Abstract:

Tomatoes from Fentailang cultivar were treated by slow-release ethanol (a solidified ethanol) in incubators at
20 ℃ and a relative humidity of 85%, and those without treatment were used as control. The changes in quality traits,
ethylene release, and polygalacturonase (PG) and cellulase activities were measured during storage periods. The results
showed that SRE treatment improved fruit brightness and alleviated the decrease in weight loss rate, reduced the soluble
solid loss, maintained fruit firmness at a certain level, increased the sugar/acid ratio at the later storage, and delayed fruit
red turning by 6 d in comparison to the control. Meanwhile, ethylene release and the activities of PG and cellulase were
significantly decreased. Taken together, these results indicated that slow-release ethanol could delay the ripening and
senescence and extend the shelf life of tomatoes, thus keeping the flavor quality of tomatoes for a long time.

Key words: tomato, slow-release ethanol, fruit quality, ethylene release, enzyme activity