Lychee is a subtropical fruit of high commercial value, due to its slightly acid taste, excellent aroma, high nutritive value and attractive deep bright red color of its peel. Also in the field, skin color changes easily, becoming dark in response to stress (changes in relative humidity and the incidence of pathogens). Harvested lychee fruit rapidly loses its bright red skin colour. Peel browning of harvested lychee has largely been attributed to the rapid degradation of the anthocyanin pigments as well as the rapid loss of moisture from the fruit and the activity of oxidative enzymes such polyphenoloxidase and peroxidases. Due to it high perishability, browning control is a fundamental process to the increase of post-harvest useful life aiming the home market and fruit exportation. This study evaluated the postharvest behavior of Litchi cv. Bengal fruits regarding pericarp browning and changes on lychee fruits pulp quality when different packing is applied: plastic trays covered with parafilm or solely parafilm, and fruits covered with cassava starch film (3%). Lychee fruits were stored for six days at room temperature (25.1ºC±1.5; 69.3%UR). Physical, chemical and biochemical analyses were performed on day 0 and on every two days till the end of the storage period. The package covered with perforated polyethylene film was efficient in reducing weight loss, skin browning and maintenance of the anthocyanin content of the bark of leeches for six days of storage at room temperature.
Modified atmosphere; anthocyanin; polyphenol oxidase; peroxidase
