FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2016, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (20): 215-220.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-201620037

• Packaging & Storage • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Ozone Treatment on Storage Quality and Physiological Characteristics of Xinjiang Thick-Skinned Melon

CHEN Cunkun1,2, GAO Furong1, XUE Wentong2, ZHU Wanzhen2, DONG Chenghu1, WANG Wensheng1,*   

  1. 1. National Engineering Technology Research Center for Preservation of Agriculture Product, Key Laboratory of Fresh-keeping of
    Agricultural Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Postharvest Physiology and Storage of Agricultural Products,
    Tianjin 300384, China; 2. College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2016-10-27 Revised:2016-10-27 Online:2016-10-25 Published:2016-12-01
  • Contact: WANG Wensheng

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Abstract:

Xinjiang thick-skinned melon is a type of fruit which is extraordinarily favored by people, but it does not
withstand storage or transportation. This study was concerned with the effects of 4 different storage conditions i.e., a)
treatment with ozone at 5 × 10-6 m3/m3 (on an air basis) for 5 h every seven days during storage at −1–0 ℃; b) 2 × 10-6 m3/m3
ozone for 30 min every day during storage at 5–6 ℃; c) 4 × 10-6 m3/m3 ozone for 30 min every day during storage at 5–6 ℃;
and d) 2%–5% O2 + 2%–4% CO2 during storage 5–6 ℃, on the storage quality and physiological properties of Xinjiang
thick-skinned melon. Untreated fruits were used as control. With this aim, we determined respiration intensity, ethylene
production rate, soluble solids content, titratable acid content, pH, fruit hardness, reducing sugar content and peroxidase (POD)
activity of melon under these conditions were determined every 15 days of storage, and we also statistically analyzed decay
index and chilling injury index of melon fruits in all treatment groups after 68-day storage. The experiment results suggested
that low-temperature storage (−1–0 ℃) resulted in the minimum decay index, but caused chilling injury (the chilling injury
index after 68-day storage was 39%). The second treatment better maintained the quality of melon fruit than the control
group, and the third treatment provided the best maintenance of fruit quality as indicated by delaying the occurrence of
the respiratory peak, decreasing respiration intensity, minimizing ethylene production rate, and increasing reducing sugar
content, fruit flesh firmness and POD activity, consequently achieving a decay index of only 0.318 after storage for 68 days.
The highest titratable acid content was found in the fourth treatment, showing a highly significant difference as compared
with the other three treatment groups (P < 0.01). The control group was the least effective at preserving the quality of melon fruit.

Key words: Xinjiang thick-skinned melon, low temperature storage, ozone, controlled atmosphere, quality

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