Tools to maintain postharvest fruit and vegetable quality through the inhibition of ethylene action: a review.
Ethylene is a plant hormone controlling a wide range of physiological processes in plants. During postharvest storage of fruit and vegetables ethylene can induce negative effects including senescence, over-ripening, accelerated quality loss, increased fruit pathogen susceptibility, and physiological disorders, among others. Apart from the endogenous ethylene production by plant tissues, external sources of ethylene (e.g. engine exhausts, pollutants, plant, and fungi metabolism) occur along the food chain, in packages, storage chambers, during transportation, and in domestic refrigerators. Thus, it is a great goal in postharvest to avoid ethylene action. This review focuses on tools which may be used to inhibit ethylene biosynthesis/action or to remove ethylene surrounding commodities in order to avoid its detrimental effects on fruit and vegetable quality. As inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis and action, good results have been found with polyamines and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) in terms of maintenance of fruit and vegetable quality and extension of postharvest shelf-life. As ethylene scavengers, the best results can be achieved by adsorbers combined with catalysts, either chemical or biological (biofilters).
Martínez-Romero
Domingo
D
Department Food Technology, University Miguel Hernández. Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, Orihuela Alicante, Spain.
Bailén
Gloria
G
Serrano
María
M
Guillén
Fabián
F
Valverde
Juan Miguel
JM
Zapata
Pedro
P
Castillo
Salvador
S
Valero
Daniel
D
D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005374:Filtration; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011073:Polyamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011786:Quality Control; D013997:Time Factors; D014675:Vegetables / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards
D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005030:Ethylenes; D005520:Food Preservatives; D011073:Polyamines; C036216:ethylene; C412563:1-methylcyclopropene