Effects of 1-MCP and storage temperature on quince fruit quality

Abstract

Quince (Cydonia oblonga) is an important underutilized Mediterranean fruit having many possible culinary uses but there is very little knowledge on its storage and quality and almost nothing about 1-MCP effects on quince fruit quality. Quince fruit ('Afrata Volou') were harvested at commercial maturity (slightly green skin color), treated or not with 600 nl L-1 1-MCP five days later and stored for up to 151 d at 2°C (no cover) or 10°C (in loosely closed PE bags), or in a storage room with gradual (within a month) drop of storage temperature from 20 to 2°C (RH 80-90%). Control fruit were kept at ambient conditions (temperature 4 to 17°C and RH 35-95%). Quality evaluation included skin color, flesh firmness, juice soluble solids content (SSC) and titratable acidity and flesh dry matter (DM). Quince fruit skin color became more yellow, fruit softened, acidity and DM decreased and SSC only slightly decreased with time in storage. Fruit stored at 2°C or treated with 1-MCP remained greener based on lower a∗, b∗ and chroma values and higher hue angle values compared to fruit stored at higher temperatures. In contrast, storage at 2°C or treatment with 1-MCP did not improve quince flesh firmness. As expected, fruit kept at ambient conditions were the softest and also developed flesh browning. Quince fruit stored at 2°C or ambient conditions had lower SSC and DM values than fruit stored at 10°C in PE bags. It seems that low storage temperature or ambient temperature increase sugar losses through respiration and storing quince at 10°C in PE bags without treatment with 1-MCP is recommended to keep quince fruit quality acceptable for up to 106 d.