F. Post - Harvest Control of Senesence

F.
Post- Harvest Control of

Senescence
a. Regulation of Ripening
Ripening is a series of biochemical and physical processes
that cause an immature fruit to develop all the desirable
aesthetic and edibility characteristics of its species. It is the
phase of development after maturation and the start of
senesence in the fruits. As the fruit ripen, there is an
enchanced production of energy through respiration to power
the different metabolic events associated with ripening.
Ethylene
Ethylene (C2H4) is the hormone responsible for triggering the ripening process. An
analogue of ethylene is acetylene and is commonly used to accelerate ripening of fruits.
If too much application of ethylene the threshold level of ethylene is attained much
faster the autocatalytic production of ethylene is occur much faster. As a result:
1. A fruit not to be exposed to externally applied ethylene for a long time but only up
to time that the autocatalytic production of ethylene starts;
2. An ethylene-producing chemical has no other effect except to trigger production of
more ethylene;
3. Eating ethylene-treated fruits is not harmful to people.
Fruits that need to be picked ripe have the
following characteristics:
• No capable of ripening off the plant since there is no further

development of flavor after harvest, full color development
may not be achieved if the growing temperature is not
favorable for the enzyme responsible for the development of
the particular color. This is often in the case of orange.
Fruits that need to be picked ripe have the
following characteristics:
• Have no starch to be converted into sugar, a slight

improvement in the taste if they kept for some time
after harvest due to after breakdown of acids than sugar
as in citrus.
• There is hardly change in respiration after harvest, hence
are non-climatic treatment of ethylene will only improve
the color as in the oranges in which case the process is
called degreening.
Degreening
• Degreening of citrus fruits is a postharvest treatment to induce

coloration of the peel without affecting internal fruit quality. This
treatment is widely used in many countries to uniform coloration
and to advance the commercial and marketing period.
• Degreening involves treatment with ethylene to improve the

color of non-climacteric fruits like citrus and climacteric fruits
that do not attain the desired color like Cavendish bananas.
Degreened pummelo and sweet oranges command higher price.
• The techniques using ethylene or acetylene are the same for ripening and
degreening except for the length of treatment. Ripening needs a shorter treatment,
about 12-48 hrs, while degreening may last for 3-7 days may be repeated several
times.
• In citrus, there is no production of ethylene, so ethylene has to be continously

present in the atmosphere surrounding the fruits until color has changed.
Introduce ethylene or acetylene in the
Environment
• Ethylene can be applied as a gas or as ethylene-releasing compound like 2-

chloroethyl prosphonic acid (CEPA) also known as ethephon. Acetylene could be
applied as a gas generated from calcium carbide.
• Both acetylene and ethylene could be derived from smoke of showly burned organic
materials.
Bioethylene
• This is the ethylene release from biological source, mainly leaves and ripening fruits.
Sources of Bioethylene
1. Leaves of certain plant species- a mature leaves of rain tree or acasia, produce more
ethylene that immature ones. Bruising enchances the performance of these leaves except
for Leucaena (ipil-ipil).
- In comparison with calcium carbide( 25g of leaves per 100 fruits) and ethephon (1000ppm
for 5min), ripening of saba bananas using Gliricidia leaves (kakawate) is delay by one day
Bioethylene
Should be low CO2 producer

CO2 can act antagonistically against ethylene in terms of its production and action. Rain tree and
sesban leaves through high ethylene producer, produce also high CO2 which persist for longer periods.
Thus Gliricidia(kakawate) is more effective than rain tree or sesban leaves. The same is observed with
leaves of drumstick tree (malungay).
Should be readily available

Gliricidia is readily available in the rural areas in the Philippines than starfruit, butterfly tree and
sesban.
Bioethylene
No better economic use

Consider the economic uses. Peanut leaves are more valuable as feed which
drumstick tree leaves are more valuable as a vegetable. Of the leaves currently being
use, Gliricidia is the most suitable sources of bioethylene using the above criterion.
2. Fruits. A climateric fruit such as purple passion fruit is the highest ethylene
producer so far recorded, about 464.6nl/g/h and this high rate is sustained for about
12 days. Purple passion fruit is available only in the highland “saba” banana produces
13.05nL/g/h ethylene and improved pope tomatoes, 3.16nL/g/h for 7 days and 6
days.

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F.

Post- Harvest Control of

• No capable of ripening off the plant since there is no further

• Have no starch to be converted into sugar, a slight

• Degreening of citrus fruits is a postharvest treatment to induce

• Degreening involves treatment with ethylene to improve the

• In citrus, there is no production of ethylene, so ethylene has to be continously

• Ethylene can be applied as a gas or as ethylene-releasing compound like 2-

Should be low CO2 producer

Should be readily available

No better economic use

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