Effect of Ethanol Vapor on Ripening of Tomato

Abstract

Freshly harvested tomatoes were subjected to different ethanol vapor treatments at 4 ml/kg, 6 ml/kg and 8 ml/kg in closed bucket for 6 hr, 9 hr and 12 hr at ambient temperature (26.84±3.0ºC) to investigate the effect of ethanol vapor on physico-chemical changes in summer variety tomato over storage period. Results revealed that ethanol vapor treatments significantly prolonged the postharvest life of tomato by inhibiting ripening process. At the end of storage period, T₆ treatment (6 ml/kg of ethanol for 12 hr) was found to be effective to maintain weight, firmness and attractive color attributes of tomatoes. On the other hand, bioactive compounds, such as lycopene (4.65 mg/100g), β-Carotene (2.91 mg/100g) and ascorbic acid (27.5 mg/100g) were found to be highest in tomatoes treated with 4 ml/kg of ethanol for 6 hr, 9 hr and 12 hr respectively. Based on the findings, it can be suggested that T₆ treatment would be more effective to extend the shelf-life of fresh tomato without significant loss in postharvest qualities.