Respiration rate, internal atmosphere, and ethanol and acetaldehyde accumulation in heat-treated mango fruit.
Mitcham E. J., McDonald R. E.
Author Affiliation: USDA, ARS, US Horticultural Research Laboratory, Orlando, Florida, USA.
Postharvest Biology and Technology 3 : 77-86
Abstract : Mature green mango fruits (cv. Keitt) were heated with forced air at 46°C and 95-100% RH for 3 or 4 h or at 48° for 5 h. Respiration rate increased 3.5- and 5-fold during treatment at 46° and 48°, respectively. After cooling to 20°, CO2 production remained higher in heated than in control fruits for 4 days (46°) and 6 days (48°), and then fell below that of control fruits. Immediately after heat treatment, internal CO2 concentration increased to 9% (46°) and 13% (48°) and O2 concentration decreased to 11% (46°) and 6% (48°). Whereas O2 concentrations returned to control levels within 6 h after heat treatment, CO2 levels remained elevated. Acetaldehyde and ethanol concentrations increased after heat treatment at 46° and 48° and remained elevated 6 h after treatment in fruits treated at 48° for 5 h. It is concluded that heating mango fruits with hot forced air at 95-100% RH does not provide an acceptable quarantine treatment for Keitt mangoes because it exacerbates the development of internal breakdown.