Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on storage life of durian fruit

• Durian fruit was treated with 1-MCP and stored at 15 °C.
• Fruit were taken out of storage at 3 days intervals and treated with ethephon, to determine shelf life and storage life.
• Shelf life (time to adequate eating quality) decreased after a longer period of storage.
• The treatment increased storage life at 15 °C from 18 to 30 days.

Fruit of cv. Monthong durian (Durio zibethinus) were treated with 0 (control) or 500 nL L−1 1-MCP for 12 h at 25 °C. Fruit were then stored at 15 °C. To determine storage life, every 3 days a batch of fruit was transferred to 25 °C. The time to ripeness (adequate eating quality) at 25 °C in controls (no 1-MCP) decreased from 5 days in freshly harvested fruit to 3 days after 18 days of storage at 15 °C. Storage life was considered adequate if the time to ripeness was ≥3 days. The storage life at 15 °C of control fruit (no 1-MCP) was therefore 18 days. After the 1-MCP treatment the time to ripeness at 25 °C was 7 days in fresh fruit, while in fruit stored at 15 °C for 30 days it was about 3 days. The storage life at 15 °C of 1-MCP-treated fruit was therefore 30 days. Pulp firmness and pulp total soluble solids (TSS) were determined after 3 day storage intervals at 15 °C and when the fruit was ripe at 25 °C. These parameters were only slightly affected by the 1-MCP treatment. Furthermore, 1-MCP had no effect on pulp color, but delayed yellowing of the fruit exterior. It is concluded that treatment with 1-MCP before storage at 15 °C extended storage life from 18 to 30 days.