Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore - 570 020
*Correspondings author, Fax : 91-0823-2517233, E-mail: ksri@sancharnet.in
Glycosidases - β-hexosaminidase, α-mannosidase and α-galactosidase are likely to play an important role in fruit softening during ripening of fruits. Heat treatment of bell capsicum for a brief period at dark green stage of the fruit decreased the activity of all these three enzymes. But heat treatment of the fruit at light green and climacteric stage resulted in either increased enzyme activities or did not affect the same. SDS-PAGE protein profile revealed a heat stress specific protein of 34 kDa. The carbohydrate/protein ratio was lesser in heat treated capsicum at dark green stage compared to its untreated control. Higher carbohydrate to protein ratio was noticed in heat treated capsicum at light green stage and climacteric stage over their control. Higher water loss was noticed in heat treated capsicum at dark green stage, light green stage and climacteric stage over their respective controls after 72 h storage at ambient temperature following heat treatment. Heat treatment at dark green stage increased the shelf life of the bell capsicum by an average of 9 days. The fruits heat treated at dark green stage retained the luster even after 6 days (144 h), while those of other stages lost the luster. The data suggested that heat treatment at the dark green stage of bell capsicum could probably improve the shelf life of these fruits.
Bell capsicum, glycosidases, heat treatment, shelf life
