Muhammad Anees Arif1, Aman Ullah Malik1*, Murium Sultan2 and Salma Rehmat3
1Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan 2College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China 3Department of Biotechnology Lahore College for Women University Lahore, Pakistan
malikaman1@uaf.edu.pk
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a highly perishable climacteric fruit with a short shelf life under ambient conditions, leading to substantial qualitative and quantitative postharvest losses along the supply chain. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) card technology in extending shelf life and maintaining postharvest quality of tomato fruit during ambient storage. Freshly harvested tomatoes at the turning stage were treated with a 1-MCP card, while untreated fruits served as the control. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with two treatments and three replications, with 1 kg of fruit per replication. Fruits were stored under ambient conditions and evaluated at 3-day intervals over an 18-day storage period. The application of the 1-MCP card significantly delayed ripening and senescence processes, resulting in reduced physiological weight loss, lower ethylene production and respiration rates, and improved retention of fruit firmness compared with control fruits. Treated tomatoes exhibited superior visual quality, higher marketability, reduced disease incidence, and better sensory attributes throughout storage. In addition, 1-MCP card treatment effectively preserved biochemical and nutritional quality, including higher retention of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity. Enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase) and reduced browning-related enzymatic activity were also observed in treated fruits. Overall, the results demonstrate that 1-MCP card technology is an effective and practical postharvest tool for extending shelf life and maintaining the quality of tomato fruit under ambient storage conditions, particularly in regions with limited cold-chain infrastructure.