Abstract

ALANIS-GUZMAN, María Guadalupe de Jesús; GARCIA DIAZ, Carlos Leonel; REYES-AVALOS, Ma. Concepción  and  MEZA-VELAZQUEZ, Jorge Armando. Application of hydro-cooling and an HPMC paraffin coat to increase the shelf life of Cantaloupe melon. Universidad y ciencia [online]. 2013, vol.29, n.2, pp.179-190. ISSN 0186-2979.

Cantaloupe melon is a popular fruit with a limited shelf life. The effect of hydro-cooling (HIDRO), of an edible coating based on hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose and paraffin (PEL) and of these two combined (HIPEL) on weight loss (WL), texture, chilling injury index (CM), titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids (SS) and the production of CO₂ and ethylene (to the exterior), as well as the CO₂, O₂ and ethylene concentration inside the fruit, was evaluated in order to increase the fruit's shelf life. The fruit was stored (8 °C, 20 days) and analysed (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 days) after treatment. The PEL fruit had a lower (p < 0.05) WL, TA and CM, and greater values (p < 0.05) of texture and internal CO₂, O₂ and ethylene than the controls and the HIDRO. The SS and the CO₂, O₂ and ethylene production presented no difference (p > 0.05) among treatments. Hydro-cooling had no effect on the recorded variables (p > 0.05). The HIPEL samples had similar values to the PEL samples (p > 0.05). The results suggest that an hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose (HPMC) coating with paraffin may increase the shelf life of the Cantaloupe melon stored in refrigeration.

Keywords : Melon; hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose; hydro-cooling; edible coating.

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