Aa. Kader et S. Ben-yehoshua, Effects of superatmospheric oxygen levels on postharvest physiology and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables, POSTH BIOL, 20(1), 2000, pp. 1-13
Exposure to superatmospheric O-2 concentration may stimulate, have no effec
t, or reduce rates of respiration and ethylene production, depending on the
commodity, maturity and ripeness stage, O-2 concentration, storage time an
d temperature, and concentrations of CO2 and C2H4 present in the atmosphere
. In some plant organs, cyanide-resistant respiration is enhanced by elevat
ed O-2 atmospheres. Ripening of mature-green, climacteric fruits was slight
ly enhanced by exposure to 30-80 kPa O-2, but levels above 80 kPa retarded
their ripening and caused O-2 toxicity disorders on some fruits. High O-2 c
oncentrations enhance some of the effects of ethylene on fresh fruits and v
egetables, including ripening, senescence, and ethylene-induced physiologic
al disorders (such as bitterness of carrots and russet spotting on lettuce)
. While superatmospheric O-2 concentrations inhibit the growth of some bact
eria and fungi, they are much more effective if combined with elevated (15-
20 kPa) CO2, which is a fungistatic gas. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All
rights reserved.