Interaction of 1-methylcyclopropene, temperature and dynamic controlled atmosphere by respiratory quotient on ‘Galaxy’ apples storage

• Published in: Food packaging and shelf life 2019-06, Vol.20, p.100246, Article 100246
• Main Authors: de Oliveira Anese, Rogerio, Brackmann, Auri, Wendt, Lucas Mallmann, Thewes, Fabio Rodrigo, Schultz, Erani Eliseu, Ludwig, Vagner, Berghetti, Magno Roberto Pasquetti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consersation; Ethylene production; Malus domestica Borkh; Oxygen; Physiological disorders
• ISSN: 2214-2894; 2214-2894
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fpsl.2018.07.004

•Apples can be stored under 2.0 or 2.5 °C in Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere.•Under DCA-RQ, 1-MCP application did not have effect on ethylene and flesh firmness.•1-MCP is needed to keep flesh firmness of ‘Galaxy’ apple under Controlled Atmosphere. The 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is applied on apples under controlled atmosphere (CA) storage at more elevated temperatures (2.0 or 3.0 °C). The objective of this study was to evaluate if it is possible keep 'Galaxy' apples quality during storage at higher temperatures (2.0 or 2.5 °C, ± 0.1 °C) compared with 1.5 °C (±0.1 °C) using the dynamic controlled atmosphere method monitored by the respiratory quotient (DCA-RQ) without 1-MCP application. The treatments were: [1] CA; [2] DCA-RQ with respiratory quotient 1.3 (DCA-RQ1.3) and DCA-RQ1.5 with CO2 of 1.2 kPa. All treatments were with or without 0.625 μL L−1 of 1-MCP treatment during 24 h and stored under 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 °C. Fruit stored in DCA-RQ had flesh firmness approximately 10 N higher than CA, without 1-MCP application. When 1-MCP was applied, flesh firmness remained the highest under DCA-RQ1.3 at the lowest temperature (1.5 °C). Ethylene production was higher in the CA condition (higher than 0.61 ng C2H4 kg−1 s−1) without 1-MCP application as compared to DCA-RQ1.3 and 1.5 at all three temperatures (less than 0.09 ng C2H4 kg−1 s−1). 'Galaxy' apples can be stored at more elevated temperatures (2.0 and 2.5 °C) under DCA-RQ1.3 and DCA-RQ1.5 without 1-MCP application, because of the lower mealiness, ethylene production, ACC oxidase and higher flesh firmness than at 1.5 °C.