Effects of maturity stage and temperature management on postharvest physiology and quality of red strawberry guava. / Efeitos do estádio de maturação e do manejo da temperatura sobre a fisiologia e qualidade pós-colheita de araçá-vermelho.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

Red strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) has a high potential for in natura fruit commercialization. However, this requires the characterization of fruit postharvest physiology to improve its storage potential and to preserve its physical and chemical attributes. This research was carried out to study the effects of fruit maturity at harvest and storage temperature on postharvest physiology and ripening of red strawberry guavas. Fruits were harvested at green (100% of epidermis surface with green color) and mature (50% of epidermis surface with red color) stages, stored in BOD type chambers at 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30C (RH of 85-90%) and assessed in terms of respiration and ethylene evolution rates, and skin color (L=lightness and h=hue angle). There was a substantial increment of respiration rate with the increase of storage temperature from 0 to 30C, with Q10 values of 3.10 and 3.32 for fruits harvested at green and mature stages, respectively. No ethylene was detected in the fruits with the increase of temperature. For fruits kept at 20C, the respiration rate decreased along the storage period (11 days), especially in fruits harvested at the mature stage, while at 0oC the respiration rate was lower than that at 20oC and constant along the entire storage period (21 days). This respiratory trend, associated with the very low ethylene evolution rates, characterize the non-climacteric ripening behavior of red strawberry guavas. Fruits harvested at green stage showed, in comparison to fruit harvested at mature stage, slightly lower sensory quality (with lower soluble solids content and higher acidity) but a better firmness and green color retention (lower reductions of h and L in the epidermis, indicative of a smaller changes from green to red color), specially for fruits stored at 0oC, and a lower incidence of rots for fruits stored at 20oC. The delay of fruit cooling after harvest resulted in a significant reduction of flesh firmness, soluble solids content and titratable acidity, and in a more substantial change of skin color from green to red, after 11 days of cold storage (at 0oC), followed by three days shelf-life (at 20oC). These results show that red strawberry guavas have high respiratory rates and accelerated ripening process at ambient temperatures. Therefore, it is recommended the immediate fruit storage at 0oC after harvest to prolong its postharvest conservation. Fruit harvested at green stage have a better postharvest conservation, despite of sensible reduction of sensory quality, in comparison to fruit harvested at mature stage.

ASSUNTO(S)

fruits ripening mirtacea frutas - conservação fisiologia pos-colheita fruits - conservation frutas - maturação frutas - fisiologia pós-colheita mirtacea fruits - postharvest

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