Effect of packaging materials on shelf-life and physico-chemical changes during storage of lychee fruit.
Nithiya Rattanapanone and Danai Boonyakiat
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 553: 611-612.
2001
บทคัดย่อ
The effect of polyethylene films (high gas permeability and low water vapour transmission) on the shelf life of lychee (Litchi chinensis) fruits (cultivars Hong Hauy, Juckapat and Gimjeng) was investigated. Fruits were packed in 2 types of polyethylene bags (type 1, PD 900; and type 2, PD 961). Type 1 and 2 had water vapour transmissions of 10 and 15.5 g m-2 day-1 atm-1, and gas permeabilities of 3000 and 7000, and 10 000 and 20 000 for oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively. Oxygen percentage decreased and that of carbon dioxide increased rapidly in the first week of storage for all 3 cultivars. The percentage weight loss in the 2 types of bags was less than 1% for all cultivars, and weight loss increased with storage time. Pulp pH consistently increased during storage at either bag type, and the acidity of Gimjeng pulp was the lowest. Lychee fruits could be stored in a low-oxygen, high-carbon dioxide and high relative humidity atmosphere at 5 deg C for at least 5-6 weeks in either type of bag , with slightly better quality in PD 961 bags.