2?C and 90% RH limited water loss below 5% favours the retention of strawberry bioactive compounds

Humidity and temperature are particularly critical in minimizing the difference in water vapour pressure between produce and environment. The relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding environment should be maintained at a level that minimizes the water vapour pressure deficit. Therefore, when RH is too low, transpiration is enhanced, resulting in loss of moisture. Loss of moisture from strawberry is a major cause of deterioration as it may result in a significant reduction of the overall fruit quality and in a decrease in the levels of bioactive compounds specifically. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of the surrounding RH on the degradation of the main bioactive compounds in strawberry. ?Strawberry Festival? and ?Florida Radiance? strawberries were harvested, packed, held for 7 days at 2?C and 40, 60, 70, 80 and 90% RH and evaluated for moisture loss and total ascorbic acid, phenolic and anthocyanin contents. Results from this work showed that loss of moisture was significant (>10%) when fruit were stored in RHs below 70% resulting in a sharp reduction in the content of bioactive compounds. Losses in bioactive compounds were significantly correlated with loss of moisture but were also cultivar dependent. In general, losses in ascorbic acid, phenolic and anthocyanin contents were highest in both cultivars stored in 40% RH and lowest in fruit stored in 90% RH.Storage at 2?C and 90% RH limited water loss below 5% and was favourable in retaining strawberry bioactive compounds.SourcesBIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN STRAWBERRY FRUIT EXPOSED TO OPTIMUM AND SUBOPTIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITYNunes, MCN1mariacecilia@usf.edu1University of South Florida, Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Tampa, Florida, USAIHC 2014, International Horticulture Congress, 17-22 August 2014, Brisbane, http://www.ihc2014.org/Picture by dietaselembarazo.net Key wordsPoscosecha?? ?postcosecha?? ?postharvest?? ?na-oes?? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ?post-r?colte?? ????? ?? ??????????? ??? ?na-oogst?? ?post-raccolta?? ?Obr?bka po?? ?p?s-colheita?? ????????????????? ?hasat sonras??? ??? ?Ernte?? ????????????????? ????? ????????????? ?postcollita?? ?poskliz?ov頠 ????? ??? ??? ??? ?nakon branja?? ?pozberov頠 ??? ?obdelovanje zemlje po?? ?post-colleita?? ?????? ??????? ?pascapanen?? ??il?onn postharvest?? ??????? ?p?c ra?as?? ?derliaus apdirbimas po?? ?lepas tuai?? ??? ?? ???????? ?post-recoltare?? ??????? ??????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ?sau thu ho?ch?? ?????????????????? ?zangemva kwenkathi yokuvuna?? ??? ?Fresa?? ?frutilla?? ?strawberry strawberries?? ?aarbei?? ??????????? ????? ??? ?fraise?? ?????????? ????????????? ?aardbei?? ?fragola?? ?truskawka?? ?morango?? ??????????? ??ilek?? ???????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????