Post harvest preservation of mangoes by controlled chemical release agents and adsorbent.
Leena Raje, Swati Sherlekar, Kamala Ramakrishnan, Malshe V. C., Subbulakshmi G.
Author Affiliation: Smt. P. N. Doshi Women's College, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai 400?086, India.
: 622-628
Abstract : The use of preservatives to extend the shelf-life of mangoes was investigated. The 2 approaches used were adsorption of ethylene and chemical destruction of ethylene. Mango cv. Alphonso fruits from Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India were stored at 32-36°C and 70-75% RH in corrugated fibre board cartons with the following test-materials: ethysord-ethylene absorber; stoprot-SO2 releaser; ethylene oxidizer; and or halogen releaser. Percentage physiological weight loss (PLW) assessment, sensory evaluation, and microbiological and chemical analyses were conducted on various test days. Ethysord preserved mangoes for up to 16 days (compared with a normal life of 8 days) with minimum PLW, highest sensory score and lowest microbial load. A combination of ethysord and SO2 releaser achieved the best results. Oxidizer and halogen releaser also slowed ripening and resulted in better overall fruit condition compared with controls.