Influence of the storage temperature on volatile emission, carotenoid content and chilling injury development in Star Ruby red grapefruit

Abstract

Grapefruits are sensitive to develop chilling injury (CI) on the peel upon postharvest storage at low temperature. We investigated the influence of the storage at 2 and 12 ºC on CI, carotenoids, and emission of volatiles by intact fruit. CI symptoms at 12 ºC were restricted to green fruit peel sectors but at 2 ºC the CI severity was higher and distributed through the whole fruit surface. Fruit peel coloration and carotenes content increased at 12 ºC whereas experienced minor changes at 2 ºC. At 2 ºC the emission of total volatiles and specific monoterpenes, mainly limonene, but also linalool and terpineol was enhanced, while storage at 12 ºC resulted in higher emission and diversity of cyclic sesquiterpenes and aliphatic esters. Results indicate a selective emission of volatiles by intact red grapefruit that appears to be a specific response to the storage temperature or to the cold-induced damage.

Volatiles Play an Important Role in the Attractiveness of Food for Trapping the Stored Grain Pests <em>Oryzaephilus surinamensis</em> L. (Coleoptera: <em>Silvanidae</em>)

“…Previous reports have indicated that between 11 °C and 35 °C, ORSU walking speed increases with increasing temperature [53]. [54] verified that at 2 ºC, emissions of total volatiles and specific monoterpenes, mainly limonene, but also linalool and α-terpineol from star ruby red grapefruit were enhanced, while storage at 12 ºC resulted in higher emissions and diversity of cyclic sesquiterpenes and aliphatic esters.…”

Effect of temperature treatment on fruit quality and immunoregulation of Satsuma (Citrus unshiuMarc.) during storage

“…Postharvest temperature treatment would affect the decay rate, rind color, and acid contents of Ponkan fruit (Cao et al., 2019). Low‐temperature storage is the most frequently used postharvest technology to maintain the fruit quality and extend storage life because low‐temperature storage can lead to high emission of volatile compounds from fruits, which plays a key role in inducing cellular defense mechanisms against pathogenic infection (Lado, Gurrea, Zacarías, & Rodrigo, 2019). Besides, the application of postharvest preservative measures, such as polyamine and edible coating, could maintain fruit quality by improving its firmness and delaying its deterioration processes (Zahedi, Hosseini, Karimi, & Ebrahimzadeh, 2019).…”

Metabolite Changes during Postharvest Storage: Effects on Fruit Quality Traits

“…While their low stability during postharvest storage, mainly due to a rapid turnover of β-carotene, has been described in many staple crops, postharvest accumulation in Citrus and tomato seems to be temperature dependent [96,97]. Carotenoid levels in grapefruit, determined by HPLC, stored at 2 and 12 • C established a link between carotenoid content and CI symptom suppression, suggesting that they play a role in preventing cold damage by protecting plastid structures [98,99]. Furthermore, the ratio between 9-Z-violaxanthin (yellow hues) and β-citraurin (orange-red pigments), responsible for the external orange fruit color, was lower in sweet oranges stored at 12 • C than at 2 • C, outlining that this important quality indicator is better maintained at moderate temperatures.…”

“…Another study on volatile emission by intact grapefruits stored at 12 and 2 • C for 7 weeks outlined important differences in the profiles of the terpenoid volatiles as a consequence of temperature [98]. Interestingly, grapefruits stored at 2 • C experienced a strong increase in monoterpene content, particularly in limonene and β-myrcene levels; this group of volatiles was strongly decreased in fruits stored at 12 • C at the beginning of the postharvest period, after which their content remained unchanged.…”