ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

The effect of harvest date on aroma compound production from `Golden Delicious' apple fruit and relationship to respiration and ethylene production

Jun Song and Fritz Bangerth

Postharvest Biology and Technology Vol: 8 Issue: 4 Pages: 259-269.

1996

บทคัดย่อ

The maturity of apple fruit at harvest was examined as a factor affecting later flavour development. Respiration, ethylene production and aroma compound emanation at 20°C from ripening `Golden Delicious' apple fruit harvested at different stages of maturity and their changes during ripening were studied. Volatile compound production was highly maturity-dependent and closely related to the changes in the respiratory rate and ethylene production. Earlier-harvested fruit (4 weeks ahead of the climacteric rise) had reduced respiration, and ethylene production, with lower and later total aroma synthesis than that for optimal-harvested fruit. Among the 36 aroma compounds identified by GC-MS, four flavour and character impact compounds were examined in detail. The onset of production and rates of synthesis of butylacetate, hexylacetate, 2-methylbutylacetate and ethyl-2-methylbutanoate during maturation and ripening were determined. The production trends of straight-chain (butylacetate and hexylacetate) and branched-chain (2-methylbutylacetate and ethyl-2-methylbutanoate) volatile compounds were similar to that of total aromas, except for a later increase in ethyl-2-methylbutanoate. As fruit development approached optimal harvest date for fruit quality, respiration, ethylene- and aroma production occurred with less of a delay reaching greater maximum levels. It is suggested that fundamental physiological processes such as respiration and ethylene production may be limiting factors for volatile production in earlier-harvested fruit.