Open AccessThe transpiration and respiration as mechanisms of water loss in cold storage of figs
Author(s) -
Diamanto Lentzou,
G. Xanthopoulos,
C. Templalexis,
A. Kaltsa
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.218
H-Index - 7
ISSN - 2550-2166
DOI - 10.26656/fr.2017.5(6).178
Subject(s) - transpiration , relative humidity , chemistry , respiration , vapour pressure of water , water vapor , vapour pressure deficit , saturation (graph theory) , humidity , environmental science , botany , photosynthesis , meteorology , biology , biochemistry , physics , mathematics , organic chemistry , combinatorics
Transpiration and respiration are two mechanisms of water loss in fresh agriculturalproducts, resulting in visual and texture degradation. Neglecting respiration as amechanism of water loss may lead to erroneous results at saturation where water vapourpressure deficit is zero and thus water loss is expected to be zero, however, the existenceof a finite water loss is noted. In this context, an analysis of the associated withtranspiration and respiration water loss in figs (Ficus carica L.) was carried out at 0oC,10oC and 20oC and 45.64%, 80.22% and 98.65% relative humidity as well as the airconditions of walk-in cold storage rooms. The estimated transpiration rate ranged between0.11-1.416 mg cm-2h-1for a water vapour pressure deficit of 0.0-0.98 kPa. The watervapour pressure deficit estimation was based on the difference between cold airtemperature and figs’ surface temperature. The respiration rate was calculated at 0oC,10oC and 20oC as 0.47±0.08, 0.94±0.11 and 2.69±0.17 mLCO2100g-1h-1. Quantification ofthe water loss showed that at 20oC and saturation, the water loss due to respirationaccounts for 3.9% of the respective water loss due to water vapour pressure deficit whileon average, the water loss due to respiration accounts for 1.5%, 2.1% and 2.6% of thewater loss due to water vapour pressure deficit at 0oC, 10oC and 20oC.