Effect of calcium chloride and hydrothermical treatment on enzymatic activity and phenol content of pineapple

Abstract

Pineapple (Ananas comosus Mill.) is exposed to injuries caused by low temperature during the refrigerated storage. The post-harvest application of Ca may contribute to reduce a number of physiological disorders. In this work, the influence of the postharvest application of 2% CaCl₂ associated with hydrothermical treatment (38^oC and 40^oC) for 10 and 20 minutes, on the chemical composition (enzymes, phenols), and susceptibility to internal browning of pineapple 'Smooth Cayenne' fruits was studied. The fruits were stored at 9^oC and 90% relative humidity for 15 days. The evaluations were performed seven days after removal of the fruits from the refrigerated conditions. The immersion of the fruits into a 2% CaCl₂ solution reduced the index of internal browning and diminished the activities of the enzymes polyphenoloxidase, peroxidase and phenilalanine ammonium lyase, as well as the content of phenolic compounds when associated with the hydrothermic treatment regardless to the immersion period.