Jh. Hong et Kc. Gross, SURFACE STERILIZATION OF WHOLE TOMATO FRUIT WITH SODIUM-HYPOCHLORITE INFLUENCES SUBSEQUENT POSTHARVEST BEHAVIOR OF FRESH-CUT SLICES, Postharvest biology and technology, 13(1), 1998, pp. 51-58
Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of concentration
(0, 0.26 or 1.05%) and duration (0, 20 or 60 s) of sodium hypochlorite
treatment on subsequent firmness, electrolyte leakage, respiration, a
nd C2H4 production of light-red tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)
fruit slices during storage at 5 degrees C under modified atmosphere
(MA). Pericarp firmness of slices was lower for all treatments than fo
r untreated controls. After 12 days of storage, pericarp firmness of s
lices from fruit that had been treated with 1.05% sodium hypochlorite
for 60 s was less than one-half the firmness of water-treated controls
and lower than the other sodium hypochlorite treatments. The effect o
f sodium hypochlorite on electrolyte leakage of slices stored at 5 deg
rees C was more closely related to treatment duration than to sodium h
ypochlorite concentration. The difference in electrolyte leakage betwe
en control fruit and fruit treated with 1.05% sodium hypochlorite for
60 s was 14.2, 25.6, and 25% at 4, 8, and 12 days, respectively. Devel
opment of water-soaked areas was observed on slices from fruit treated
with sodium hypochlorite, but little development of water-soaked area
s was detectable on slices from control fruit. An increase in C2H4 and
CO2 production due to infection by Alternaria alternata was observed
on slices from control fruit. These results suggest that routine surfa
ce sterilization of tomato fruit prior to postharvest experimentation
may lead to physiological and biochemical alterations in the behavior
of fruit. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser
ved.