Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene and post-controlled atmosphere air storage treatments on fresh-cut Ambrosia apple slices.
BACKGROUND
The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment and two different post-controlled atmosphere air storage (PCAAS) durations on the quality and chemistry of fresh-cut Ambrosia apple slices was studied.


RESULTS
PCAAS for 1 or 2 weeks prior to slicing had an overall positive effect on the resultant quality of fresh-cut apple slices. The most significant responses to PCAAS were the suppression of both phenolic and o-quinone accumulation in slices, and this was related to the significantly lower browning potential values obtained for slices from PCAAS-treated apples. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) activities were not affected by 1-MCP or PCAAS treatments. PPO and POX activities were almost completely inhibited by a 50 g L⁻¹ calcium ascorbate anti-browning dip of apple slices from all treatments.


CONCLUSIONS
The most dramatic effect of the PCAAS treatments was to reduce the accumulation of soluble phenolics, which is likely the reason that o-quinone accumulation was also inhibited in treated fruits. The consequent reduction in browning potential may be the explanation as to why PCAAS treatment has been shown to reduce fresh apple slice browning in previous work.
Dipartimento Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Università di Pisa, I-56124 Pisa, Italy.
Francesca
F
Tardelli
Lucia
L
Guidi
Rossano
R
Massai
Peter M A
PM
Toivonen
D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000032:analysis*; D018857:Food Packaging; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D063427:Food Quality; D061353:Food Storage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D015416:Maillard Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D027845:Malus / Q000737:chemistry*; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D011809:Quinones / Q000032:analysis
D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005520:Food Preservatives; D010636:Phenols; D011809:Quinones; C069207:calcium ascorbate; C412563:1-methylcyclopropene; D001205:Ascorbic Acid