Abstract

SOUZA, Angela Vacaro de; VIEITES, Rogério Lopes; KOHATSU, Douglas Seijum  and  LIMA, Giuseppina Pace Pereira. Thermal treatment in lychee color maintenance. Rev. Bras. Frutic. [online]. 2010, vol.32, n.1, pp. 067-073.  Epub Mar 26, 2010. ISSN 0100-2945.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0100-29452010005000036.

The objective of the work was to evaluate the influence of the thermal treatment in the color of lychee fruits. The fruits were treated by 0; 5; 10; 15; 20 and 25 minutes of water immersion at 45ºC, packaged in expanded polystyrene trays and film of polyvinyl chloride 0.020mm, stored in B.O.D. at 5ºC and 90±5 % of UR. The experimental delineation was in a completely randomized scheme, with 6 times of storage for the color and enzymatic analysis, until they reached the limit for the marketing for the analysis of the shelf-life, and the fruits were analyzed every 3 days, with 3 replications and 10 fruits in each experimental unity. The evaluated parameters were: visual analysis of the browning, color and specific activity of the polyphenol oxidase and the peroxidase. The treatments using 5 and 10 minutes of immersion showed the best results in maintaining the color of the fruits and in the reduction of the enzymatic activity.

Keywords : Litchi chinensis; enzymatic browning; color.