Delay of ripening of `Pedro Sato` guava with 1

Postharvest Biology and Technology 35 (2005) 303–308
Delay of ripening of ‘Pedro Sato’ guava with
1-methylcyclopropene
Eliane Bassetto a, 1 , Angelo Pedro Jacomino a, ∗, 2 , Ana Luiza Pinheiro a , Ricardo
Alfredo Kluge b, 2
a
b
Department of Crop Production, ‘Luiz de Queiroz’ Agricultural College, University of São Paulo, C.P. 9, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
Department of Biological Science, ‘Luiz de Queiroz’ Agricultural College, University of São Paulo, C.P. 9, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
Received 1 October 2003; accepted 21 August 2004
Abstract
‘Pedro Sato’ guava fruit were treated with 0, 100, 300 or 900 nl l−1 of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 3, 6 or 12 h and
stored at 25 ◦ C. Skin color, pulp color, weight loss, firmness, titrable acidity, ascorbic acid, soluble solids, decay incidence and
respiration rate were evaluated. All the treated fruit could be stored for up to 9 days while the non-treated fruit could be stored
for only 5 days. The 100 and 300 nl l−1 1-MCP concentrations were inefficient for the 3 h of exposure time, however storage was
improved with treatments by 6 or 12 h. 1-MCP at 300 nl l−1 for 6 or 12 h and at 900 nl l−1 for 3 h showed the best results. Fruit
treated with 900 nl l−1 of 1-MCP for 6 or 12 h did not ripen.
© 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Psidium guajava; 1-MCP; Conservation; Concentration; Exposure time
1. Introduction
Guava is a climacteric fruit (Akamine and Goo,
1979; Brown and Wills, 1983) that ripens rapidly and
is highly perishable, shelf-life periods range from 2
to 3 days at room temperature (Pantastico et al., 1975;
Carvalho, 1994; Durigan, 1997). Fruit ripening is char∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 19 3429 4190;
fax: +55 19 3429 4385.
E-mail address: [email protected] (A.P. Jacomino).
1 CAPES fellow.
2 CNPQ fellow.
0925-5214/$ – see front matter © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.postharvbio.2004.08.003
acterized by green color loss (Jacomino et al., 2001),
rot development (Ali and Lazan, 1997), softening, wilting and loss of brightness. Retailing of guava fruit in
Brazil is usually carried out without refrigeration and
therefore, the preservation of fruit at room temperature
is highly desirable. Increased shelf-life period could
help long-distance transportation and improve its commercialization.
1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) blocks ethylene
action and it has been successfully used in the conservation of flowers, vegetables and fruit (Sisler and
Serek, 1997; Jacomino et al., 2002; Kluge and
Jacomino, 2002a; Kluge et al., 2002b; Bassetto et al.,
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E. Bassetto et al. / Postharvest Biology and Technology 35 (2005) 303–308
2002; Blankenship and Dole, 2003). The 1-MCP concentration necessary to have a blocking effect on the
ethylene action varies with species and variety, ripening stage, temperature of exposure, and concentration × exposure time (Rupasinghe et al., 2000; Watkins
et al., 2000). In most studies, treatment duration ranged
from 12 to 24 h (Blankenship and Dole, 2003). However, such exposure times are impractical for guava fruit
considering their high perishability.
Our objective, therefore, was to determine combinations of 1-MCP concentrations and exposure times
that are effective for improving storage of guava fruit
at room temperature.
2. Material and methods
2.1. Plant material
‘Pedro Sato’ guava fruit were harvested from the
production region of Vista Alegre do Alto, SP, Brazil.
The determination of fruit maturity was according to
weight (153 ± 10 g) and fruit color change from dark
to light green.
2.2. 1-MCP application and storage
Fruit were treated with Smartfresh® powder, containing 0.14% 1-MCP active ingredient. The nominal 1-MCP concentrations used were 0, 100, 300 and
900 nl l−1 . The application of the product was performed by placing the fruit into hermetic chambers
(186 l capacity made by rigid polyethylene) and exposing them to the gas for 3, 6, and 12 h at 25 ◦ C. Twenty
milliliters of distilled water at 50 ◦ C was added to the
flasks containing predetermined amounts of powder,
which were stirred until complete dissolution of the
powder. The flasks were opened in the chambers, which
were immediately sealed to avoid gas loss. After the
various treatment periods, the chambers were opened
and fruit were kept under room conditions (25 ◦ C).
2.3. Assessments
Pulp color, pulp firmness, TA, SSC and ascorbic acid
content were evaluated at the beginning of the experiment and when fruit were completely ripened. Respiratory rate and skin color of the fruit were evaluated daily.
The maximum fruit shelf-life period was determined at
the completely ripened stage or at the limit of acceptability. Fruit were considered totally ripened when their
skin was completely yellow (h◦ ≤ 100). The limit of
acceptability was determined by fruit appearance; fruit
showing visible wilting were considered unsuitable for
consumption. Skin and pulp colors were determined
with a colorimeter (Minolta CR-300, Osaka, Japan) and
the results were expressed as hue color angle (h◦ ) for
skin color and as chroma for pulp color. Skin color was
evaluated by means of two readings on opposite sides
along the equatorial region of the fruit while pulp color
was evaluated by a single reading in the middle of the
placental region after transverse cutting. Weight loss
was determined by the difference between the initial
and final weights of each replicate. Pulp firmness was
determined with an 8-mm point digital penetrometer
(53200-Samar, Tr Turoni, Forli, Italy) carrying out two
readings per fruit on opposite sides along the equatorial region and results were expressed in newtons
(N). The soluble solids concentration (SSC) was determined by direct reading of centrifuged fruit samples
in a digital refractometer (Atago PR-101, Atago Co.
Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) with results expressed in percentage (%). Titratable acidity (TA) was determined from
10 g of puree diluted with 90 ml of water, titrated with
0.1N NaOH to pH 8.1 and expressed percentage of citric acid (Carvalho et al., 1990). Ascorbic acid content
was determined by titration (Carvalho et al., 1990) and
results expressed in g of ascorbic acid kg−1 of pulp.
Rot incidence was expressed as a percentage of affected
fruit. The respiratory rate, expressed in mg kg−1 h−1 ,
was determined by incubating two fruit of known mass
and volume in 1700 ml hermetic flask for 1 h and, then,
determining the CO2 concentration in the flask by using a Check Mate 9900 O2 /CO2 PBI Dansensor A/S,
DK-4100 Ringsted Denmark gas analyzer. To determine the respiratory rate were used five replicates with
three fruit for each treatment.
2.4. Data analysis
The experiment was a completely randomized factorial design with four replications and six fruit per
plot. The studied factors were 1-MCP concentrations
and exposure period. Results related to exposure time
were submitted to variance analysis (F-test) and, where
significant, means were compared using the Tukey test
at P ≤ 0.05.
E. Bassetto et al. / Postharvest Biology and Technology 35 (2005) 303–308
305
Other data were subjected to analysis of variance
and the least significant difference procedure was carried out. Differences between any two treatments larger
than the sum of two standard deviations were always
significant (P ≤ 0.05).
3. Results
Guavas were stored at 25 ◦ C until completely
ripe. The treatments 100 nl l−1 /12 h, 300 nl l−1 /6 h,
300 nl l−1 /12 h and 900 nl l−1 /3 h showed larger delay of fruit ripening, enabling longer storage periods
(8–9 days) (Fig. 1). The fruit from the 300 nl l−1 /12 h,
900 nl l−1 /3 h, 900 nl l−1 /6 h and 900 nl l−1 /12 h treatments were stored for 9–11 days, without reaching hue
angles (h◦ ) ≤100. These fruit were discarded due to
poor appearance and because they were unacceptable
for consumers.
1-MCP delayed green color loss in fruit. Generally,
the higher the 1-MCP concentration and the exposure
time to the product, the greater the maintenance of the
green skin color (Fig. 2). Non-treated fruit were completely yellow 5 days after the beginning of the experiment. Fruit treated with 100 or 300 nl l−1 for 3 h presented little retention of the skin color compared with
those treated with 900 nl l−1 . However, fruit exposed
for 6 or 12 h under the same concentrations showed
significant retention of skin color. These fruit became
thoroughly yellow between the 7th and 9th days after
treatment. Fruit treated with 900 nl l−1 1-MCP for 3 h
also turned yellow on the 9th day after treatment, while
Fig. 1. Maximum shelf life of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas treated with 1MCP and stored at 25 ◦ C.
Fig. 2. Skin color of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas treated with 1-MCP and
stored at 25 ◦ C. Vertical bars represent ±S.D.
those treated for 6 or 12 h did not lose their green color,
showing h◦ > 100◦ .
Observing the skin color of fruit on the 5th day of
storage, it was possible to confirm the positive effect of
1-MCP treatments on color retention, compared with
control fruit (Fig. 2). Fruit treated with 100 nl l−1 were
influenced by the exposure time, with the 12-h period
promoting the best retention of green skin color. Exposure times of 6 and 12 h to 300 nl l−1 showed equivalent
results, which were better than the results observed for
the 3-h exposure time. However, no differences were
observed among the different exposure times in fruit
treated with 900 nl l−1 . The 3-h exposure time was as
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Fig. 4. Weight loss of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas treated with 1-MCP and
stored at 25 ◦ C, until fully ripened (h◦ ≤ 100 or/and visible weight
loss). Same letters within each exposure time indicated significantly
differences at P < 0.05 (Tukey’s test).
Fig. 3. Pulp color (a), pulp firmness (b) and titrable acidity (c) of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas treated with 1-MCP and stored at 25 ◦ C, until fully
ripened (h◦ ≤ 100 or/and visible weight loss). Same letters within
each exposure time indicated significantly differences at P < 0.05
(Tukey’s test).
efficient in skin color retention as 6- or 12-h exposure
times.
Fruit showed rose pulp color (chroma = 32.3) in the
placental region at harvest, which changed to intense
red (chroma = 40.6–42.9) at the end of ripening. Fruit
pulp color was little influenced by the treatments after fruit were fully ripened (Fig. 3). Fruit treated with
900 nl l−1 1-MCP for 12 h showed pulp color develop-
ment only in the placental region, as the periderm color
remained similar to those of harvested fruit.
Pulp firmness of fruit just after harvest was 132.5N
and, after ripening, values ranged from 16.2 to 22.3N.
Most treatments did not reduce the changes in fruit
firmness compared with control fruit at the end of
ripening (Fig. 3). The only fruit that remained firm,
and did not reach full ripening, were those treated with
900 nl l−1 for 6 or 12 h.
Fruit treated with 900 nl l−1 of 1-MCP maintained
higher acidity levels during storage, probably due to
the ripening delay (Fig. 3). Fan et al. (2000, 2002) also
observed lower acidity loss during storage in pears and
plums treated with 1-MCP.
Fruit treated with 1-MCP showed greater weight
loss, probably due to the longer storage period (Fig. 4).
SSC and ascorbic acid concentrations were not influenced by 1-MCP. SSC ranged from 10.0 to 10.8%
and ascorbic acid from 0.52 to 0.55 g kg−1 when fruit
reached full ripening (data not shown).
Anthracnose was not observed in the present study,
probably due to the absence of rain and low temperatures to which fruit were exposed in the field. However,
some fruit were affected by Botryodiplodia regardless
of the treatments used.
1-MCP reduced the respiration rate of fruit (Fig. 5).
At the end of the storage period, fruit treated with 1MCP at 900 nl l−1 had low respiratory rates (average
of 85.3 mg kg−1 h−1 ) when compared with fruit treated
with 1-MCP concentrations of 100 and 300 nl l−1
(135.1 and 118.9 mg kg−1 h−1 , respectively). However,
E. Bassetto et al. / Postharvest Biology and Technology 35 (2005) 303–308
Fig. 5. Respiratory rate of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas treated with 1-MCP
and stored at 25 ◦ C. Vertical bars represent ±S.D.
respiratory rates of these fruit were lower than those of
non-treated fruit (148.9 mg kg−1 h−1 ).
307
1-MCP concentrations of 100 and 300 nl l−1 associated with exposure times of 3 h showed low efficiency in delaying fruit ripening, extending the storage
period by only 1 day in relation to non-treated fruit.
However, when fruit were exposed to 1-MCP for 6 or
12 h, such concentrations prolonged the storage period
by 2–4 days. Fruit treated with 300 nl l−1 of 1-MCP
for 6 or 12 h showed similar behavior to those treated
with 900 nl l−1 of 1-MCP for 3 h. The concentration of
900 nl l−1 of 1-MCP for 6 or 12 h was considered excessively high because it did not allow subsequent fruit
ripening.
In view of the present results, it can be stated that 1MCP efficiently inhibits ethylene action and can delay
fruit ripening in ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas at room temperature, which allows its use within the fruit marketing
period.
4. Discussion
Most changes during the ripening of climacteric
fruit, such as skin and pulp colors, firmness, SSC,
acidity and respiratory rate, derived from physiological processes regulated by internal ethylene production (Oetiker and Yang, 1995; Saltveit, 1999). 1-MCP
is known to compete for the ethylene-binding site in
the cell and, when applied at the right time, blocks the
ethylene binding sites and prevents the ethylene effects,
such as the synthesis of degradative enzymes, increase
in respiratory rate and the ethylene production. Recent
studies indicate that 1-MCP may inhibit ethylene production with consequent delaying in ripening of fruits,
such as avocado (Feng et al., 2000; Kluge et al., 2002b),
apple (Fan et al., 1999; Rupasinghe et al., 2000), banana (Sisler et al., 1996; Golding et al., 1998; Jiang et
al., 1999), tomato (Sisler and Serek, 1997).
Skin and pulp color, firmness, SSC and titratable
acidity are critical factors in determining the quality
of guava fruit. In the present study, 1-MCP showed a
significant effect on the quality preservation of ‘Pedro
Sato’ guavas stored at 25 ◦ C. However, 1-MCP efficiency was directly related with concentration and exposure time. Fruit treated with 900 nl l−1 1-MCP for
3 h showed the same skin color as fruit treated with
300 nl l−1 1-MCP for 12 h. Such correlation between
concentration and exposure time was also observed in
studies with banana (Jiang et al., 1999) and avocado
(Jeong et al., 2002).
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to AgroFresh, Inc., especially to
Walter S.P. Pereira, for providing the 1-MCP and to
Val-Frutas, especially to Valdenir Rossi, for providing
the guavas.
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