Influence of Ozone Treatment during Storage on Odour-Active Compounds, Total Titratable Acidity, and Ascorbic Acid in Oranges and Bananas

Abstract

Ozone has the potential to improve the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by its antimicrobial properties, but the influence on the aroma properties has not been studied comprehensively at the molecular level. Therefore, the impact of ozone on odour-active compounds, total titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, weight loss, and fungal growth during storage is investigated in oranges and bananas. The fruits were stored at room temperature for 11 days either with or without ozone treatment. Interestingly, no significant impact of the ozone treatment on the contents of the selected odour-active compounds in bananas and oranges was observable. Furthermore, no impact on titratable acidity, weight loss, and ascorbic acid content were observable as a consequence of the ozone treatment at the respective ozone concentrations. In addition, the inhibitive effects of the growth and sporulation of moulds were demonstrated in this study. Finally, the data from this research show that ozonation has the potential of improving the shelf life of fruits without compromising their quality.

Keywords

• ozone treatment
• banana
• orange
• odour-active compound
• ascorbic acid
• total titratable acidity