Prestorage heat treatment and poststorage quality of mango fruit

Freshly harvested mango fruit (Mangifera indica L. cv. Nam Dok Mai), were h eated at 38 degrees C for 3 days or heated and then stored at 4 degrees C f or 3 weeks before ripening at 25 degrees C, then compared with nonheated fr uit for quality changes. When not refrigerated, heated and nonheated fruit ripened within 7 days to a comparable quality, although titratable acidity remained higher in heated fruit. The peel of heated fruit was initially yel lower in cold-stored fruits, and soluble solids content was initially great er, whereas firmness and titratable acidity were less than that of nonheate d fruit during ripening at 25 degrees C. After cold storage and ripening, h eated fruit had a lower incidence of disease and developed less chilling in jury than nonheated fruit. Nonheated fruit stored at 4 degrees C also devel oped off-flavors whereas the heated fruit did not. Heat treatment did not i nhibit ripening but did ameliorate low-temperature injury.