Effect of post-harvest temperature on quality, carotenoids and ascorbic acid content of Alphonso mangoes on ripening.
Thomas P.
Author Affiliation: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, India.
Journal of Food Science 40 : 704-706
Abstract : Storage of cv. Alphonso mangoes at ambient temperature (26-32 deg C) was found to favour the development of typical organoleptic qualities and flesh carotenoids on ripening. Low temperature (7-20 deg ) storage of preclimacteric fruits for periods ranging from 16 to 23 days adversely affected the development of the above qualities even when fruits were subsequently ripened under ambient temperatures. Storage at low temperature resulted in 20-70% reduction in the total carotenoids content of the flesh on ripening, the lowest being in fruits continuously held at low temperatures. Regardless of temperature, carotenes always exceeded xanthophylls, the former accounting for 60-70% of the total flesh carotenoids. Ascorbic acid retention on ripening was maximal in low-temperature-stored fruits and prolonged storage at low temperatures caused a net synthesis of ascorbic acid.