Abstract

MORENO VELAZQUEZ, Delia et al. Postharvest Physicochemical changes in three cucumber cultivars with and without plastic film. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.6, pp.909-920. ISSN 2007-0934.

The cucumber once collected at commercial maturity, begins to experience rapid metabolic changes tending to senescence and death of tissues. Postharvest handling contributes in maintaining the quality ofthe product to the final consumer; within the major postharvest problems, is the loss of turgor, and other physical and chemical changes that detracts the appearance and final quality; the degradation rate of fruit has different behavior according to storage conditions, as well as driving conditions. In the present study, were evaluated postharvest qualities of three cultivars of fresh cucumber, Zapata, Constable and Líder, coated and uncoated with a commercial plástic film Cryovac® RD 45, stored for 15 days at room temperature. Every three days, was measured weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity, TSS, titratable acidity-TSS relationship and content of chlorophyll a, b and total. Weight loss was less than 1% in the three cultivars of cucumber with plastic film and about 8% in the three cultivars without plastic film. The titratable acidity-TSS relationship turn out not to be an indicative of quality. The Constable cucumber with plastic film remained the highest content of chlorophyll a, b and total until the end of the storage period. The Lider cucumbers with plastic film recorded the best chemical characteristics of TSS, citric acid, pH and titratable acidity-TSS relationship.

Keywords : Cucumis sativus L.; chlorophyll; plastic film; weight loss.

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