Ripening and Postharvest Storage of Pawpaw

Abstract

<jats:p>To facilitate the growth of a commercial pawpaw (<jats:italic>Asimina triloba</jats:italic>) industry, several problems with harvest and postharvest handling of fruit need to be resolved. Pawpaw fruit ripening is characterized by an increase in soluble solids content, fl esh softening, increased volatile production, and a loss of green color intensity. Within 3 days after harvest, ethylene and respiratory climacteric peaks are clearly evident. Softening of fruit is due to the action of at least four enzymes, with the softening proceeding from the surface to the interior tissue. Fruit on a single tree can ripen over a 2-week period, creating labor problems. When immature fruit is harvested it does not ripen, even if treated with ethephon at 1000 mg·L<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (ppm), but the use of commercially available growth regulators both pre- and postharvest warrants further study. Fruit soften very rapidly at room temperature after harvest and have a 2-to 4-day shelf life. However, we have stored pawpaw fruit for 1 month at 4 °C (39.2 °F) with little change in fruit firmness and fruit apparently continue normal ripening upon removal to ambient temperature. The optimum temperature and duration for holding fruit will need to be determined. Further extension in pawpaw storage life may be feasible with controlled or modified atmosphere storage. Although there are a number of practical problems with pawpaw harvest and postharvest storage that need to be addressed, we hope to develop recommendations for harvest and handling of fruit in the near future.</jats:p>

Sensory Analysis of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Pulp Puree: Consumer Appraisal and Descriptive Lexicon

“…Most likely, this relationship involves the formation of colored pigments via the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, for which oxygen is required and heat would denature. Polyphenol oxidase has been shown to be present in pawpaw pulp (Fang, Wang, Xiong, & Pomper, 2007;Wang, Fang, Xiong, & Pomper, 2008) and likely is responsible for discoloration observed during refrigerated storage (Archbold, Koslanund, & Pomper, 2003). The discoloration of pawpaw pulp due to polyphenol oxidase has not been monitored in pawpaw pulp stored frozen.…”

Phytochemical analysis of ten varieties of pawpaw (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) fruit pulp

“…As pawpaw ripens, soluble solids concentration increases and the production of volatile flavor compounds is enhanced. However, those factors are not easily detectable as ripening indicators (Archbold, Koslanund, & Pomper, 2003). The most obvious indicator of ripeness is a decrease in fruit firmness, related to the activity of enzymes such as cellulase, polygalacturonase, endo-mannanase, and pectin methylesterase (Archbold et al, 2003).…”

“…The shelf life of pawpaw fruit that is ripened on the tree has been http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.07.018 0308-8146/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. reported to be from 2 to 3 days at room temperature to 5 to 7 days at room temperature (Archbold et al, 2003), which can be delayed by refrigeration for several weeks (Archbold et al, 2003).…”

Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Pawpaw Fruit (Asimina triloba L.) at Different Ripening Stages

“…Efforts to popularize pawpaw started in the early part of the last century through domestication and development of superior cultivars (Peterson, 2003). The interest in pawpaw waned over the years, possibly because of perishability (Archbold and Pomper, 2003;Popenoe, 1916Popenoe, , 1917 and the increasing popularity of other domestic fruit crops such as blueberry (Pomper and Layne, 2005). However, pawpaw is enjoying resurgence in popularity as a niche crop.…”