CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

In recent years there has been renewed interest in underutilized species as sources of bioactive compounds. Barberry B. buxifolia is a spiny evergreen shrub with a large distribution in Patagonia. Objective. The objective of this work was to provide an initial physiological and chemical characterization of this fruit in terms of their respiration, ethylene production and sensitivity. We also determined the effect of storage temperature on the visual, organoleptic and nutritional quality as well as the antioxidant capacity as compared to worldwide known fruits. Materials and methods. Barberries were harvested at commercial maturity and treated with ethylene or with 1-MCP, or held in air for 5 d at 20 °C. During this period we determined fruit ethylene production and respiration. In a second set of experiments, fruit was stored at 0, 5 or 10 °C for 0, 3, 7, 11 or 15 days and we evaluated weight loss, respiration, the percentage of rotten and physiologically decayed berries, firmness, sugars, acidity, pH, anthocyanins, phenolics and antioxidants. We also evaluated the antioxidant capacity of barberry fruit as compared to other fruits. Results and discussion. Changes in respiration during storage as well as the responses to ethylene pointed to a non-climacteric behavior. 1-MCP treatments increased ethylene production suggesting that the hormone is under negative feedback. Postharvest storage showed that fruit stored best at 0 °C and this should be the recommended temperature to minimize deterioration. Barberries showed an extraordinarily high antioxidant capacity which was close to 10 fold higher than that of apple, orange and pear and even 4 times higher than that of antioxidant rich fruits such as blueberries. Keywords: Patagonia, indigenous flora, cold storage, ethylene, 1-MCP.