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Climacteric fruits continue to ripen postharvest, characterized by an increase in respiration and ethylene. Thus, the shelf-life, quality, and marketability of these fruits is reduced rapidly. One of the most important postharvest technology used to reduce the effect of exogenous and endogenous ethylene and extend the shelf-life of climacteric fruits is 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Currently, the application of 1-MCP on certain climacteric fruits is not commercially feasible due to the variable effects associated with this technology. In this review, factors that influence 1-MCP efficacy in climacteric fruits such as fruit maturity, concentration, genotypes, storage temperature and atmospheres, packaging material and application timing are critically discussed. In addition, current techniques used to mitigate the 1-MCP variability such as combined application with other postharvest treatments are briefly described and discussed. This review will provide an important information on the utilization of 1-MCP to prolong shelf-life in various climacteric fruits and help in the development of protocols for unregistered genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to identify reliable science-based maturity indices for 'Lamb Hass' avocado fruit and evaluate the effect of harvest maturity on the fruit postharvest performance. Fruits were harvested from outside and inside canopy positions at early and mid-season for quality assessment. The results showed that the canopy position had a highly significant effect (p <.001) on all maturity parameters: dry matter (DM) content, moisture content (MC) and oil content (OC). The outside canopy fruit were more mature (30% DM, 70% MC, 14.9% OC) than those harvested from the inside canopy (28.9% DM, 71.1% MC, 11.75% OC) at minimum maturity. However, fruit DM and MC did not differ significantly (p >.05) between the early and mid-season fruit, whilst significant differences in OC were found between the two harvesting stages. In both harvesting stages, the canopy positions did not affect the rate of fruit mass loss. Nonetheless, the overall analysis showed that early season fruit had a significantly (p <.001) higher fruit mass loss rate than the mid-season fruit. Notably, fruit maturity did not have a significant effect (p >.05) on the fruit softening rate as insignificant differences between the two harvesting stages were observed. In both the harvesting stages, inside canopy fruit were characterized by a higher concentration of mannoheptulose and perseitol than the outside canopy fruit. The early and mid-season fruit also differed significantly (p <.05) in phenolic content; with the mid-season fruit having a high phenolic content (2.7 µm/g) than the early season fruit (1.8 µm/g), suggesting the possibility of increased mesocarp discolouration with the advancement in maturity. These findings will be a valuable tool to assist growers in assessing fruit readiness for harvest and understanding the influence of maturity on the fruit postharvest behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest application of 1-methylcycloprepene (1-MCP) on banana fruit to extend shelf life and maintain quality is inconsistent as treated fruit do not ripen uniformly. Banana response to 1-MCP treatment can be variable due to within-bunch variation in fruit size, composition, and maturity. Therefore, the present study investigated whether fruit size variation explains variability in ripening recovery. To investigate this relationship, large, medium, and small fruit were treated with 0 nL L−1 1-MCP (control), 400 nL L−1 1-MCP and 50 µL L−1 ethephon + 400 nL L−1 1-MCP. Fruit were then ripened using 800 µL L−1 ethephon and stored at 23 ◦C for 30 d. Irrespective of fruit size, treating banana with 1-MCP and ethephon + 1-MCP prolonged shelf-life by 30 d compared to control, which were fully ripe at 15 d for medium and large fruit, and 20 d for small fruit. 1-MCP significantly delayed yellow colour development (colour stage 4), chlorophyll degradation (97.4 µg/g), and sucrose (2.57 mg/g) and glucose (0.86 mg/g) accumulation in small compared to medium and large fruit. However, firmness (56.13 N) and starch (0.68 mg/g) were significantly lower in 1-MCP-treated small-sized fruit compared to medium and large fruit. Moisture loss was also significantly higher (19.49%) in 1-MCP-treated small fruit compared to medium (14.89%) and large (18.11%). Combined ethephon and 1-MCP allowed for an increase in ripening in small, medium, and large fruit. Overall, medium and large fruit treated with 1-MCP and ethephon + 1-MCP recovered their ripening capacity better compared to small fruit. The results demonstrate that 1-MCP efficacy is influenced by fruit size, whereas ethephon + 1-MCP treatment was consistent across small, medium, and large fruit. The effect of fruit size on 1-MCP efficacy might explain the inconsistency of the treatment in the banana fruit. Therefore, it is important to apply 1-MCP on fruit of approximately the same size to achieve the full benefit of the treatment. Moreover, fruit treated with 1-MCP + ethephon recovered their ripening capacity, irrespective of size, suggesting that it is a beneficial treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mango is the third most important fruit in the tropics due to its nutritional properties and delicious flavor. The fruit is exceptionally perishable due to its climacteric nature, which decreases the quality and shelf-life. Preserving fruit quality and preventing losses during postharvest is one of the critical solutions in sustaining human dietary demands. Postharvest treatments such as 1-Methylcyclopropene, edible coatings, and hot water treatment have shown to be effective in preserving fruit quality. However, developing environmental-friendly postharvest technologies that ensure the safety of consumers remains a challenge. Gaseous ozone, controlled atmosphere (CA), and pulsed electric field (PEF) are some of the emerging technologies with great potential for the mango fruit industry. The use of such technologies has been demonstrated to be effective in maintaining the sensory, nutritional, and physicochemical quality of the mango fruit. However, the mode of action of the emerging technologies is not yet understood. This review provides of an overview of various postharvest techniques used to preserve mango fruit quality. The potential of the emerging postharvest technologies to maintain mango fruit quality during storage and shelf-life is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physicochemical properties of citrus fruit play critical roles in its maturity and quality determination. Hence, this study investigated the effect of canopy position on physicochemical properties of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit across different production regions at harvest and after storage at 7.5 °C for 3, 6, and 9 weeks. The study also evaluated the use of BrimA as an adoptable internal quality and maturity parameter for ‘Marsh’ grapefruit. Fruit from inside canopy (IC) and outside canopy (OC) were harvested from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Mpumalanga (MP) provinces in South Africa. Titratable acidity was determined by titration and calculation of the sugar/acid ratio (TSS/TA) was established while BrimA was derived from sugar and acid with tongue sensitivity index. Colour indices were measured using calibrated colorimeter while sugars were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At harvest, IC fruit from MP province were more luminous than the OC fruit while inverse results were recorded for fruit from KZN. At harvest, IC fruit had higher percentage of titratable acidity (TA) (2.73%) than OC fruit (2.40%) from MP, with opposite results from KZN. The BrimA showed a strong and positive correlation with TSS/TA (r = 0.9364). Overall, our result suggested that canopy position affect some physicochemical properties of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit. However, harvested fruit displayed a high level of maturity and quality over the period of cold storage. BrimA could potentially be used as an index of internal quality of grapefruit but further studies into the subject is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus fruits are an important diet for human health by providing some nutritional and antioxidant components, especially ascorbic acid (AsA). As the major antioxidant compound, the concentration of AsA is an important nutritional quality indicator for citrus fruit and its derivative products. Although the emphasis is on vitamin C content of harvested citrus fruit, this review of literature focuses on preharvest factors affecting this nutritional quality variable. The literature reviewed in this study showed that the content of AsA in citrus fruits is influenced by numerous preharvest factors including genotype, cultural practices, climatic conditions, fruit maturity and postharvest management. To better understand the mechanism underlying the vitamin C content of different citrus fruits, the introduction of this paper will first provide an overview of major proposed biosynthetic pathways and genes encoding for enzymes involved in AsA biosynthesis and oxidation. The review will then concentrate on the current state of knowledge regarding inherent genetic, environmental, fertilization, maturity and harvesting factors affecting AsA of citrus fruits. Some suggestions for future research are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly growing organic food market has prompted many researchers to compare numerous aspects of organically and conventionally grown foods. This review of literature provides an overview of empirical studies comparing postharvest quality of organically and conventionally produced fruits. The emphasis is on key postharvest quality parameters including physicochemical properties, postharvest storage performance, microbiological, sensory and nutritional quality. The study showed that physicochemical and nutritional properties relating to the contents of vitamins, phenolics and antioxidants are higher in organically produced fruits. It is also showed that production system has little effect on sensory quality. The better taste of organic produce as perceived by consumers is only due to the ‘halo effect’ of the organic label. The differences identified could be largely attributed to the different fertilization systems between organically and conventionally managed soils. The microbial contamination due to improper use of manure and compost in organically managed soils is a major concern in organic fruits. High levels of pesticide residues and nitrates in conventionally grown fruits is also a cause of concern. Several important problems in organic fruits are yet to be addressed, bacterial and fungal contamination of organic fruits warrants more intensive research. Future research should also investigate the effect of production system on storage potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] X-ray CT was used to non-destructively evaluate internal structures of pomegranate fruit. [•] Image analysis algorithm to compute volume of arils, albedo and air spaces was developed. [•] Characterization of fruit with and without chilling injury was achieved using X-ray CT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A non-destructive method for evaluating microstructures of citrus rind was developed. [•] Real-time image acquisition was achieved with optical coherence tomography (OCT). [•] Rind breakdown disorder was associated with the progressive collapse of oil glands. [•] Image processing procedures to compute volume and 3D models of oil glands were demonstrated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy as a non-destructive method for the development of calibration models has been investigated as a means of assessing the quality of whole pomegranate fruit. FT-NIR diffuse reflectance spectrometers with different spectral acquisition modes were evaluated using direct contact between the sample and the integrating sphere (IS), or by a contact-less measurement using an optic fibre coupled emission head (EH) to scan fruit over a distance of 170 mm. Fruit weight, firmness and colour components (a*, Chroma, hue angle), total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), sugar to acid ratio (TSS:TA), BrimA, total phenolics, total anthocyanin and vitamin C. The best prediction statistics obtained from calibration models of the EH were firmness (R 2  = 83.0, residual predictive deviation (RPD) = 2.43), fruit colour components (a*: R 2  = 90.9, RPD = 3.34); Chroma: R 2  = 83.0, RPD = 2.43, TSS (R 2  = 78.1, RPD = 2.17), TA (R 2  = 76.8, RPD = 2.12), BrimA (R 2  = 76.2, RPD = 2.08), total phenolics (R 2  = 88.0, RPD = 2.91) and vitamin C (R 2  = 76.2, RPD = 2.06). The best prediction obtained from calibration models of IS were colour component Hue (R 2  = 83.9, RPD = 2.50), TSS:TA (R 2  = 86.8, RPD = 2.72) and total anthocyanin (R 2  = 62.6, RPD = 1.64). Overall, good prediction was observed for both the EH and IS; however, better prediction performance was obtained with the EH which gave the best prediction for 9 of the 13 quality parameters evaluated. These findings have demonstrated that the EH (a contactless option of the Matrix-F) can be implemented as an online tool for the analysis of pomegranate fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest RP is a progressive rind physiological disorder affecting citrus fruit during postharvest storage, reducing external quality of the fruit. The disorder develops 3–5 weeks after harvest, making it difficult to detect during grading and sorting in commercial packing lines. The Vis/NIR spectroscopy and associated chemometric analytical methods were explored for non-destructive prediction of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit ( Citrus x paradisi MacFad) susceptibility to rind pitting. Reflectance Vis/NIR spectral data was acquired from fruit, just after harvest, using a laboratory bench-top monochromator NIR System equipped with a quartz halogen lamp and lead sulfide detector. Reference measurements for calibrating and validating PLS models included visual scores of RP and rind physico-chemical variables related to the disorder. The spectral data was correlated to RP scores and rind physico-chemical properties after eight weeks in cold storage and a week in shelf life. Good prediction of RP was obtained (R 2 p  = 0.78; RPD = 2.03; RMSEP = 1.41). Prediction models for rind physicochemical properties successfully developed and validated included rind total antioxidant capacity (R 2 p  = 0.95), β carotene (R 2 p  = 0.99), total carotenoids (R 2 p  = 0.92), chlorophyll a (R 2 p  = 0.89), chlorophyll b (R 2 p  = 0.93), dry matter (R 2 p  = 0.88), sucrose (R 2 p  = 0.91), glucose (R 2 p  = 0.93) and fructose (R 2 p  = 0.94). Principal component analysis successfully segregated fruit based on canopy position and susceptibility to rind pitting disorder. The ability of Vis/NIR spectroscopy coupled with chemometric analysis to cluster fruit based on canopy position is recommended as a secondary approach to discriminate fruit with high susceptibility to RP since RP occurrence was high on fruit from outside canopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits with thick rind have been reported to interfere with the measurement of internal quality of non-destructive near infrared spectroscopy. This review provides an overview of issues related to the use of near infrared spectroscopy for measuring internal and external quality attributes of horticultural produce with thick rinds. The use of other non-destructive techniques for assessing internal and external quality thick rind fruit, such as hyperspectral and multispectral imaging systems, X-ray micro-computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy are also discussed. A concise summary of research and potential commercial application for each of the techniques is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used as a non-destructive technique to characterise and quantify the internal structure of pomegranate fruit (cv. Wonderful). A commercial X-ray system with a radiation source of 245 kW and electron current of 300 μA was used to generate two-dimensional (2D) radioscopic images which were reconstructed into three dimensional (3D) images for the quantification and volume estimation of internal structural components of fruit. Segmentation of the internal fruit components (arils, peel, kernel, juice content, air space) and single arils was achieved using StudioMax volume graphics software. The calculated volume of each fruit fraction were 162.5 ± 16.2, 163.9 ± 21.4, 16.4 ± 1.8, 10.9 ± 2.6 mL for arils, peel, kernel and air space, respectively which accounted for 48.1, 48.3, 4.9 and 4.1% of total fruit volume. Furthermore, the calculated volume of juice content was 146.1 ± 16.3 mL per fruit which was equivalent to an average of 89.8% of total aril weight, while a single aril (0.3 ± 0.04 mL) accounted for only 0.09% of whole fruit volume. Destructive validation measurements of each fruit fraction showed similar results to non-destructive data, with volumes of 163.3 ± 15.2, 161.8 ± 20.6, 15.1 ± 1.6, and 12.3 ± 4.4 mL for arils, peel, kernel, air space, respectively, while volumes of juice and single aril were 142.7 ± 16.4 and 0.3 ± 0.09 mL per fruit, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that fruit physical attributes such as length, diameter and peel thickness were underestimated by an average of 0.14%, 1.13% and 5.27%, respectively, while fruit radius was overestimated by 1.75%. Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed for length, diameter, radius and peel thickness between X-ray CT predicted values and actual measurements. This work has demonstrated the capability of X-ray CT as a non-destructive technique to suitably estimate the fruit volume and its fractions which could be employed for fruit quality systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the efficacy of edible gum arabic (GA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) containing moringa (M) leaf extract as postharvest treatments for maintaining organoleptic quality and controlling Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on 'Maluma' avocado fruit. For the quality study, after the fruit was dipped into the treatments: GA 10%, GA 15%, GA 10% + M, GA 15% + M, and CMC 1% + M and uncoated fruit served as control, the fruit were then stored at 5.5 8C [95% relative humidity (RH)] for 21 days, and moved to ambient conditions at 21 ± 1 8C (60% RH) for 7 days to simulate retail condition. Quality parameters that were evaluated include mass loss, firmness, and color changes (L*, a*, b*, respectively), and sensory quality attributes, such as taste, color, mouthfeel, odor, and overall acceptability. Fruit quality study results showed fruit coated with GA 15% + M and CMC 1% + M had lower mass loss (3.66%), retained firmness (62.37 N), and color changes [L* (30.85), a* (L2.33) and b* (7.14)] compared with other treatments. In this biofungicidal study on antimicrobial properties of extracts, treatments against fungi strains using an in vitro test were investigated, which showed treatments of moringa leaf extract, GA 10% + M, and GA 15% + M suppressed radial mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides by 30%, 28%, and 33%, respectively. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that GA 15% + M and CMC 1% + M retained fruit firmness and lowered weight loss and suppressed mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides on 'Maluma' avocado fruit. These edible coatings could therefore be an alternative organic postharvest coating treatment and could potentially be commercialized as a new organic biofungicide for the avocado fruit industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]