Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore
+This piece of work winch was carried out by Shri J. S. Prutln, forms a part of his Doctorate thesis. This paper was read at the Indian Science Congress Session 1955, held at Baroda.
Results of studies conducted during the last 3 years on the refrigerated and common storage of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims), at 8 different temperatures ranging between 32–65°F and room temperature (74–91°F) revealed that there were minimum percent physiological losses in the weight of the fruits at 42–45°F and 35–38°F, the respective figures for the two temperatures at the end of 5 weeks storage being 32.69 and 34.40% in comparison to: 78.38% at ordinary room temperature (74–91°F). Low temperature injury was noticed at 32 35°F, 35–38°F and to some extent at 39–42°F. The optimum storage temperature for passion fruits is, therefore, 42–45°F (R.H. 85–90%) and a storage life of about 4–5 weeks.
Losses in the weight of fruit packed in Polythene bags were almost negligible, while dipping the fruits in hot paraffin wax prior to storage, brought the losses down to 2–5% at the end of 4 weeks storage at 42–45°F, the comparative figure for control being 23.18%.
While studying the nature of spoilage in passion fruit during storage at 42–45°F, the causal organisms were isolated, purified and identified as Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp., and Ehizopus sp. The pathogenicity trials revealed that these fungi have considerable deleterious effect on the physiology of the fruit, penicillium having the maximum effect. Out of the large number of available chemicals for use as preventive measures against these fungi, dipping the fruits in dilute solutions of Formaldehyde (2%), Iodine (2%), Boric acid (5%) and Alcohol (95%) proved to be most effective. Further, washing the crates with 2–4% Lysol solution prevented the attack of these micro-organisms upto a storage period of 5 weeks at 42–45°F.
