Melon (<i>Cucumis melo L.</i>) is a sweet, aromatic and flavorful important horticultural crop that is a rich source of bioactive compounds. Understanding how these phytonutrients change during post-harvest storage provides critical information for preserving the health-promoting properties of these popular fruits. Three cantaloupes (Western shipper, Infinite Gold, and Da Vinci) and three honeydew varieties (Orange Casaba, HD-150, and HD-252) grown in Uvalde, Texas were used for testing. Harvested fruits were stored at 10 °C and processed for analysis at 5-day intervals (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 day) for carotenoids, amino acids and ascorbic acid using high performance liquid chromatography. The Tuscan type (Da Vinci) variety showed high levels of β-carotene on day 0 of storage. Total ascorbic acid content decreased from day 0 to day 20 in Western Shipper and Da Vinci melons. Honeydew variety HD252 showed the highest total ascorbic acid levels at day 5, which then gradually decreased to day 20. All six cantaloupe and honeydew melon varieties showed an overall increase in the total amino acid level by day 20 among which Da Vinci and Infinite Gold showed the highest content. Total phenolic content was the highest for the Tuscan type (Da Vinci) melon on day 0 and for Western Shipper on day 5. The volatile profile, analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS, identified alcohols, aldehydes, esters, monoterpenoids, and norisoprenoids. These results indicate that the changes in bioactive compounds during post-harvest storage study are influenced by melon variety and storage period.

Chemometric study of post-harvest storage effects on bioactive compounds in melon cultivars

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.