Abstract: Mature-green tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum var. cerasiforme) were treated in hot water at 38℃ for 1 hour,and also fruits were treated in water for 1 hour at 20℃ as control, Then both stored at 1±1℃, RH80%～95% for 37 days beforeripening at 20±1℃, RH80%～95%. Prestorage hot water treated tomatoes had 1.8 times higher ripening rate and shorter timerequired to ripen than did control fruits. Treatment had no effect on PG activity and firmness during cold storage, however, PGactivity was enhanced in fruit ripening period. Heat treatment stimulated increases in respiratory rate and ACC content, yetdecreased in ACS activity and ethylene production at the beginning, but the effects were lost later following cold store. However,ACS activity, ACC content, ethylene production and respiratory rate were significantly enhanced by the heat treatment duringthe latter cold-stored when tomato fruits were transferred at 20℃, and chilling injury was also reduced.

Key words: prestorage hot water treatment, ethylene, tomato, postharvest physiology