1-Methylcyclopropene Delays Ripening and Improves Postharvest Quality of White Flesh Loquat

The ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) delayed ripening and improved postharvest fruit quality of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). 1-MCP was used on the white flesh sub-acid loquat cultivars ‘Claudia’ and ‘BRT20’ to evaluate the possible effect on fruit ripening and to prevent negative effects of cold storage, like internal browning and flesh leatheriness. 1-MCP was applied at 2°C for 20 h and concentrations of 1 and 5 μl L-1. After 1-MCP treatment fruit were held at 2°C for 7, 14, and 21 days and then moved to 18°C for 5 days. Fruit flesh firmness, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble content (TSS), weight loss, internal browning and flesh leatheriness were evaluated at harvest and 2 and 5 days after moving samples from 2 to 18°C including. 1-MCP slowed fruit ripening and deterioration depending on the concentration and cultivar: 1 μl L-1 was the optimum concentration for inhibition of softening in both cultivars. Moreover, 1-MCP treatments effectively reduced internal browning and flesh leatheriness. These results indicated that 1-MCP can extend shelf life of the highly perishable loquat fruit.