Zoran S Ilić, Dušan Marinković, Radmila Trajković, Ljubomir Šunić

Tomato fruits ‘1402’ were harvested at mature green (MG), light pink (LP) and light red (LR) stages and treated with 0.3 μL L^-1 of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) at 20°C for 24 h to investigate the ability to retard tomato fruit ripening. The treated and control fruit were stored at 5°C and 12 ^oC for 14 days and a further 4 days at 20^oC for a shelf life period. The results show that the effects of 1-MCP on fruit ripening were related to the stage of maturity and storage temperature. The MG stage was the optimal stage for 1-MCP treatment when fruit storage was at 12°C. 1-MCP treatment reduced the lipophilic antioxidant activity (LAA) of the tomato fruit, but the hydrophilic antioxidant activity (HAA) remained similar to that observed at harvest. 1-MCP is a potential tool for extending shelf life, delaying tomato fruit ripening (slowing color development and firmness loss) and enhancing quality of tomatoes.