Chilling injury and its effect on ripening, biochemical and enzymatic changes in mango

Mature green ‘Dashehari’ mango fruits were stored at 8, 10 or 12°C with 75–85% relative humidity for 4 weeks. The fruits stored at 12°C ripened normally when transferred to ambient conditions, while those stored at 10° or 8°C exhibited ripening impairment characterized by slow ripening and poor colour development after holding for 2 and 4 weeks respectively. These fruits also exhibited micro-lesions on fruit surface. Acidity was higher in fruits which exhibited spots. A higher level of reducing sugars appears to confer a certain degree of resistance to chilling injury in ‘Dashehari’ mango. At 8°C, the yellow colour development was poor but the softening process continued. As the ripening hastened, the peroxidase activity increased in fruits exposed to low temperature. A low temperature of 12°C was found to be safe for long term storage of ‘Dashehari’ mango.