintain postharvest quality and prolong shelf life of cucumber ( C ucumis sativus L . ) are sought after, because cucumber fruits are highly perishable and sensitive to both ethylene and chilling temperatures (below 10C). The authors evaluated the efficacy of ionized air treatments to delay senescence in cucumber. Fresh cucumbers were stored under either ozone gas (1.112 mg/L ) or anion gas (3 × 10 6 ion/cm 3 ) treatments for 28 days at 12C and 95% relative humidity. Quality‐related attributes, including water loss, decay rates, respiration intensity, activity of polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase, malondialdehyde ( MDA ) accumulation, firmness, crispness and elasticity of cucumbers during storage were determined. Results showed that both the ozone and anion gas treatments effectively inhibited the metabolic activity of cucumbers, resulting in decreased MDA accumulation, better texture indices and reduced decay rate. Cucumbers treated with anion gas (3 × 10 6 ion/cm 3 ) maintained fresher appearance over a longer storage period than control and ozone treatments. Practical Applications This research tried to study the impacts of ionized air treatments on the physiological quality of treated fruits and vegetables and showed that anion gas was a better choice to maintain the freshness and quality of cucumbers. This new anion gas treatment method has the potential to be used by industry as a convenient, energy‐saving and safe method to increase the storage qualities of many fruits and vegetables.