Effect of Different Storage Conditions on Nutritional and Quality

• Author(s): Palma, V. ; Agulheiro-Santos, A.C. ; Machado, G. ; Rato, A.E. ; Cabrita, M.J. ; Lozano, M. ; Gónzález, D.
• Date: 2012
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/6260
• Origin: Repositório Científico da Universidade de Évora
• Subject(s): sweet cherry; cold storage; modified atmosphere; controlled atmosphere; total anthocyanins; total phenolics; total antioxidant activity
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

The sweet cherry ‘Sweetheart’, although having a short shelf life, is highly appreciated by consumers due to its organoleptic characteristics. Different storage methods were tested to study the maintenance of quality during a period of 27 days: 1) cold (air at 1°C and 95% relative humidity) (CC), 2) cold and polypropylene film bags (1°C and 95% relative humidity) (MA) and 3) cold and controlled atmosphere (1°C, 95% RH, 10% CO2 and 8% O2) (CA). Quality parameters tested included external colour (L*, a*, b*), total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA). To evaluate nutritional quality anthocyanins, total antioxidant activity, and total phenolics were measured. Results allow us to say that phenolic compounds were relatively stable and similar during storage in CC and MA. Cherries stored under CA conditions presented lowest concentrations of phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds, total anthocyanins and antioxidant activity were inversely correlated with values of colour coordinates. Considering all the evaluations done during this work it is unquestionable that fruits stored in controlled atmosphere conditions had significantly different quality.