Novel Postharvest Treatments of Fresh Produce

Sunil Pareek

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781498729918
• eBook ISBN: 9781315353104
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Agriculture
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has increased dramatically in the last several decades. This increased consumption has put a greater burden on the fresh produce industry to provide fresher product quality, combined with a high level of food safety. Therefore, postharvest handling, storage and shipment of horticultural crops, including fruit and vegetable products has increased in importance. Novel Postharvest Treatments of Fresh Produce focuses mainly on the application of novel treatments for fruits and vegetables shipping and handling life. A greater emphasis is placed on effects of postharvest treatments on senescence and ripening, bioactive molecule contents and food safety. The work presented within this book explores a wide range of topics pertaining to novel postharvest treatments for fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables including applications of various active agents, green postharvest treatments, physical treatments and combinations of the aforementioned.

Chapter 1

Nitric Oxide Treatments

Zora Singh

Department of Environment and Agriculture

School of Science

Curtin University

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Ahmad Sattar Khan

Institute of Horticultural Sciences

University of Agriculture

Faisalabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Abbreviations

1.1Introduction

1.2NO Biosynthesis

1.3Relationship of NO with Other Signaling Molecules

1.3.1Ethylene

1.3.2Salicylic Acid

1.3.3Jasmonic Acid

1.3.4Polyamines

1.3.5Other Growth Regulators

1.4Postharvest Application in Horticultural Crops

1.4.1NO Application in Fruits

1.4.2NO Application in Vegetables

1.4.3NO Application in Floriculture

1.5Role of NO in Ripening of Horticultural Produce

1.5.1Ethylene Production

1.5.2Respiration Rate

1.5.3Color Development

1.5.4Softening

1.5.5Nutritional Quality

1.6Role of NO on Postharvest Oxidative Stress

1.7Role of NO in Postharvest Disease and Disorder Management

1.7.1Diseases

1.7.2Disorders

1.8Conclusions and Future Prospects

References

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key signaling molecule mediating various developmental and physiological activities in horticultural crops at pre- as well as during postharvest. NO has an antagonistic relationship with ethylene production through its ability to suppress the activities of ethylene biosynthesis enzymes. Endogenous NO production has been reported as a plant strategy to defer the climacteric phase of many horticultural crops, reduce yellowing, chlorophyll degradation of vegetables, and increase the vase life of various flowering plants. NO fumigation has been found more effective in delaying the fruit ripening and shelf/vase life extension of fruits, vegetables as well as cut flowers. However, its more marked effects have been found in nonclimacteric fruits as compared to climacteric ones. Nevertheless, owing to the volatile nature of NO and reactive oxygen species toxicity, its super optimal concentrations can result in harmful effects; therefore, precise monitoring of their threshold levels is very important for maintaining the anticipated beneficial effects needed for the desirable ripening modulation, shelf/vase life extension of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, respectively.

Abbreviations

ACC	1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylicacid
ACO	1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylicacid Oxidase (EC 4.4.17.4)
ACS	1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylicacid Synthase (EC 4.4.1.14)
AVG	Aminoethoxy-Vinyl-Glycine
CAT	Catalase (EC 1.11.1.6)
CI	Chilling Injury
EGase	Endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase (EC 3.1.1.4)
Endo-PG	Endo-Polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15)
Exo-PG	Exo-Polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.67)
LOX	Lypoxigenase (EC 1.13.11.31)
1-MCP	1-methylcyclopropene
MJ	Methyl Jasmonate
NO	Nitric Oxide
NOS	Nitric Oxide Synthase (EC 1.14.13.39)
PAs	Polyamines
PAL	Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (EC 4.3.1.24)
PE	Pectin Esterase (EC 3.1.1.11)
PPO	Poly Phenol Oxidase (EC 1.14.18.1)
POD	Peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7)
ROS	Reactive Oxygen Species
SOD	Superoxide Dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1)

1.1Introduction

Postharvest biology and technology of horticultural produce is now a well-established discipline throughout the world. Owing to the perishable nature of horticultural commodities, about 25%–40% of losses have been reported during postharvest handling. The fruits of horticultural crops have typically been grouped as climacteric and nonclimacteric based on their respiration patterns and ethylene production at the commencement of the ripening process. Generally, fruits that experience an ethylene production burst and increased respiration rates are referred to as climacteric fruits (Barry and Giovannoni, 2007). After harvesting at a mature stage, the ripening of climacteric fruit is regulated by various chemicals. Postharvest application of various compounds such as aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), ethephon, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), methyl jasmonates (MJ), or polyamines (PAs) has been reported to regulate fruit ripening in various fruit crops (Singh and Janes, 2001; Bregoli et al., 2006; Khan and Singh, 2007a,b; Khan et al., 2007; Khan and Singh, 2009). However, their effectiveness varies among cultivars, methods of application, and concentration applied. Additionally, these chemicals possess certain limitations such as nonavailability for commercial usage, uneven ripening, and development of various disorders at post ripening stages. Similarly, leafy vegetables and cut flowers also need to be cared for properly in the supply chain; these freshly harvested horticultural commodities lose their freshness very rapidly, which limit their marketing. Therefore, the horticultural industry of the world desires the inclusion of some novel agent for regulating ripening, as well as extension of the shelf and vase life. NO is a good alternative to extend the postharvest shelf and vase life of fresh horticultural commodities (Leshem, 2000; Manjunatha et al., 2014). NO is an extremely diffusible free radical, which first attracted consideration as a potentially dangerous environmental pollutant, but has been shown to be involved in stomatal movement, respiration, germination of seeds, and differentiation of cell and fruit ripening (Leshem et al., 1998; Wilson et al., 2008) and it also acts as an antiethylene agent. Recently, postharvest investigations with optimum NO levels have been found to prolong the postharvest storage life of a wide range of horticultural crops by impeding ripening and senescence processes (Leshem et al., 1998; Sozzi et al., 2003; Flores et al., 2008; Zhu et al., 2009b; Zaharah and Singh, 2011a). Moreover, NO can also be used easily in various biological systems with donor compound which usually under controlled environment conditions release NO gas (Hrabie et al., 1993). Postharvest dipping in a solution of NO or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) impeded internal browning of some horticultural crops such as plum, longan, fresh cut apple, and broccoli (Soegiarto and Wills, 2004; Pristijono et al., 2006; Duan et al., 2007a; Zhang et al., 2008).

Similarly, exogenous NO application has been found to markedly delay the maturation and ripening processes either when applied through direct fumigation in oxygen-free atmospheres or also from NO releasing agents/chemicals such as “N-tert-butyl-α-phenylnitrone” and “3-morpholino sydnonimine” (Leshem et al., 1998; Bowyer et al., 2003). Fumigation with NO gas has been found to prolong the postharvest shelf/vase life of various horticultural crops including apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, some vegetables, and cut flowers (Wills et al., 2000; Badiyan et al., 2004; Zhu and Zhou, 2006, 2007; Wills et al., 2007a; Eum et al., 2009; Talebi et al., 2013b; Manjunatha et al., 2014). Moreover, NO impedes the activities of some enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia lyase (EC 4.3.1.24) (PAL), peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) (POD), and polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.14.18.1) (PPO) and also maintains fairly high levels of polyphenols, soluble solid contents, and ascorbic acid (AA) contents of stored horticultural produce (Pristijono et al., 2006; Duan et al., 2007a; Wills et al., 2007a; Kramchote et al., 2008; Li-Qin et al., 2009).

Among horticultural commodities, climacteric fruits ripen faster than nonclimacteric ones and are characterized with rapid change in the nutritional and sensorial attributes, which consequently leads to their deterioration and senescence (Kader, 2002; Wills et al., 2007b). On the other hand, fresh-cut vegetables and some flowers turn yellow and also show prompt senescence due to chlorophyll degradation and tend to have a very short shelf/vase...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Preface
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Foreword
• Editor
• Contributors
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• 1. Nitric Oxide Treatments
• 2. Oxalic Acid Treatments
• 3. Calcium Treatments
• 4. Polyamines Treatments
• 5. Methyl Jasmonate Treatments
• 6. Salicylic Acid Treatments
• 7. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) Treatments
• 8. Ozone Treatments
• 9. Hot Water Treatments
• 10. Combination Hot Forced Air Treatments and Controlled Atmosphere Treatments: CATTS—Controlled Atmosphere Temperature Treatment System
• 11. Irradiation Treatments
• 12. Ultraviolet Light Treatments
• 13. Precooling and Refrigerated Storage
• 14. Modified Atmosphere for Storage, Transportation, and Packaging
• 15. A Perspective on Fruit and Vegetable Packaging
• 16. Modeling of Modified Atmosphere Packaging Based on Conventional Polymeric Films and Perforated Films
• 17. Individual Shrink Wrapping Technology
• 18. Maximizing the Levels of Dietary Flavonoids in Apples and Rosaceae
• 19. Flavonoids in Pome Fruits: Health Benefits, Genetic Control, and Prospects to Breed an Even Healthier Apple
• 20. Antioxidant Potential and Their Changes during Postharvest Handling of Tropical Fruits
• 21. Applications of Sensory Analysis for Fresh and Processed Horticultural Products
• Index