LOW O2 AND HIGH CO2 ATMOSPHERES FOR PRESERVATION OF LITCHI FRUITS

Abstract

The shelf life of the litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) fruits is short due to the pericarp browning. In this work the effect of different treatments of controlled atmosphere (CA) under refrigeration on the quality of litchi fruits cv. ‘Mauritius’ was evaluated. Fruits were harvested at Xicotepec de Juárez, Puebla, México, at edible maturity (red pericarp). Five CA treatments were applied for 14 d at 5 °C and 96 % relative humidity (RH), with O₂ and CO₂ in porcentual concentrations of (3-5), (3-10), (10-5), (10-10), respectively, and normal atmosphere (control). After treatments the fruits were stored in normal atmosphere (air) at 20 °C and 60 % RH for 6 d. The pericarp color attributes, lightness and chroma, remained similar to the initials values registered in fruits exposed to AC, which did not occurr in control fruits. The gaseous mixture that produced the best results was 3 % O₂ and 5 % CO₂, since it produced lesser anthocyanins degradation, minimized the development of a fermentative metabolism and allowed subsequent fruit handling for at least six additional days at ambient conditions.