• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2014

This experiment was conducted to examine the effects of a short-term treatment of high pressure $CO_2$ on shelf-life of strawberry fruit. A short-term treatment (12 hr) of 100% $CO_2$ resulted in the increase of fruit firmness up to 71.9% compared to that at harvest. The firmness of $CO_2$ treated fruit remained a significantly higher than that of control (air) up to 15 days. The alteration of pectic polymers was observed by $CO_2$ treatment such as an increase of EDTA soluble pectins and decrease of water soluble ones. The $CO_2$ treatment resulted in the increase of total amount of wall bound calcium. Pectate lyase activity, an important agent of strawberry fruit softening, was also significantly reduced by $CO_2$ treatment. Contents of soluble solids and acids of $CO_2$ treated fruit were higher than those of control fruit. Short-term treatment of high pressure $CO_2$ affected shelf-life through firmness increase whereas the visual quality and decay incidence of strawberry fruit were not affected.