Abstract:

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of low temperature storage and controlled atmosphere (CA)
storage on physical and chemical indicators in two different kinds of colored ‘Red Fuji’ apples in order to provide a
theoretical basis for preventing ‘skin burning’. Two kinds of colored ‘Red Fuji’ apples at harvest were used as materials
to study the changes in firmness, pH, the contents of total soluble solids, anthocyanins and 9 individual polyphenols in
apple peels by hardometer, refractometric saccharometer, UV spectrophotometry, and HPLC during the storage period. At
harvest, the contents of anthocyanin and polyphenols in bad-colored apple were lower than in the well-colored apple, but the
activities of PPO and POD were significantly higher than in the well-colored apple. During storage, the degradation rates of
anthocyanin and polyphenols in the bad-colored apple were significantly higher than in the well-colored apple. Compared
with low temperature storage, CA storage effectively inhibited the degradation of anthocyanin and polyphenols, retarded the
increases in the activities of PPO and POD and maintained the quality index of fruit. “Skin burning” more likely happened
in bad-colored ‘Red Fuji’ apples than in the well-colored apples during storage under the same conditions, and in low
temperature stored apples than in CA-stored apples regardless of the color at harvest.

Key words: apple, anthocyanin, polyphenols, skin color, cold storage, controlled atmosphere storage