Development of a New Essential Oil-Based Technology to Maintain Fruit Quality in Tomato

Abstract

In this study, a new technology was tested for its efficacy in the conservation of tomato fruits. An initial experiment was conducted to determine the effects of eugenol on the main quality parameters of Raf tomato fruits; then, a main experiment was performed to test the effectiveness of the new technology. In both experiments, fruits of the tomato cultivar Raf at the mature green stage were used. The preliminary experiment demonstrated the effectiveness of eugenol in maintaining fruit quality during the postharvest life of the fruit. In the main experiment, the fruits were packed using a sachet filled with a mixture consisting of 10:1:1 clinoptilolite clay, ground clove buds, and activated charcoal. This mixture was evaluated against a commercial ethylene scavenger composed mainly of KMnO4-impregnated sepiolite. Three lots of fruits were used: One batch was considered as the control, where the fruits were not packed but kept in an open box at room temperature. The fruits in the other two batches were packed in 2 L PET containers with lids at a rate of three fruits per container, and a sachet of ground cloves and a commercial scavenger was added inside each container in each batch. The containers were kept at room temperature, and the following main quality parameters were analyzed: ethylene production rate, firmness, color, content of soluble solids, and pigments. The results showed that ground clove buds led to a reduction in ethylene production which was associated with a delay in maturation and could be a good alternative for use in the active fruit packaging of horticultural products.

Use of Sub-Atmospheric Pressure Storage to Improve the Quality and Shelf-Life of Marmande Tomatoes cv. Rojito

“…The ethylene production rate was assessed every sampling day. According to Duque et al [ 2 ], 4 replications of 3 fruits per treatment were held in 3.5-litre sealed containers hermetically sealed with a rubber stopper for 1 h at 20 °C. Then, a sample of the gas was taken with a syringe, and the ethylene content was determined three times using a gas chromatograph (Varian 3900 GC) equipped with a flame ionisation detector (FID).…”

“…In addition to these requirements, they must also be suitable for postharvest handling, transport, and marketing [ 1 ]. The different cultivars of the Marmande type, such as RAF, Rojito, Adora and Delizia, are traditional crops in the province of Almería characterised by high organoleptic quality, high market price and very short postharvest life as a result of the rapid development of all the ripening processes after harvesting [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. This short postharvest life is a hinderance to the marketing of these fruits, which are usually consumed in the breaker or turning ripening stage.…”

“…For these reasons, different techniques have been used to increase the shelf life of Marmande tomatoes, maintaining their firmness, as well as the rest of the quality attributes. For example, ethylene antagonists, such as 1-MCP [ 4 ], oil-based postharvest regulators [ 2 ] and modified atmospheres [ 5 ] have been used for this purpose. Although there are various techniques used for the preservation of horticultural products, the storage under hypobaric conditions is very little applied.…”

The Emergence and Impact of Ethylene Scavengers Techniques in Delaying the Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables

“…The researchers discovered that cherry tomatoes wrapped in 1% P-HNTs/LDPE nanocomposite film (P-HLNF) and deposited at 20 • C for 21 days had a low-level rate of ethylene production and respiration, as well as a delay in firmness loss and color change. Besides, Duque et al [37] ran an experiment to observe the eugenol that affected main quality characteristics of Raf tomato fruits. The preliminary testing revealed that eugenol aids in the preservation of fruit quality after harvest.…”

Extending the Shelf Life of Bananas with Cinnamaldehyde-Impregnated Halloysite/Polypropylene Nanocomposite Films

“…There have also been studies on the inhibition effect of essential oils on the ethylene production of fruits and vegetables . While essential oils, non-toxic, eco-friendly natural plant extracts have been widely utilized in different food applications mainly as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents for maintaining food quality, − there have also been studies on the inhibition effect of essential oils on the ethylene production of fruits and vegetables. − However, the demonstration of the incorporation of essential oils into food packaging materials as ethylene release-inhibiting agents has been limited, ,, mainly because the direct incorporation of volatile essential oils into packaging materials is not possible due to the high-temperature polymer processing conditions. Incorporation of an ethylene release-inhibiting agent into food packaging films via a sustained release system that allows its long-term, slow release from the packaging film can allow the release of the ethylene release-inhibiting agent into the packaging headspace and delay the ripening of the packaged food product.…”