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Fresh Produce

Volume 4 Special Issue 1 2010
New trends in postharvest management of fresh produce II

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How to reference: De Costa DM (2010) Quality Retention of Dessert Banana and other Tropical Fruits by Controlling Postharvest Diseases using Non-Chemical Methods. In: Sivakumar D (Ed) New Trends in Postharvest Management of Fresh Produce II. Fresh Produce 4 (Special Issue 1), 1-14

Guest Editor

Dharini Sivakumar

University of Pretoria, South Africa



CONTENTS AND ABSTRACTS

Devika M. De Costa (Sri Lanka) Quality Retention of Dessert Banana and other Tropical Fruits by Controlling Postharvest Diseases using Non-Chemical Methods (pp 1-14)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: Banana and other major tropical fruits (i.e. citrus, mango, avocado, pineapple and papaya) are of economic, social and political significance to countries where they are grown worldwide. The inherent perishable nature of these fruits causes serious qualitative and quantitative yield losses at the postharvest phase. Types and magnitudes of postharvest losses are highly case-specific and vary significantly with the type of fruit, processing channel through which the produce travels, infrastructural facilities available and the attitude of consumers towards the final quality of the produce. Among different types of losses, fungal diseases at the postharvest stage contribute substantially to yield reductions of fruits as latent- and/or wound infections. Details of host-pathogen interactions involving Colletotrichum, which is a widely-established pathosystem causing latent infections, are discussed in this review. Even though application of synthetic fungicides is the common practice for controlling postharvest diseases at the commercial level, environmental and health hazards associated with them are well known. Hence, alternative non-chemical approaches are emerging rapidly. Potential use of physical, chemical, biological and genetic engineering methods, either solely or as combinations, have proved to be effective in controlling both wound- and latent infections when used as pre- or postharvest treatments. Limitations associated with individual methods could be mitigated by modification of application methods, improvement of formulations, management of the postharvest environment and manipulation of gene expression either in fruits or in biological control agents. Public perception towards microbial pesticides and potential to promote microbial pesticides for the control of postharvest diseases in the future has also been discussed.

 

Ilmi G. N. Hewajulige, Shanthi Wilson Wijeratnam (Sri Lanka) Alternative Postharvest Treatments to Control Anthracnose Disease in Papaya during Storage (pp 15-20)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is an important fruit crop consumed both as a fresh fruit and as a processed product. Besides, being in domestic use in providing food to the people, the economic value of the crop has potential to be exploited as an income generator by exporting and strategic marketing especially in countries where the exotic fruits are in high demand. Anthracnose diseasecaused byafungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a major cause for the postharvest loss of papaya particularly when attempting to extend the storage life. Postharvest fungicides applied as spray or dips with or without a food grade wax have been shown to be effective in reducing anthracnose. A hot water dip treatment, double dip hot water treatment that was developed to eradicate fruit fly, and hot water dip treatment in combination with fungicides can be used to control anthracnose. However, hot water treatment may affect the ripening process of the fruit and use of fungicides for extended periods may lead to the emergence of fungicide-resistant strains of the fungus. Furthermore, residuals of fungicides present on the fruit may be harmful to consumers. The growing concerns of the consumer have generated an interest in the development of alternative approaches to postharvest disease control using non-chemical methods while retaining the overall quality. Therefore, this review summarizes the alternative postharvest treatments for the control of this pathogen without the use of chemical fungicides.

 

Margarita Ramos-García, Silvia Bautista-Baños, Rosalba Troncoso-Rojas, Elsa Bosquez-Molina, Irán Alia-Tejacal, Dagoberto Guillén-Sánchez, Porfirio Guitiérrez-Martínez (Mexico) Papaya Postharvest Handling in Mexico: Use of Chitosan and Isothiocyanates to Control Postharvest Diseases (pp 21-28)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: The papaya fruit has worldwide and economic importance. Papayas are mostly eaten fresh, alone or as a component of fruit salads, juices, canned papaya cubes, leathers etc. The fruit is high in vitamins and minerals. Compared with other tropical fruits, papaya has high levels of vitamin C. Mexico is becoming the world’s top papaya fruit-exporting country. Postharvest losses due to diseases are significantly high in papaya. Among others, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum, are fungal organisms acquired in the field during blossom and fruit development, others such as Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium digitatum are acquired during harvest and through handling. For growers and retailers, the common way to reduce the incidence of papaya diseases at the postharvest stage is applying synthetic fungicides. However, these compounds are systematically less effective in controlling fungi. In addition, there is a current trend to use less harmful products to humans and the environment. Chitosan, a derivative of chitin is a natural, biodegradable, nontoxic polymer with a wide range of uses in cosmetology, the food industry, biotechnology, medicine, and agriculture. The isothiocyanates, breakdown products derived from glucosinolates, belong to a class of sulphur-containing glucosides from different plant families such as Brassicacea, Caricaceae, and Cruciferaceae. Both chitosan and isothiocyanates are important natural compounds associated with their fungistatic or fungicidal properties against phytopathogens. This review summarizes the importance of the postharvest handling of papaya in Mexico for export and domestic markets, its contribution to the diet, and the potential of using chitosan and isothiocyanates as alternatives to synthetic fungicides in controlling the postharvest decay during the papaya supply chain.

 

Abdullah Hassan (Malaysia), Ron Wills (Australia), Rohaya Md Atan, Zaulia Othman, Lam Peng Fatt (Malaysia), Mike Smith (Australia) Blackheart Disorder in Fresh Pineapple (pp 29-35)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: There are two different types of chilling-related physiological disorder in pineapple, common chilling injury (CI) and blackheart (BH). Unlike CI, the symptoms of BH are not discernible externally as it affects only the fruit flesh and core. Both disorders occur in two phases namely an induction phase at low temperatures with symptom expression at higher temperatures. While CI may be induced at temperatures below the optimal recommendation for storage i.e., 0-8°C, BH induction may take place at a wider temperature range of up to 21°C. BH can also occur at a preharvest stage and is associated with low field temperatures during growth. After harvest, BH occurs in fruit subjected to exposure to low temperature during storage, handling and transportation. Factors influencing BH development include temperature, length of exposure, varieties, maturity stage and growing climatic conditions. BH has been associated with reduction in ascorbic acid and an increase in polyphenol oxidase enzyme (PPO) activity. However, the initial ascorbic acid concentration and PPO activity do not indicate fruit susceptibility to BH. Partial control of BH was reported to be achieved by preharvest applications of chemicals such as parachlorophenoxyacetic acid (PCPA), α-naphthaleneacetic acid (ANA), potassium and calcium. Several postharvest methods have also been reported to provide some control of BH, including heat treatment, controlled and modified atmosphere, surface coatings and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment. Plant breeding to develop BH-resistant cultivars provides an attractive alternative to postharvest treatments to control the disorder. New hybrids resistant to BH have been produced from conventional breeding while a genetic engineering approach has also shown promising development.

 

Sukhvinder Pal Singh (Australia) Prospective and Retrospective Approaches to Postharvest Quality Management of Fresh Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Fruit in the Supply Chain (pp 36-48)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: Increasing consumer concerns about fruit flavour, nutrition, safety, and sustainability issues bring to light critical challenges that guava industry will encounter in the near future. Guava fruit has high perishability, susceptibility to chilling injury (CI) and diseases, and quarantine restrictions in world trade; these constraints are of similar nature as for other tropical fruits. This review briefly describes the commercial importance, postharvest constraints, harvest maturity, and postharvest physiology of guava fruit. The main focus is to review the existing and prospective postharvest technologies that can potentially increase the postharvest life with minimal loss in fruit quality and to meet the consumer expectations and the regulatory requirements imposed by various countries. The possible application of controlled/modified atmospheres (CA/MA) in conjunction with low temperature for storage and transportation of guava is reviewed. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) can be very helpful for storage and long distance transportation of this fruit, but risks associated with the use of this technology are also underlined. The possibility of use of edible coatings to modify internal atmosphere of guava fruit has also been reported to be partially successful. The integration of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) into postharvest handling system may be beneficial for ethylene management in guava fruit to extend shelf-life, reduce decay and CI symptoms. Irradiation is an approved phytosanitary treatment to provide quarantine security against many regulatory insect-pests of guava, and is also beneficial to extend marketability by delaying fruit ripening and reducing decay. A wide range of technologies hold promise in extending the postharvest life, retaining the quality in supply chain, and enhancing the market potential of guava fruit. In future, the guava industry will need to position itself to proactively address future challenges through a system approach and popularize the fruit to expand its market potential.

 

Shiping Tian, Jia Liu, Changfeng Zhang, Xianghong Meng (China) Quality Properties of Harvested Mango Fruits and Regulating Technologies (pp 49-55)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a typical climacteric fruit with an obvious change in physiology and quality after harvest, including rapid ripening, quality deterioration, flavor loss and fruit decay. In addition, chilling injury easily occurs in mango fruit when they are stored at unsuitable low temperatures. This paper mainly reviews basic properties, physiological disorder, and quality change of mango fruit after harvest, as well as the advance in postharvest handling and storage technology.

 

João Paulo Fabi, Fernanda Helena Gonçalves Peroni, Maria Luiza Passanezi Araújo Gomez (Brazil) Papaya, Mango and Guava Fruit Metabolism during Ripening: Postharvest Changes Affecting Tropical Fruit Nutritional Content and Quality (pp 56-66)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: The ripening process affects the nutritional content and quality of climacteric fruits. During papaya ripening, papayas become more acceptable due to pulp sweetness, redness and softness, with an increment of carotenoids. Mangoes increase the strong aroma, sweetness and vitamin C, β-carotene and minerals levels during ripening. Ripe guavas have one of the highest levels of vitamin C and minerals compared to other tropical fleshy fruits. Although during these fleshy fruit ripening an increase in nutritional value and physical-chemical quality is observed, these changes could lead to a reduced shelf-life. In order to minimize postharvest losses, some techniques have been used such as cold storage and 1-MCP treatment. The techniques are far from being standardized, but some interesting results have been achieved for papayas, mangoes and guavas. Therefore, this review focuses on the main changes occurring during ripening of these three tropical fruits that lead to an increment of quality attributes and nutritional values but can also cause shelf-life losses. This review also exposes some techniques used to postpone fruit ripening in these tropical fruits.

 

Charles F. Forney (Canada) Maintaining Cranberry Fruit Quality during Storage and Marketing (pp 67-75)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: The American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) produces a tart red fruit and is native to northeastern and north central North America. In recent years its popularity has increased due to claims of potential health benefits. While most fruit are processed into juice, sauce or other products, a growing market for fresh fruit exists. To expand fresh market opportunities, fruit must be stored for extend periods of time. During storage, substantial losses of fresh cranberries can result from decay and physiological breakdown. Incidence of both decay and physiological breakdown are influenced by cultural practices, harvest methods, and storage conditions. Plant cultivar, age and vigor, soil fertility, water availability, and the presence of both abiotic and biotic stresses can influence fruit quality and market life. Bruising that occurs during harvest and postharvest handling can induce physiological breakdown and substantially reduce market life. Proper management of relative humidity (RH) and temperature during storage are also critical to maximize storage life. High RH can increase rates of decay and physiological breakdown; optimum storage humidities are around 80%. Cranberry fruit have been reported to be chilling sensitive and fruit stored at 0°C often have greater quality loss than fruit stored at 2 to 7°C. However, greater losses at low temperatures could be a result of high RH rather than low temperature. A variety of postharvest technologies have been tested to extend cranberry storage life, including controlled atmospheres, heat treatments, irradiation, and fumigation, but none have been shown to provide consistent benefits.

 

Isabel Lara (Spain) Changes in Flavour-related Volatile Production during Post-harvest Handling of Apple and Pear Fruit (pp 76-84)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: Flavour is a major attribute determining consumer acceptance of apples and pears. Although flavour results from a complex combination of taste and odour, it is largely determined by the production of aroma volatiles, which gives fruit much of their perceived quality. Biosynthesis of aroma volatile compounds and its contribution to eating quality of fruit are very intricate. The final aroma profile of a fruit results from the properties of each individual compound as well as from a fine balance among all compounds emitted. In addition, the involved biosynthetic pathways are influenced by many pre- and post-harvest factors, including harvest maturity and post-harvest handling. Thus any change in this balance will cause alterations in the volatile profile and hence will give rise to modifications in fruit flavour and acceptability. Novel post-harvest technologies have focused mostly on appearance and decay resistance of fruit, and have often neglected flavour, despite the relevance of this attribute for sensory quality. For instance, controlled-atmosphere storage is known to decrease volatile production and thus to be detrimental to aroma. The low eating quality of these fruit results accordingly in consumer dissatisfaction, frequently preventing repeated purchases. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms controlling changes in flavour is limited, and that many biochemical pathways determining this quality trait are still unknown. In order to minimise loss of flavour, a deeper knowledge of the involved pathways, mechanisms and factors is required. This review aims at summarising current information available on the production of aroma volatiles in apple and pear, and on how different factors affect the biochemical pathways involved in this process.

 

Patrizia Torrigiani, Vanina Ziosi, Anna Maria Bregoli, Guglielmo Costa (Italy) Controlling Peach Fruit Quality by Interfering with Ethylene Production with Polyamines and Jasmonates (pp 85-90)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: In climacteric fruit, the control of ripening mainly relies on ethylene production and/or action, although there are some parameters that do not seem to strictly respond to this hormone. The peach fruit is well characterized from the physiological and molecular point of view and thus it offers a good fruit model system to study the relationship between ripening and quality. Here we review the results of the application of two kinds of natural growth regulators, polyamines (PAs) and jasmonates (JAs). Although characterized by substantially different biological activities, both are able to interfere with ethylene synthesis and perception, and, as a consequence, to alter the progression of ripening and the evolution of the main fruit quality traits. On the basis of endogenous levels of PAs and JAs in the fruit, experimental protocols aimed at manipulating these levels were established. This article reports the main results obtained in relation to fruit ripening and quality, and functional properties. Field application to peach fruit in late developmental stage (S3-S4) of the PAs putrescine (Pu), spermidine (Sd) or spermine (Sm) leads almost invariably to ripening delay and prolonged shelf-life. This is due to inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis/production, inhibition of cell wall-dismantling activity/retention of flesh firmness (FF), reduced soluble solids concentration (SSC). Equally, in the case of JAs, their application in planta causes a ripening delay, as shown by reduced ethylene biosynthesis/production and firmness retention probably due to a trade-off between growth and defence. Although likely via different signal transduction pathways, PAs and JAs, by interfering with ethylene biosynthesis and perception, lead to a less ripe fruit and, consequently, they are very promising compounds for quality control in the postharvest handling chain. For practical purposes, besides optimizing application strategies, commercial products containing PAs would be highly desirable.

 

Alexei E. Solovchenko, Olga B. Chivkunova (Russia), Anatoly A. Gitelson (USA), Mark N. Merzlyak (Russia) Non-Destructive Estimation Pigment Content, Ripening, Quality and Damage in Apple Fruit with Spectral Reflectance in the Visible Range (pp 91-102)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: Modern non-destructive optical-reflectance-based techniques for estimation of pigment (chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, and flavonol) contents, the rate of on- and off-tree ripening as well as for detection of common physiological disorders, such as sunscald, superficial scald, and water core, and other damages to apple fruit are reviewed with an emphasis on the methods developed by the authors. The basic spectral features of fruit reflection in the visible and near infra-red are briefly considered together with their implications for the development of algorithms for non-destructive pigment content assessment. The use of reflection spectroscopy for estimating chlorophyll and carotenoid content as well as carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio during fruit ripening is demonstrated. The algorithms developed for fruit peel pigment analysis and for estimation of ripeness are presented with consideration of the limits of their applicability. Special attention is paid to adaptation of apple fruit to strong sunlight at preharvest stage and its consequences for postharvest fruit quality.

 

Lluís Palou, María Serrano, Domingo Martínez-Romero, Daniel Valero (Spain) New Approaches for Postharvest Quality Retention of Table Grapes (pp 103-110)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Review: Major factors limiting table grape storage and shelf life and causing important economical losses to the industry are cluster dehydration (berry water loss and rachis browning), skin colour changes, accelerated softening and microbial spoilage, especially gray mould decay caused by the pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Appropriate environmental conditions during storage and/or transportation and the use of sulphur dioxide (SO2) technologies have successfully alleviated these problems. However, postharvest treatments alternative to SO2 are needed because of issues related to excessive sulphite residues and its phytotoxic effects such as berry bleaching and hairline cracks. In this article, active packaging based on the addition of antimicrobial essential oils, such as thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, or menthol, as in-package fumigants to modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems and development of natural antifungal edible coatings, like those based on Aloe vera gel, are reviewed as two of the most promising alternative approaches for cost-effective control of postharvest diseases and preservation of table grape physico-chemical and sensory quality and functional properties. Further research should focus on either the evaluation of these technologies for particular industry needs with specific table grape cultivars and postharvest handling conditions or their application in combination with other non-polluting alternatives as part of integrated disease management (IDM) programs.

 

Gianfranco Romanazzi (Italy) Chitosan Treatment for the Control of Postharvest Decay of Table Grapes, Strawberries and Sweet Cherries (pp 111-115)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: Table grapes, strawberries and sweet cherries are perishable fruits and can be affected by different diseases, both in the field and even more during postharvest storage. The main decay is gray mold (caused by Botrytis cinerea), which infects all three fruit, and Rhizopus rot (induced by Rhizopus stolonifer), which attacks mainly strawberry, at times sweet cherries, and rarely table grapes. Moreover, sweet cherries can suffer heavy losses mainly by brown rot (due to Monilinia spp.), and to a lesser extent, by blue mold (caused by Penicillium expansum, at times this can infect table grapes and strawberries, too), Alternaria rot, and Cladosporium rot (induced by Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium spp., respectively). Table grapes, strawberries and sweet cherries are often cold stored at 0°C soon after harvest, to retain quality, delay senescence, and reduce decay development. In several countries the use of synthetic fungicides after harvest is not allowed or there is a very short list of approved active ingredients. Therefore, together with consumer demand for food free of pesticide residues, the use of alternative means to control postharvest decay of fruit has gained increasing interest. Among these, chitosan has been identified as having the properties of an ideal coating for fruit. Preharvest and postharvest chitosan treatments of table grapes, strawberries and sweet cherries reduce their decay in the field and during storage, with the best performance at the highest tested concentration (usually 1%). Chitosan-based commercial products are available, and they have shown the same effectiveness as the biopolymer dissolved in an acid solution. Chitosan has a double mechanism of action: it reduces the growth of decay causing fungi, and it induces resistance responses in host tissues. With this double effectiveness, chitosan can be considered as the first compound of a new class of plant protection products.

 

Fernando Rivera-Cabrera, Mónica Ponce-Valadez, Fernando Díaz de León Sánchez, Angel Villegas-Monter, Laura J. Pérez-Flores (Mexico) Acid Limes. A Review (pp 116-122)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: For countries with tropical and subtropical climates, like Mexico, the commercialization of fresh horticultural products and their processed by products represent an important economical source. In recent years, Mexico has become one of the main citrus producing countries in the world. At the moment, Mexico is ranked as the main worldwide lime producer. There are two kinds of acid limes, the small-fruited Mexican (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) type, and the large-fruited Persian (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) lime, which is triploid and therefore seedless. Extensive research exists on citrus fruits. Nevertheless, there is not compiled information about lime fruits. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature of lime fruits focusing on their main characteristics, chemical composition, nutritional value, maturity indicators, quality indices, main destination markets, pre and postharvest factors that affects the fruit quality, physiological disorders and diseases.

 

Prasajith Kapila Dissanayake, Shigenori Yaguchi, Masayoshi Shigyo, Naoki Yamauchi (Japan) Postharvest Chlorophyll Degradation in Japanese Bunching Onion (Allium fistulosum L.) (pp 123-127)

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ABSTRACT

Invited Mini-Review: Japanese bunching onion (Allium fistulosum L.; JBO), or welsh onion, is an important green vegetable in East Asia and to a certain extent in the USA. The shelf life of JBO tends to diminish with loss of green leaves mainly due to yellowing as a consequence of chlorophyll (Chl) degradation, which seems to be the main factor in loss of green leaves associated with yellowing in JBO. The mechanism of Chl degradation in stored JBO leaves has been elucidated using eight JBO (genome FF) lines with single alien chromosomes from shallot (genome AA) in each line (FF+1A to FF+8A). JBO leaves stored at 25°C show rapid Chl degradation, while at 4°C retained their greenness throughout the storage period. JBO lines containing 3A and 5A (FF+3A and FF+5A) shallot chromosomes show rapid Chl degradation during storage at 25°C, whereas JBO lines with 4A (FF+4A) shallot chromosome show slow Chl degradation. Pheophytin (Phy) a, chlorophyllide (Chlide) a, pheophorbide (Pheide) a and 132- hydroxychlorophyll (OHChl) a were detected as main derivatives of Chl a. Levels of Chl derivatives diminish significantly at 25°C but not at 4°C during storage. However, with Chl degradation, formation of Phy a is prominent in stored leaves especially in FF+3A at 25°C. Further, Chl-degrading enzymes, especially Chl-degrading peroxidase and Mg-dechelation, also progressively increase during storage at 25°C. Thus, these findings suggest that Chl a could be degraded, in part, through Phy a, as well as Chlide a and OHChl a, in JBO during storage.

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