Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres

Raspberry (<i>Rubus idaeus</i> L.) fruit are known for their extremely short shelf life. Decay, leakiness, and loss of firmness are the most common limiting factors contributing to their short storage life. However, storage in elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and reduced O<sub>2...

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Main Authors: Mohd Rezaul Islam, Elizabeth Mitcham
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Horticulturae
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/10/1092
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author Mohd Rezaul Islam
Elizabeth Mitcham
author_facet Mohd Rezaul Islam
Elizabeth Mitcham
author_sort Mohd Rezaul Islam
collection DOAJ
description Raspberry (<i>Rubus idaeus</i> L.) fruit are known for their extremely short shelf life. Decay, leakiness, and loss of firmness are the most common limiting factors contributing to their short storage life. However, storage in elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and reduced O<sub>2</sub> atmospheres can delay senescence in fruit by reducing softening, respiration and ethylene production rates, and pathogen growth. In this study, raspberries were exposed to four different CO<sub>2</sub> atmospheres—15 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 6 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (15 kPa); 8 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 13 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (8 kPa); 5 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 16 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (5 kPa); or 0.03 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 21 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (0.03 kPa)—and were evaluated for their postharvest quality periodically during two weeks of storage in 2020 and 2021. Raspberry fruits kept in a 15 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> atmosphere followed by 8 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> had higher firmness, brighter red color, and the least fungal decay or leakiness. In all atmospheres, the total anthocyanin content increased over time, although the rate of increase was slowed by high CO<sub>2</sub>. The raspberries’ visual attributes deteriorated over time in all atmospheres, but high CO<sub>2</sub> atmospheres slowed the rate of deterioration. After five days, the quality of air-stored raspberries was significantly degraded, while the raspberries stored in elevated CO<sub>2</sub> maintained good quality for up to ten days.
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spelling doaj-art-b2987f694ccb400caf1b7166429ba89a2025-08-20T02:11:09ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242024-10-011010109210.3390/horticulturae10101092Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> AtmospheresMohd Rezaul Islam0Elizabeth Mitcham1Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USARaspberry (<i>Rubus idaeus</i> L.) fruit are known for their extremely short shelf life. Decay, leakiness, and loss of firmness are the most common limiting factors contributing to their short storage life. However, storage in elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and reduced O<sub>2</sub> atmospheres can delay senescence in fruit by reducing softening, respiration and ethylene production rates, and pathogen growth. In this study, raspberries were exposed to four different CO<sub>2</sub> atmospheres—15 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 6 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (15 kPa); 8 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 13 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (8 kPa); 5 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 16 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (5 kPa); or 0.03 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> and 21 kPa O<sub>2</sub> (0.03 kPa)—and were evaluated for their postharvest quality periodically during two weeks of storage in 2020 and 2021. Raspberry fruits kept in a 15 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> atmosphere followed by 8 kPa CO<sub>2</sub> had higher firmness, brighter red color, and the least fungal decay or leakiness. In all atmospheres, the total anthocyanin content increased over time, although the rate of increase was slowed by high CO<sub>2</sub>. The raspberries’ visual attributes deteriorated over time in all atmospheres, but high CO<sub>2</sub> atmospheres slowed the rate of deterioration. After five days, the quality of air-stored raspberries was significantly degraded, while the raspberries stored in elevated CO<sub>2</sub> maintained good quality for up to ten days.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/10/1092anthocyanincontrolled atmospheresleakinessmodified-atmosphere package
spellingShingle Mohd Rezaul Islam
Elizabeth Mitcham
Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres
Horticulturae
anthocyanin
controlled atmospheres
leakiness
modified-atmosphere package
title Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres
title_full Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres
title_fullStr Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres
title_full_unstemmed Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres
title_short Extending Raspberry Shelf Life and Maintaining Postharvest Quality with CO<sub>2</sub> Atmospheres
title_sort extending raspberry shelf life and maintaining postharvest quality with co sub 2 sub atmospheres
topic anthocyanin
controlled atmospheres
leakiness
modified-atmosphere package
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/10/1092
work_keys_str_mv AT mohdrezaulislam extendingraspberryshelflifeandmaintainingpostharvestqualitywithcosub2subatmospheres
AT elizabethmitcham extendingraspberryshelflifeandmaintainingpostharvestqualitywithcosub2subatmospheres