Quality changes during storage of apricot (prunus armeniaca l.) cv. ‘beliana’ and ‘lindo’ trated with calcium

Antunes, Maria Dulce; Miguel, Maria Graça; Neves, M. A.; Cavaco, A. M.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/2894

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Abstract(s)

Calcium salts have been successfully used to maintain firmness and to slow down ripening processes in some fruit. This work studies the effect of postharvest calcium chloride applications on the quality preservation of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cv. ‘Beliana’ and cv. ‘Lindo’ during storage. Harvested apricots were dipped in 0, 1, 3 or 5% CaCl2 solutions for 2 min. Fruit were left to dry for 1 h at ambient temperatures and then stored at 3 ºC. Fruit were analysed after 0, 6, 14, 21 and 28 d storage for weight loss, firmness and soluble solids content (SSC). A taste panel was performed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Weight loss increased through storage in both cultivars. ‘Lindo’ did not show differences among treatments in weight loss, but ‘Beliana’ had higher weight loss in fruit treated with 3% CaCl2 followed by 5%. Firmness decreased through storage without differences among treatments in ‘Beliana’, except after 5 d where all treatments where firmer than control. The ‘Lindo’ apricots treated with 3 and 5% CaCl2 showed higher firmness values than the other treatments through storage, except at 28 d where only the 5% CaCl2 had significantly higher firmness. ‘Beliana’ did not show differences in SSC among treatments. However, ‘Lindo’ had lower SSC when treated with 1% CaCl2. When tested after 27 d storage, panellists preferred fruit from the 1% CaCl2 treatment followed by the control for both cultivars. It seems that CaCl2 treatments with concentrations over 3% are prejudicial for apricots. Concentrations between 1 and 3% should be assayed, since 1 and 3% look to be beneficial for the different quality parameters.

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Proceedings of the International Conference “Environmentally friendly and safe technologies for quality of fruit and vegetables”, held in Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal, on January 14-16, 2009. This Conference was a join activity with COST Action 924.