Abstract: This research work was undertaken to evaluate the effect of peduncle infiltration with calcium chloride on internal browning and storage quality of pineapple (Ananas comosus ‘Comtede Paris’) after harvest, and the antioxidant capacity, phenolic metabolism and water-soluble calcium content of the treated fruit were determined. The results showed that 1% calcium chloride treatment reduced the disease index of pineapple internal browning, increased the activity of peroxidase (POD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and decreased the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and the content of total phenols. Calcium chloride treatment also delayed the decrease of VC and soluble sugar content, and increased the contents of water-soluble total calcium and intracellular calcium, thereby delaying the postharvest storage quality deterioration of pineapple. Calcium chloride treatment, however, had little effect on titratable acid content. It is speculated that calcium chloride treatment may alleviate the occurrence of pineapple internal browning by improving the antioxidant capacity reducing the metabolic level of phenolic substances and increasing the content of water-soluble intracellular calcium.

Key words: pineapple, calcium chloride, internal browning, storage quality