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Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

DOI

10.3906/tar-2004-112

Abstract

In this study, the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment on the antioxidant enzymes and fruit quality parameters of baby squash (Cucurbita pepo L., cv. Soleil F1 and İskender F1) during cold storage was investigated. After being freshly harvested, the İskender F1 (green-skinned) and Soleil F1 (yellow-skinned) baby squash were treated with 250 and 500 ppb concentrations of 1-MCP and stored at 10 °C for 14 days. The 250 ppb 1-MCP treatment suppressed the loss of total soluble solid, ascorbic acid, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents during storage in the Soleil F1 squash. Similarly, the 250 ppb 1-MCP treatment delayed the loss of ascorbic acids and titratable acidity of İskender F1 squash. The highest ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity were determined with the 250 ppb 1-MCP treatment, while the highest total chlorophyll content was detected in the 500 ppb 1-MCP-treated İskender F1 squash. The initiation of fruit softening and chlorophyll degradation was delayed in the 1-MCP-treated squash. Ethylene emission was also inhibited by the 1-MCP treatments in both types of squash. 1-MCP treatment effectively reduced the weight loss and decay incidence in both squash cultivars. The results indicated that the 250 ppb 1-MCP treatment retained antioxidant enzymes for a longer period and it was found to be more effective for maintaining the fruit quality parameters of the cold-stored baby Soleil F1 and İskender F1 squash.

Keywords

Antioxidant, baby squash, 1-methylcyclopropene, quality, storage

First Page

33

Last Page

45

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