Ilić, Z.S., Faculty of Agriculture Priština-Lešak, Kopaonička bb., 38219 Lešak, Serbia
Trajković, R., Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Department of Biology, Kos, 38220 Mitrovica, Serbia
Perzelan, Y., ARO-The Volcani Center, Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Alkalai-Tuvia, S., ARO-The Volcani Center, Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Fallik, E., ARO-The Volcani Center, Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel

The goal of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on maintaining the quality parameters and antioxidant activity of bell pepper cv. Selika (an original red cultivar) and cv. H1530 ("ever-green" line) after 18 days storage at 7°C and 3 days at 20°C. Fruits were harvested at green color, from a commercial shade net house in the desert region in Israel. In both cultivars, 600 nL L -1 1-MCP reduced weight loss and maintained firmness more than control or 900 nL L -1 1-MCP. Overall, 1-MCP treatment had a pronounced effect on delaying ripening processes as shown by inhibiting color changes, decreasing decay, and maintaining quality of non-climacteric green pepper fruit. 1-MCP treatment reduced the lipophilic antioxidant activity of this fruit, but the hydrophilic antioxidant activity remained similar to that observed at harvest. © 2011 Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.