Chemical-physical and nutritional characteristics of mature-green and mature-ripe 'Kensington Pride' mango fruit cultivated in Mediterranean area during cold storage

Abstract

Introduction - Mango is a very short postharvest life climacteric fruit. Mangoes are usually harvested firm and green because they are often assigned to long transportation before reaching the market, or they are collected after color break for local markets. In both cases, temperature control is the most critical factor in fruit ripening management. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality evolution of mature-green and mature-ripe mango fruit submitted to 8°C and 90 ± 5% of relative humidity to assess the possibility to prolong its postharvest life. Materials and methods - The fruit of mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Kensington Pride) grown in a Mediterranean environment was submitted to the determination of fresh weight, color index, cover color percentage, flesh firmness, total soluble solid content (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), total TSS/TA ratio, ash, fats, crude fibers, carbohydrates, mineral composition (K, P, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu), ascorbic acid, vitamin A, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and sensory analysis during cold storage. Results and discussion - A significant effect of storage was observed for weight loss, color, flesh firmness, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, ash, fat, crude fiber, carbohydrates, mineral composition and vitamins. Conclusion - A cold storage (8°C) prolongs the life of mango produced in Mediterranean climate, maintaining a good level of physico-chemical and sensory quality of the fruit.