Effect of 1-MCP, ethylene absorber and ozone on melon quality during storage

This work was aimed to investigate the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), ethylene absorber (EA), ozone alone or in combination on melon quality during storage. Ethylene production, respiration rates, acoustic firmness, surface color, chilling injury, and disease severity of melon were determined. 1-MCP treated fruits and non 1-MCP treated fruits were stored with sachets of ethylene absorber containing KMnO4 or ozone at 0.1 ppm/h during 10 days at 5 °C and subsequent 4 days at 20 °C. Melons treated with 1-MCP were firmer than the rest of the samples during storage. In addition, 1-MCP reduced the yellowing of melon rind compared to other treatments. The combination of 1-MCP and EA did not offer any additional effect in comparison with 1-MCP alone. There was no significant difference between fruits stored with ethylene absorber, ozone and control samples. Ozone treatment during cold storage decreased disease severity, however, fruits exposed to ozone had more serious decay throughout storage at 20 °C, ...