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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #315022
Title: Mango fruit aroma volatile production following quarantine hot water treatment and subsequent ripening

Author
item BRECHT, JEFFREY - University Of Florida
item CORDASCO, KIM - University Of Florida
item LOUNDS-SINGLETON, ANGELA - University Of Florida
item TALCOTT, STEPHEN - University Of Florida
item Baldwin, Elizabeth - Liz

Submitted to: Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2015
Publication Date: 12/31/2014
Citation: Brecht, J.K., Cordasco, K., Lounds-Singleton, .J., Talcott, S.A., Baldwin, E.A. 2014. Mango fruit aroma volatile production following quarantine hot water treatment and subsequent ripening. Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society. 127:142-144.

Interpretive Summary: Mango fruit are popular for their flavor and nutrition. Mangoes are imported from outside the US and from areas with fruit fly pests and, therefore, are required to go through a quarantine hot water treatment to insure that no live larvae enter the US. This study shows that the hot water treatment may initially affect the aroma profile, but after 4 days at marketing temperature, does not affect the aroma of the fruit, as some have suggested.

Technical Abstract: Mangos are an important tropical fruit crop worldwide that are appreciated for their attractive peel and flesh colors, juicy texture, sweetness, and unique aroma. Mangos exported to the U.S. receive quarantine hot water treatment (QHWT) at 46.1 °C for 65 to 110 min (depending on fruit shape and size) to prevent fruit fly introduction. However, little is known about changes in fruit aroma following QHWT. Therefore, we examined the aroma volatile production of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mangos after QHWT applied at typical commercial maturity stage (green externally with internal color change initiated) for 0, 70, 90 or 110 min. The QHWT duration required by APHIS for the mango fruit in this study is 90 min. The fruit were thus treated for the required time plus 20 min shorter and longer durations. Following QHWT, fruit aroma volatiles were evaluated within 2 h and after 4 days at 25 °C. Immediately after QHWT, there were much higher levels of acetaldehyde and ethanol as well as slightly higher acetone and methanol in all heat-treated mangos, while ß-pinene, '-cymene, limonene, 3-carene, and myrcene were higher only after the 70- and 90-min QHWT. After ripening for 4 days at 25 °C, few QHWT effects on aroma volatiles persisted. Ethanol was lower in fruit from the 70-and 110-min QHWT while the 90-min QHWT ethanol level was the same as the control. Levels of ß-pinene, '-cymene, and limonene increased during ripening in both control and QHWT. Caryophyllene was inhibited immediately after the 110-min QHWT, but recovered during ripening, while a-copaene, which was almost completely absent initially, was present after ripening only in fruit from the 110-min QHWT. The results of this research suggest that the QHWT being applied to mangos imported into the U.S. probably does not significantly affect the aroma of those fruit.