Prestorage heat treatment and poststorage quality of mango fruit

Abstract

Freshly harvested mango fruit (Mangifera indica L. cv. Nam Dok Mai), were heated at 38 °C for 3 days or heated and then stored at 4 °C for 3 weeks before ripening at 25 °C, then compared with nonheated fruit for quality changes. When not refrigerated, heated and nonheated fruit ripened within 7 days to a comparable quality, although titratable acidity remained higher in heated fruit. The peel of heated fruit was initially yellower in cold-stored fruits, and soluble solids content was initially greater, whereas firmness and titratable acidity were less than that of nonheated fruit during ripening at 25 °C. After cold storage and ripening, heated fruit had a lower incidence of disease and developed less chilling injury than nonheated fruit. Nonheated fruit stored at 4 °C also developed off-flavors whereas the heated fruit did not. Heat treatment did not inhibit ripening but did ameliorate low-temperature injury.