American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci.

, 9 (3): 297-302, 2010 ISSN 1818-6769 IDOSI Publications, 2010

Effect of Stage of Ripening on Mechanical Damage in Tomato Fruits

2

Salamolah Mohammadi-Aylar, Shahzad Jamaati-e-Somarin and 1Jafar Azimi

Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran

Abstract: Mechanical damage is the major cause of postharvest losses and among the perishable crops tomato is susceptible to mechanical injury considrably. By conducting a series of impact tests (from 0.18 to 2.88 J) by a pendulum impact apparatus, occurance of damage, in the form of rupture and latent damage, were investigated as affected by stages of ripening (pink, ripening, maturity and Plasmolism) and variety (Super Bta and Petoerly-ch). According to the results at any treatment of variety and stage of ripeness, falling of tomatoes from maximum height of 59 cm does not occure any rupture in fruit, causes injury in tomatos as degradation as a kind of latent damage. However, the minimum energy required for rupture injury was about 1.58 J and 0.84 J in first and third stages of ripenening, respectively. According to the results of ANOVA, there are no differences between two varieties based on rupture injury, whereas, impact energy and especially stage of ripeness had significant effect on all types of mechanical damage in tomato fruit. Also, the results showed that the severity and rate of latent damage increase progressively, through 24 to 72 hours of storage of fruits in natural conditions. Ripenenning stage is the major factor affect severity of latent damage through 72 hours after impact. Key words: Tomato % Impact % Latent damage % Ripeness % Mechanical injury INTRODUCTION Mechanical damage is the major cause of postharvest losses in fruits and vegetables [1] specially in undeveloped countries and considerable research efforts are required in this relation. Mechanical damage occures in the postharvest handling system primarily in two ways: impact forces and compressive forces. Excessive impact occure during harvesting, grading, handling and transportation [2]. Among the perishable crops tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is very susceptible to mechanical injury. In a study of a tomato handling system Campbell et al. [3] found that up to 40% of the crop sustained mechanical damage. Mechanical damage to tomato is manifested by watersoaked cellular breakdown of the cross-wall and cavity [4]. However, despite extensive development in mechanical harvesting and handling of tomato, research on resistance of this product to mechanical damage has been limited. The bruise susceptibility of fruits and vegetables depend on many factors such as severity of loading, variety, texture, maturity, temperature, size, shape, etc., [4]. In this case, McColloch [5] reported on hidden and cumulative bruising injury on tomato due to dead load and impact corresponding to maner in which tomato are bruised during commercial handling. Van linden, et al., [6] tried to present a method to evaluate bruise damage in tomato and establish a method to determine the bruise susceptibility of different tomato cultivars by a statistical model. Allende, et al. [7] characterized factors that determine puncture injury during handling of tomatos. Also, Desmet, et al. [8] accuired data on mechanical impacts using an instrumented sphere to identify the critical points where puncture injury may occur in handling chain in postharvest operations of tomato. He also tried to predict the puncture injury of a susceptible and not susceptible cultivar under practical onditions. In addition, it was mentioned that tomatoes at harvest were less susceptible to puncture injury than after storage for several days [8]. Geyer et al. [9] reported the incidence of cracks and bursts after harvest and

Corresponding Author: Shahzad Jamaati-e-Somarin, Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran, Tel: +989141594490, E-mail: jamaati_1361@yahoo.com.

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Van Zeebroeck et al. [10] investigated to verify the hypothesis that within a cultivar higher absorbed energy of tomato also indicates higher bruise damage when impacted by the same impact energy. However, bruises are not always immediately visible but they become noticeable during subsequent handling shelf life [6]. In this case a rilaible description is not available. Another factor which affects tomato bruising is the stage of ripening which considered in the researches very seldom. Hense, it is useful to consider fruit degradation after impact, which cause some type of deterioration of fruit and is known as latent damage, in addition to rupture injury, which cause the water loss of fruit. Therefore, the objectives of this study is: (i) to identify critical ripeness stages where rupture may occure; (ii) to determine the effect of stages of ripeness on fruit degradations after impact; and (iii) to compare two varieties of Super Beta and Petoerly-ch in relation to mechanical damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sample Preparation and Impact Test: Two varieties of tomato (Super Bta and Petoerly-ch) were examined in the impact tests and for each cultivar, 160 tomatos were hand picked directly from orchard in random and stored at 18C (as in real process in comercial procedure) for 16 days. Four stages of tomato ripeness, means: pink, ripening, maturity and plasmolism, mached to 1, 6, 11 and 16 days after harvest, respectively, were considered in the tests. For each treatment 10 replications were utilized. At each ripeness stage the moisture content of samples were measured. Also, two levels of height of drop
Table 1: Different impact levels and their mean values used in the experiments

(impact levels) cosidered in the experiments (Table 1) according to classification of severity of impact handling systems. In this classification two broad categories: low energy system (less than 0.9 J) and High energy system (about 1.5 J) are introduced [2]. An impact pendulum apparatus developed at the university of Mohaghegh Ardabili, department of agricultural machinery [11], with 150 cm lentgh of pendulum wire, was used to apply controlled impact energy to each fruit. The whole fruits of tomato were sujected to impact after measuring the weight and 3 principal diameters of the samples. Damage Susceptibility: To investigating damage susceptibility, it is usual to develop a relatonship between the impact energy and size of damage in the form of area or volume of damage. This teqchnique was utulized by Mohsenin [4]. But in tomato fruit, it is very hard to detect the bruised area because of little or absulutly no skin or flesh colour change. Accordingly, in adition to considering direct rupture injury, immediately after each test the samples were evaluated for any change on the skin of tomatoes as a kind of fruit deterioration. To obtain an accurate evaluation the following bruise classes were defined which could show damage severity (Table 2). To evaluate the latent damage it was necessary to consider the deterioration of fruits during 72 hours after impact. Therefore, at three stages (24, 48 and 72 hours after the impact) the visual evaluations were done. During this priod the storage condition was 18C and 80% relative humidity (natural environmental condition in comercial handling in the region). All statistical analysis was performed using the Mstat-C statistical software, in the form of a randomized factorial experimental design.

Drop Height (mm) Level 1 Level 2 1180 590

Impact energy (J) 1.16 -1.71(1.4) 0.29-0.50 (0.4)

Table 2: Class index for different types of deteriorartion after impact Type of deterioration no bruis little skin softness medium skin softness severe skin softness black area with little faded completely faded Class Index I II III IV V VI

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 3 sumerized the physical conditions of the samples in the experiments. It could be seen that the moisture content increase until 11 days after harvest and then decreased in plasmolism stage. Indeed, it is a natural phenomena in which unsoluble liquids such as Pectine transform to simple compositions which caused the water to freedom and increasing water amounts in fruit flesh. Also, during 16 days after harvest in the environmental condition of 14 to 18 degree of centigrade (Plasmolism), tomato lose a fraction of its water. According to obtained results, at any treatment of variety and duration of time, falling of tomatoes from maximum height of 59 cm does not occure any rupture in fruits. Whereas, in falling of fruits from 118 cm height the minimum rate of ruptures occurred in 30% of the samples at first stage of ripness (Table 4). However, the minimum energy required for rupture injury was about 1.58 and 0.84 J in first and third stages of ripening, respectively. Nearly in all samples, rupture occurred at the bottom of the fruit where the fruit joint to stalk (Fig.1). It seems that the impact caused to develop the fllaws which exist at the bottom of the fruit as like as the results of the compression tests on similar varieties [10]. It was observed that the percentage of rupture was increased proportional to development of ripening stage (Table 4). Figure 2 shows that the rate of rupture does not depend on rate of kinetic energy. Eqation (1) as a 3D
Table 3: physical specifications of the samples in various treatments Var. -------------------------Stages of Ripeness Pink Ripening Maturity Plasmolism Supper-Beta -----------------------------------------------------------MC (%) 74 79 90.5 81 Weight (gr) 143.2 123.3 134.1 104.3 Petoerly-ch ---------------------------------------------------------------MC (%) 75.2 81 93.4 82 Weight (gr) 131.9 117.4 115.6 110.5

Fig. 1: Rupture and its location on bottom of fruit statistical regression model, indicate that the percent of rupture (Z) depend only to stage of ripeness (X) (Figure 2): z=a+bx2+cx3 (1) Based on this result, it is prefered to use a 2D model (Eq. 2). Indeed, a simple linear model define the relationship between percent of rupture (Z) and stage of ripeness (x) exactly (r2=0.89). Z=29.8 + 4.95x (2)

According to the results of analysis of varience, there are no differences between two varieties based on mechanical injury, whereas, impact level and stages of

Table 4: Percentage of rupture injury in various treatments Var. ------------------------Days after harvest Time Stages Pink 6 11 16 Ripening Maturity Plasmolism Supper-Beta -----------------------------------------------------------Ruptured (%) Energy (mJ) 35 0 60 0 100 0 100 0 1.66 0.50 1.53 0.40 1.71 0.42 1.16 0.37 Petoerly-ch --------------------------------------------------------------Ruptured (%) Energy(mJ)1 30 0 50 0 100 0 100 0 1.58 0.44 1.20 0.55 1.16 0.29 1.22 0.40

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Time 2.5 100 90 80 Rupture 70 60 50 40 30
0 I II III IV Severity of Deterioration V 0 24 48 0 0 0 0 40 0 40 0 0 0 0 0 0

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

Maturity Stage
1.1 1.2 1.3 Energy 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7

100 24 48 72 60 60

100 90 80 Samples (%) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

72 Houers

Fig. 2: Percentage of rupture increase proportional to stage of ripeness (Time) (r2=0.90)

Pink Stage
100 100 24 48 72 0 0 I 0 II III IV V 0 0 0 0 0 24 0 0 0 0 48 0 72 Houers 50 50 40 40 20 20 0 80 60 40 Samples (%)

Fig. 5: Quantity and severity of damage during 72 hours after impact in Petoerly-ch variety and at third stage of ripness (maturity) The results showed that at a constant level of impact energy, which did not yield any form of skin rupture, the factor of rippening level significantly affected severity and quantity of damage. In other words, it is very important to know the level of ripening stage, that impacts occure after it. Indeed, when impact done on tomatoes in pink stage, it did not reach to sixth class of damage (VI), even after 72 hours storage in natural condition. In this relation, figure 2 shows that only 20% of samples reached to fifth class of damage (V ). However, when tomato received impacts after second, third and fourth stages of ripeness (means: ripening, maturity and plasmolism) quantity and quality of damage increase progressively. Altough, there is a considrable difference between ripening stage and two later stages. Indeed, if the fruit recieves impact after ripening stage only 20% of samples yield the most severe damage, means completely faded and 40% of samples yield to black area and with little faded. While, if the impact occure on tomatoes after third and fourth stages of ripeness, 100% of samples involve fifth and sixth levels of deterioration (Figures 3 to 6). Accordingly, we can distinguish a critical condition between second and third stage of ripeness (ripening and maturity) of tomato in which latent damage increase in quantity and severity (Fig. 7). These results were similar in both varieties (Super Bta and Petoerly-ch). It is important to notice that, in every two varieties and in a constant level of kinetic energy (590 mJ), between 50 to 100% of damage occure in fruits, if the impact takes place after 2nd, 3rd or 4th stage of ripness and its severity increases with the increase of ripness stages. While the similar amount of kinetic energy did not make any form of damage in fruits at least at 24 hours after impact.

Severity of Deterioration

Fig. 3: Quantity and severity of damage during 72 hours after impact in Petoerly-ch variety and at first stage of ripness (pink)
Ripening Stage
50 40 24 48 72 0 I 0 0 0 0 IV 0 Severity of 0 Deterioration V 48 24 III II 0 72 Houers 30 20 20 0 0 20 40 40 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

40

Fig. 4: Quantity and severity of damage during 72 hours after impact in Petoerly-ch variety and at second stage of ripness (ripening) ripeness had significant effect on all types of mechanical damage (ruprure and latent damage) on tomato fruits. The same results obtained for interaction of impact level and stage of ripeness.

Samples (%)

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Plasmolism Stage
StagesOfRipeness 1.5
100 24 48 72 0 0 II III 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 48 0 100 100 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

2.5

3.5

20 30 40 Storage 50 60 70

0 I

0 0 0 0 72 Houers

IV Severity of Deterioration V

500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

Fig. 6: Quantity and severity of damage during 72 hours after impact in Petoerly-ch variety and at fourth stage of ripness (plasmolism)

Samples (%)

Fig. 9: Percentage of increasing of rupture proportional to stage of ripeness (Time) (r2=0.86) As shown in Figures 2-5, the duration of storing fruits in local natural condition (18C and 80% relative humidity) had a significant effect on quantity and severity of latent damage in tomato fruits. This result was similar in two varieties under this study. Consequently, it is reasonable to propose for any suitable change in environmental condition of tomatoes, sudenlly after impact. This result could be seen in figure 8. Equation (3) shows that the rate of damage (z) could be modelled as a linear surface and based on this model the time of storage (in natural condition) is the main independent parameter (y), while the stage of ripeness (x) has the minor effect (Figure 9). z=a+bx+cy+dy2 REFERENCES 1. FAO., 1989. Prevention of postharvest food losses: fruits, vegetables and root crops. FAO Training Series No. 17/2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. Shafiur Rahman, M., 1999. Handbook of Food Preservation. In: Food Science and Technology, Vol. 94., CRC Press. Campbell, D.T., S.E. Prussia and R.L. Shewfelt, 1986. Evaluating postharvest injury to fresh market tomatoes. J. Food Distribution Res., 17: 16-25. Mohsenin, H., 1978. Physical Properties of Plant and Animal Materials. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York, NY. McColloch, L.P., 1962. Bruising injury of tomatos. U.S. Dept. Agric. Mkg. Res. Rpt. No. 513, Washington, D.C. (3)

100 80 Damage (%) 60 40 20 0 No Bruise Little Softnes Medium Softnes Sever Softnes Plasmolism Maturity Little Faded Ripening Pink

Fig. 7: Quantity and severity of damage based on stage of ripeness in Petoerly-ch variety
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Pink Ripening Maturity Plasmolism Stages of Ripeness

Complete Faded

2.

Damage

3.
72 48 24
Stora..

4.

5.

Fig. 8: Effect of duration of time after impact on quantity of damage in different stage of ripeness

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Van linden, V., B. De Ketelaere, M. Desmet and J. De Baerdemaeker, 2006. Determination of bruise susceptibility of tomato fruit by means of an instrumented pendulum. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 40:7-14.doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2005. 12.008. Allende, A., M. Desmet, E. Vn Streels, B.E. Verlinden and B.M. Nicolai, 2004. Michromechanical geometrical properties of tomato skin related to differences in puncture injury susceptibility. Postharvest Biol. Technol., 34: 131-141. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2004.05.007. Desmet, M., V. Van linden, M.L. Hertog, B.E. Verlinden, J. De Baerdemaeker and B.M. Nicolai, 2004. Instrumented sphere prediction of tomato stem-puncture injury. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 34: 81-92.4. doi: 10.1016/j. postharvbio. 2004.04.006.

Geyer, M., B. Herold, B. Oberbarnscheidt, B. Borsa, F. Jakovac and L. Kovacs, 2002. Minimized losses by mechanical tomato harvest in considration of maturity and susceptibility. In: AgENG 2002, Proceedings on CD, Budapest, Hungary, Paper No, 02-PH-037. 10. Van Zeebroeck, E., V. Van linden, P. Darius, B. De Ketelaere, H. Ramon and M. Tijskens, 2007. The effect of fruit properties on the bruise susceptibility of tomatoes. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 45: 168-175.doi: 10.1016/j. postharvbio. 2006.12.022. 11. Afkari-Sayyah, A.H., S. Minaei and A. Golmohammadi, 2006. Investigation of the effect of mechanical load on apple losses after storage. Unpublished Research Project, Univ. of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

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