ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Post-harvest stability of latex in different sizes of guayule branches.

Cornish K., Chapman M.H., Brichta J.L., Vinyard S.H and Nakayama F.S.

Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 12, Number 1, June 2000 , pp. 25-32.

2000

บทคัดย่อ

Commercial development of hypoallergenic latex from Parthenium argentatum (Gray) for the manufacture of latex medical and household goods, is hampered by the lack of information on latex stability in the harvested shrub prior to processing. In this paper, we investigate the effect of post-harvest storage on extractable latex content of guayule branches. We found that harvested guayule branches can be stored at 4 degrees C for at least 2 weeks without compromising latex yield, provided that dehydration does not occur. When stored hydrated at 4 degrees C, latex levels declined between 2 and 5 weeks in all branch sizes with the most latex lost from the smallest branches and the least from the medium ones. The latex levels declined due to a combination of conversion of latex into solid rubber in situ and rubber degradation, depending upon the branch size. Overall rubber degradation from the latex and solid rubber pools in the branches was substantial in the smallest branches, but was not seen in the largest. Latex levels declined more quickly at warmer temperatures, even when the branches were hydrated, and were adversely affected by even slight dehydration.