Effects of Continuous Application of CO2 on Fruit Quality Attributes and Shelf Life during Cold Storage in Cherry Tomato

Abstract

‘Unicon’ cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most highly perishable horticultural crops due to its high water content and respiration rate. This study was carried out to assess the effect of continuous application of CO2 (control [air], 3%, and 5%) on the quality and shelf life of cherry tomato fruits stored at 10°C and 85 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) at two maturity stages (pink and red). Continuous application of CO2 did not affect the soluble solids content (SSC) or titratable acidity (TA) of the fruit at either maturity stage during storage. However, there was a significant difference among treatments in terms of flesh firmness, cell wall thickness, pectin content, vitamin C content, skin color, lycopene content, weight loss, ethylene production rate, respiration rate, and acetaldehyde and ethanol production. Fruits treated with 5% CO2 maintained their high quality with regards to vitamin C, skin color (a*), lycopene content, weight loss, physiological parameters (ethylene production rate, respiration rate, and volatile compounds), flesh firmness, cell wall thickness, and pectin content at both maturity stages compared with 3% CO2 treatment and the control. Continuous application of CO2 (5%) reduced the ethylene production rate and the production of volatile compounds during storage. Therefore, cherry tomato ‘Unicon’ fruit can be stored for two weeks without losing fruit quality at both maturity stages under continuous application of 5% CO2 as a postharvest treatment