Effect of ozone pre-conditioning on quality and antioxidant capacity of papaya fruit during ambient storage

The objective of this study was to compare the physico-chemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of ozone-treated papaya fruit and untreated fruit. Freshly harvested papaya fruit were exposed continuously to ozone fumigation (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 5 ppm) for 96 h prior to ambient storage at 25 +/- 3 degrees C and 70 +/- 5% relative humidity (RH) for up to 14 days. The fruit exposed to 2.5 ppm ozone had higher levels of total soluble solids (25.0%), ascorbic acid content (12.4%), beta-carotene content (19.6%), lycopene content (52.1%), and antioxidant activity (30.9%), and also reduced weight loss (11.5%) at day 10 compared to the control. The sensory attributes of papaya treated with 2.5 ppm ozone was superior in sweetness and overall acceptability. These results support the application of ozone as a non-thermal and safe food preservation technique for papaya which can benefit both the producers and consumers. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.