Cutting stress in minimally processed strawberries significantly influences respiration rates and nutritional quality

Fresh-cut fruits are more perishable than whole fruits due to the physiological stresses caused by physical damage or wounding. Cutting is among the most important steps in fresh-cut processing. The effect of cutting stress on physiological and quality changes of fresh-cut strawberries was investigated. The focus was to determine the impact of cutting degree on respiration rate and nutritional quality changes of fresh-cut cut ?Candonga? strawberries. Fruits were submitted to 6 levels of cut intensity: whole fruit (no cutting), 4 quarters, 16 pieces, 64 pieces, 128 pieces and chopped samples. In this study, respiration rate, vitamin C, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and total anthocyanins were evaluated at the processing day (Day 0) and after 2 days at 5?C (Day 2). Results showed that cutting intensity significantly influenced the respiration rate, ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Respiration rate increased with cutting intensity up to the level of 64 pieces (18.2 mL kg-1 h-1 of CO2) compared to whole fruit (10.0 mL kg-1 h-1 of CO2) and then decreased in the chopped samples (5.1 mL kg-1 h-1 of CO2). At day 2, the stress induced by the high intensity of cutting (64 pieces and chopped) induced a higher degradation of ascorbic acid, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity and the increase of dehydroascorbic acid content. No significant difference was found in total soluble solids, pH-value and titratable acidity and total anthocyanin content. In general, cutting stress significantly influenced respiration rates and nutritional quality. The changes related to the stress seem to first increase with the degree of cutting up to a certain intensity (64 pieces)and then decrease when the damage to the cells was very high to eventually compromise their functionality. These results should be taken into consideration for processing and packaging optimisation of minimally processed strawberries. SourcesEffect of cutting stress on physiological and quality changes of strawberry fruitsMulugheta T. Solomon, M. Luisa Amodio, M. Luc?a de Chiara, Giancarlo ColelliDepartment of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, ItalyVIII International Postharvest Symposium, Cartagena, Spain, 21-24 June 2016 Picture:?Media.mercola