This study was carried out to assess the postharvest quality preservation of the fruit in Brazilian cultivars of feijoa. Fruit of cultivars Alcântara, Helena, Mattos and Nonante were harvest at commercial maturity, in São Joaquim, southern Brazil, and cold stored at 4±1 ºC (90±5% RH), during 21 days, followed by 8 and 48 h at 23±1 ºC (75±5% RH). Fruit mineral content (N, K, Mg and Ca) was assessed at harvest, and fruit quality was assessed at harvest and after cold storage. At harvest, fruit of 'Nonante' had higher values of titratable acidity (TA), and texture attributes, and lower values of pH and soluble solids content/titratable acidity ratio (SSC/TA) than fruit of the other three cultivars. However, after cold storage, these differences were less expressive. Fruits of 'Nonante' had higher contents of K in the peel and flesh tissues, lower content of N in the flesh, and less intense green color of the peel and internal browning after cold storage, than fruit of the other three cultivars. In comparison to fruit quality assessed at harvest, following cold storage, there was a higher reduction of TA (41%) than of SSC (8.6%), with a resulting increase of the SSC/TA ratio (52.5%), in an average for all cultivars. Therefore, organic acids are the main substrates used by respiration during storage in feijoa, and this might impair fruit sensory quality by increasing the SSC/TA ratio. Fruit of 'Alcântara' were also assessed for the effects of mechanical damage at harvest and cold storage delay on postharvest quality. The mechanical damage at harvest (by impact, with a 50 cm height drop of the fruit on a rigid surface) had minimal impairment of fruit quality after cold storage. Delaying the cold storage (from 0h to 48h, at 18±2 ºC/70±5% RH) after harvest of 'Alcântara' reduced TA (31%), periderm texture (33%) and fruit compression force (13%), and increased pH (20%) and SSC/TA ratio (48%) during cold storage.
Acca sellowiana Berg; mechanical damage; cold storage delay; mineral composition; acidity; texture
