Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a commercially valued fruit mainly for its attractively red pericarp and exotic taste. However, the market value of the fruit is affected by pericarp browning, desiccation and postharvest decay. Current control measures include sulphur dioxide (SO2) fumigation, low temperature storage and high relative humidity (RH). Sulphur residues on fruit, moisture loss, altered taste and decay caused by Penicillium spp., limit the use of SO2 fumigation. Technology that can provide a potential alternative method to retain the quality of fruit is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). In this study (Chapter 3), the effect of active and passive modified atmospheres on quality retention of litchi cultivars ‘Mauritius’ and ‘McLean’s Red’ was investigated. Results indicated that ‘McLean’s Red’ is more suitable for MAP technology than ‘Mauritius’. Lidding film–4 holes significantly reduced activity of oxidation enzymes, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), and retained higher pericarp colour. Lidding film–10 holes retained soluble solids concentration to titratable acidity ratio (SSC/TA) (~65), thereby preventing the loss of taste and litchi fruit flavour. In order to enhance the MAP technology further (Chapter 4), chitosan coating of fruit was also assessed. Chitosan (1.0 g L-1) combined with MAP effectively prevented decay, browning and pericarp colour loss in ‘McLean’s Red’. Chitosan (1.0 g L-1) integrated with MAP reduced PPO and POD activity, retained membrane integrity, anthocyanin content and pericarp colour. ‘McLean’s Red’ was found to be more suitable for the chitosan (1.0 g L-1) and MAP integrated treatment than ‘Mauritius’ in retaining overall quality. In addition, the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) in combination with MAP was determined for both cultivars (Chapter 5). In this case 1-MCP (300 nL L-1) was most effective in preventing browning and retaining colour in both cultivars after 14 and 21 days of cold storage. The effect of 1-MCP (300 nL L-1) showed more potential on ‘McLean’s Red’ than ‘Mauritius’. At higher concentrations (500 and 1000 nL L-1), 1-MCP showed negative effects on membrane integrity, pericarp browning, PPO and POD activity in both cultivars. The effect of integrated postharvest treatments i.e. modified atmosphere packaging combined with chitosan and integrated MAP and 1-MCP as well as MAP and chitosan coating on foodborne bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus) spike-inoculated on litchi fruit surfaces, and Penicillium spp. decay were also investigated (Chapter 6). Results showed integrated MAP and chitosan (0.1 g L-1 and 1.0 g L-1) treatments significantly reduced high and low inoculums load of E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus on litchi fruit after 21 days of cold storage. Integrated MAP and 1000 nL L-1 1-MCP resulted in higher disease severity. Integrated MAP and chitosan (0.1 g L-1 and 1.0 g L-1) treatments showed very good decay control. The total microbial population of the litchi fruit surface was also determined. Integrated MAP and 1.0 g L-1 significantly reduced the total microbial flora after 21 days of cold storage. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / unrestricted

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-08-13Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:06:45Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 hojo_etd_dr_jabo.pdf: 1539570 bytes, checksum: 9a8c4375124457a8e811faf5f3693cc6 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Visando prolongar a vida útil da lichia, principalmente quanto à manutenção da cor e da qualidade, executaram-se experimentos para avaliar a eficiência dos tratamentos hidrotérmico e com solução de ácido clorídrico (HCl); do armazenamento sob refrigeração, em atmosfera controlada e em diferentes embalagens plásticas e de coberturas com quitosana. No Experimento I, testou-se a imersão em HCl a 0,087M por 6 minutos; o tratamento hidrotérmico por imersão a 52ºC por 1 minuto, seguido de resfriamento em água a 10ºC por 6 minutos; e o tratamento hidrotérmico com resfriamento em HCl a 0,087M a 10ºC por 6 minutos. O tratamento hidrotérmico seguido de resfriamento em HCl conservou a coloração dos frutos até o 3º dia, e a polpa com qualidade adequada até o 12º dia. No Experimento II, utilizou-se o melhor tratamento do experimento anterior (hidrotérmico com resfriamento em HCl) e testaramse diferentes temperaturas de armazenamento: 2ºC (91% UR); 5ºC (98% UR); 10ºC (80% UR); e 20ºC (70% UR). Os frutos foram analisados após 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 e 25 dias. O armazenamento de lichia a 5 ºC manteve a boa aparência por até 13 dias e a qualidade da polpa até o final do período, 25 dias. O armazenamento a 2 ºC levou a maiores prejuízos na aparência. As temperaturas, de 10 ºC e 20 ºC, não foram efetivas para a manutenção da cor vermelha da casca. No Experimento III, foi testado o efeito da atmosfera controlada, associado aos melhores tratamentos dos experimentos anteriores. Os frutos foram armazenados a 5ºC e 94% UR, em atmosfera controlada contendo 5%, 10%, 20% e 80% de O2, com avaliações após 0 (inicial), 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 dias. As lichias de todos os tratamentos mantiveram a boa qualidade da polpa por até 21 dias, com os frutos sob atmosfera com 5% de O2, apresentando menor escurecimento da casca. As lichias apresentaram escurecimento da casca... / Aiming to extend litchi life, especially regarding to color and quality maintenance, experiments were performed to evaluate the treatment efficiency under heat and using hydrochloric acid solution (HCl), refrigerated storage, controlled atmosphere, different plastic containers, and chitosan coatings. In Experiment I, it was tested immersion in 0,087M HCl for 6 minutes; hydrothermal treatment by immersion at 52ºC for 1 minute, followed by water cooling at 10ºC for 6 minutes; and hydrothermal treatment with 0,087M HCl cooling at 10 ºC for 6 minutes. Hydrothermal treatment followed by HCl cooling preserved fruit color until the 3rd day and adequate pulp quality until the 12th day. In Experiment II, it was used the best treatment in the previous experiment (hydrothermal with HCl cooling) and different storage temperatures were tested: 2ºC (91% RH), 5ºC (98% RH), 10ºC (80% RH), and 20ºC (70% RH). Fruits were analyzed after 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, and 25 days. Storage at 5ºC kept the good fruit appearance for up to 13 days, and pulp quality until the 25th day. The 2ºC led to to ligher losses in appearance. The temperatures of 10ºC and 20ºC, were not effective for maintaining the red color of the skin. In Experiment III, the effects of controlled atmosphere combined with improved treatments of previous experiments were tested. Fruits were stored at 5ºC and 94% RH in a controlled atmosphere containing 5%, 10%, 20% and 80% O2, with evaluations after 0 (initial), 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 days. Litchis in all treatments maintained good pulp quality for up to 21 days, with the fruits under a 5% O2 atmosphere showing a lower skin browning. Litchis showed over 50% skin browning after 7 days. In Experiment IV, different concentrations of CO2 (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) combined with the best concentration in the previous experiment, 5% O2, were tested... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Thesis (MSc. (Horticulture)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / After harvesting litchi fruit, the red pericarp colour is rapidly lost resulting in discolouration and browning during storage and marketing. To mitigate this challenge, the South African litchi industry uses sulfur dioxide fumigation to retain litchi fruit red pericarp colour during extended storage and shelf-life. However, there are health concerns regarding the commercially used (SO2) fumigation for litchi pericarp colour retention due to high levels of SO2 residues in fruit aril. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the possibility of Uvasys slow release SO2 sheets to retain ‘Mauritius’ litchi fruit red pericarp colour when packaged in plastic-punnets and bags. Treatment factors were two packaging materials (plastic-punnets and bags), six SO2 treatments (control; SO2 fumigation and four SO2 sheets viz. Uva-Uno-29% Na2S2O5; Dual-Release-Blue35.85% Na2S2O5; Slow-Release-36.5% Na2S2O5 and Dual-Release-Green-37.55% Na2S2O5) and four shelf-life periods (day 0, 1, 3 and 5). ‘Mauritius’ fruit were assessed for pericarp Browning Index (BI), Hue angle (ho), Chroma (C*) and Lightness (L*). In this study, an interactive significant effect (P < 0.05) between packaging type and SO2 treatments was observed on ‘Mauritius’ fruit pericarp L*, C* and ho during shelf-life. Fruit stored in plastic-bags and treated with SO2 fumigation showed higher pericarp C* and L*, while SO2 fumigated fruit in plastic-punnets had higher pericarp ho. Lower pericarp BI was observed in SO2 fumigated fruit stored in plastic-bags, which showed less pericarp browning than fruit in other treatments. In general, commercial SO2 fumigation resulted in lower pericarp BI, and higher pericarp L*, C* and ho throughout the storage and shelf-life. Our correlation analyses results further showed that litchi fruit red pericarp colour was better preserved as SO2 treatment levels increased, especially in plastic-bags. In retaining ‘Mauritius’ litchi fruit red pericarp colour, Uvasys SO2 sheets were not effective when compared with commercial SO2 fumigation. However, commercially SO2 fumigated fruit were bleached throughout the storage and shelf-life. Furthermore, fruit from all treatments were spoiled due to decay and mould growth after day 5 of shelf-life. Inclusion of pathogen protectants is important in future research to demonstrate whether Uvasys SO2 sheet-packaging technology can retain ‘Mauritius’ litchi fruit pericarp colour. / Agricultural Research Council and National Research Foundation (NRF)

Orientador: José Fernando Durigan / Banca: Ben-Hur Mattiuz / Banca: Ricardo Alfredo Kluge / Banca: Jairo Osvaldo Cazetta / Banca: Marcos David Ferreira / Resumo: Visando prolongar a vida útil da lichia, principalmente quanto à manutenção da cor e da qualidade, executaram-se experimentos para avaliar a eficiência dos tratamentos hidrotérmico e com solução de ácido clorídrico (HCl); do armazenamento sob refrigeração, em atmosfera controlada e em diferentes embalagens plásticas e de coberturas com quitosana. No Experimento I, testou-se a imersão em HCl a 0,087M por 6 minutos; o tratamento hidrotérmico por imersão a 52ºC por 1 minuto, seguido de resfriamento em água a 10ºC por 6 minutos; e o tratamento hidrotérmico com resfriamento em HCl a 0,087M a 10ºC por 6 minutos. O tratamento hidrotérmico seguido de resfriamento em HCl conservou a coloração dos frutos até o 3º dia, e a polpa com qualidade adequada até o 12º dia. No Experimento II, utilizou-se o melhor tratamento do experimento anterior (hidrotérmico com resfriamento em HCl) e testaramse diferentes temperaturas de armazenamento: 2ºC (91% UR); 5ºC (98% UR); 10ºC (80% UR); e 20ºC (70% UR). Os frutos foram analisados após 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 e 25 dias. O armazenamento de lichia a 5 ºC manteve a boa aparência por até 13 dias e a qualidade da polpa até o final do período, 25 dias. O armazenamento a 2 ºC levou a maiores prejuízos na aparência. As temperaturas, de 10 ºC e 20 ºC, não foram efetivas para a manutenção da cor vermelha da casca. No Experimento III, foi testado o efeito da atmosfera controlada, associado aos melhores tratamentos dos experimentos anteriores. Os frutos foram armazenados a 5ºC e 94% UR, em atmosfera controlada contendo 5%, 10%, 20% e 80% de O2, com avaliações após 0 (inicial), 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 dias. As lichias de todos os tratamentos mantiveram a boa qualidade da polpa por até 21 dias, com os frutos sob atmosfera com 5% de O2, apresentando menor escurecimento da casca. As lichias apresentaram escurecimento da casca... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Aiming to extend litchi life, especially regarding to color and quality maintenance, experiments were performed to evaluate the treatment efficiency under heat and using hydrochloric acid solution (HCl), refrigerated storage, controlled atmosphere, different plastic containers, and chitosan coatings. In Experiment I, it was tested immersion in 0,087M HCl for 6 minutes; hydrothermal treatment by immersion at 52ºC for 1 minute, followed by water cooling at 10ºC for 6 minutes; and hydrothermal treatment with 0,087M HCl cooling at 10 ºC for 6 minutes. Hydrothermal treatment followed by HCl cooling preserved fruit color until the 3rd day and adequate pulp quality until the 12th day. In Experiment II, it was used the best treatment in the previous experiment (hydrothermal with HCl cooling) and different storage temperatures were tested: 2ºC (91% RH), 5ºC (98% RH), 10ºC (80% RH), and 20ºC (70% RH). Fruits were analyzed after 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, and 25 days. Storage at 5ºC kept the good fruit appearance for up to 13 days, and pulp quality until the 25th day. The 2ºC led to to ligher losses in appearance. The temperatures of 10ºC and 20ºC, were not effective for maintaining the red color of the skin. In Experiment III, the effects of controlled atmosphere combined with improved treatments of previous experiments were tested. Fruits were stored at 5ºC and 94% RH in a controlled atmosphere containing 5%, 10%, 20% and 80% O2, with evaluations after 0 (initial), 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 days. Litchis in all treatments maintained good pulp quality for up to 21 days, with the fruits under a 5% O2 atmosphere showing a lower skin browning. Litchis showed over 50% skin browning after 7 days. In Experiment IV, different concentrations of CO2 (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) combined with the best concentration in the previous experiment, 5% O2, were tested... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor