Kinetic modeling of the changes in bioactive compounds and quality attributes of fresh-cut strawberries stored in controlled atmospheres with high oxygen alone or with carbon dioxide

MÉNDEZ-GALARRAGA, MARÍA PAULA; VAN DE VELDE, FRANCO; PIAGENTINI, ANDREA M.; PIROVANI, MARÍA ÉLIDA

POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2022 vol. 190

0925-5214

Bioactive compounds and quality attributes of fresh-cut strawberries exposed to controlled atmospheres withhigh oxygen (70?90 kPa) and carbon dioxide (0?20 kPa) compared to storage in air and in low oxygen pluscarbon dioxide (5 kPa O2 - 5 kPa CO2) atmosphere were studied using a kinetic approach. Microbial growth wasbest controlled in samples stored in high O2 (70?80 kPa) and high CO2 (20 kPa). Physicochemical parameters(pH, total soluble solids, and firmness) were affected by the different atmospheres, but changes occurred faster insamples stored in air. Retention of vitamin C was at least 65% in the studied atmospheres and its evolution wasmodeled using a first-order reaction. The contents of the main anthocyanins found in strawberries, pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, and pelargonidin-3-O-rutinoside, showed transient increases up to40?50% over storage time in some atmospheres, especially in 70 kPa O2 - 20 kPa CO2, and anthocyanin evo-lutions were modeled using a consecutive reaction mechanistic kinetic model. The antioxidant capacity retainedby samples stored in all the atmospheres remained above 80% after storage at 5 ◦C. The storage of fresh-cutstrawberries in high O2 and high CO2 atmospheres, especially in 70 kPa O2 - 20 kPa CO2, may extend productshelf-life for at least 20 d with adequate control of microbiological decay, maintaining fruit quality andenhancing anthocyanin content.