Action of ethylene on postharvest of summer squash ‘Menina Brasileira’

Abstract

RESUMOThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and the physiological responses of summer squash 'Menina Brasileira' to ethylene. Immature fruits were harvested and placed in 20 L sealed buckets, in which ethylene was applied at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100, and 1000 µL L -1 for 24 h. Fruits were placed in buckets with no ethylene as a control treatment. Thereafter, the fruits were taken out of the buckets and maintained on bench, wherein on days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8, they were evaluated regarding the accumulated fresh weight loss, soluble sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugars, starch, total chlorophyll, content of malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage. Fruits of summer squash 'Menina Brasileira' showed sensitivity to exogenous ethylene with no weight loss stimulation. Additionally, the fruits exhibited small changes in nutritional quality attributes and changes in the external fruit appearance, including decreased chlorophyll content as well as damage to cell membrane characterized by increase in malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage. These changes were stimulated by increasing exogenous ethylene concentration. Key words: Ação do etileno na pós-colheita de abobrinha 'Menina Brasileira'O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a sensibilidade e as respostas fisiológicas da abobrinha 'Menina Brasileira' a diferentes doses de etileno. Os frutos foram colhidos, homogeneizados e colocados em baldes de 20 litros hermeticamente fechados, nos quais foram aplicadas doses de etileno nas concentrações de 0,1; 1,0; 10; 100 e 1000 µL L -1 durante 24 h, além do controle. Posteriormente, os frutos foram retirados dos baldes e mantidos sobre bancada, onde aos dias 0, 2, 4, 6 e 8 foram avaliados quanto à perda de peso fresco e teores de açúcar solúvel total, açúcar redutor e não redutor, amido, clorofila, conteúdo de malonaldeído e extravasamento de eletrólitos. Os frutos da abobrinha 'Menina Brasileira' apresentaram sensibilidade ao etileno exógeno sem estimular a perda de peso fresco. Ademais, os frutos exibiram pequenas alterações nos atributos de qualidade nutricional, além de mudanças no aspecto externo dos frutos, como diminuição do teor de clorofila e injúria por danos à membrana celular, caracterizada pelo aumento do conteúdo de malonaldeído e extravasamento de eletrólitos. Essas alterações foram estimuladas em resposta ao aumento da concentração de etileno.

Shelf life of gilo fruits treated with ethylene

“…In the fruits of summer squash the PMF increased with time of storage, regardless the application of ethylene (Araújo et al, 2017). This was also observed in 'Uba' mango (Silva et al, 2012).…”

“…During the storage period, control fruits and those treated with 0.1 µL L -1 had an increase in the NRS and TSS contents, respectively. In the summer squash, the application of 10 μL L -1 got to a greater reduction in sugars than the highest doses, with a reduction of 22 and 35 % for total soluble sugars and reducing sugars, respectively (Araújo et al, 2017).…”

“…The application of 0; 5 and 10 μL L -1 of ethylene for 96 h at 22 ° C in 'valencia' oranges reduced chlorophyll content (Jomori et al, 2016). In the summer squash the reduced chlorophyll was 67.97 %, 69.63 %, and 73.39 % in response to the three highest doses of ethylene (10, 100 and 1000 μL L -1 ), respectively, after eight days of storage (Araújo et al, 2017). Both authors attributed chlorophyll reduction to increased chlorophyllase activity.…”

Quality changes of acerola fruit harvested at different maturity stages and exposed to external ethylene

“…In that case, ethylene can be used to help characterizing the ripening metabolism (Archbold & Pomper, 2003). In climacteric fruit, external ethylene triggers its autocatalytic synthesis, anticipates the increase in respiration and accelerates quality changes, whereas in non-climacteric fruit, external ethylene leads to an imminent increase followed by a decrease in respiratory activity and has limited effect on quality changes (Abeles et al, 1992;Silva et al, 2009;Silva et al, 2012).Therefore, due to the lack of autocatalytic ethylene synthesis, non-climacteric fruit increase respiration rate and metabolic activity only during the exposure Bruna Silva Ribeiro et al to the hormone, decreasing thereafter (Abdi et al, 1998;Araújo et al, 2017).…”

Uso de películas pós-colheita para a manutenção dos atributos visuais e produção de etileno em mini-abóboras ornamentais

“…In climacteric fruits, during ripening, occurs a drastic increase in ethylene production, which results in high respiratory activity (Chitarra and Chitarra, 2005). Although some studies have shown that the 'Menina Brasileira' zucchini is considered non-climacteric, it has some sensitivity to ethylene (Araújo et al, 2017). Thus, it is also important to understand the sensitivity of ornamental minipumpkins to this phytohormone, by evaluating the ethylene production and respiration, in response to the application of compounds that inhibit the ethylene action, such as 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP).…”