Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene on ripening of greenhouse tomatoes at three storage temperatures

• Published in: Postharvest biology and technology 2003-03, Vol.27 (3), p.285-292
• Main Authors: Mostofi, Younes, Toivonen, Peter M.A., Lessani, Hossein, Babalar, Mesbah, Lu, Changwen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-Methylcyclopropene; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorophyll; Firmness; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lycopene; Lycopersicon esculentum; Polygalacturonase; Ripening
• ISSN: 0925-5214; 1873-2356
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-5214(02)00113-8

Tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., cv. Rapsodie) were harvested at the mature green stage and treated with 250 nl l −1 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 24 h at 20 °C. The fruit were then stored for 24 days at 15, 20 or 25 °C at 90–95% relative humidity. Sampling was carried out at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 days after treatment. Treatment with 1-MCP delayed ripening as measured by changes in lycopene, chlorophyll, hue angle, polygalacturonase (PG) activity and tissue firmness. Ripening was delayed by 6 days at 25 °C, by 12 days at 20 °C, and by 18 days at 15 °C in 1-MCP-treated fruit. In general, 1-MCP only delayed the onset of ripening-related changes and did not significantly alter final values for measures of firmness, color (hue angle), PG activity, and lycopene and chlorophyll contents at a particular storage temperature. The results suggest that 1-MCP is most effective at delaying ripening of mature-green tomatoes when they are stored near the currently recommended temperature range of 12.5–15 °C.