Abstract
Tomato fruits (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Bombay) harvested at the mature-green stage were exposed to ethanol vapour at 0, 1, 2, or 4 mL kg-1 for 24 h at 25°C. Ripening was measured as change in the colour of the fruit. Ethanol treatment delayed the ripening of the tomato fruit and this delay was concentration dependent. Higher concentration of ethanol vapour delayed tomato fruit ripening up to 24 days. During ripening of tomato fruit, total soluble solids (TSS) content, titratable acidity, and sugar content increased while brix:acid ratio decreased. Post-harvest treatment of tomato fruits with ethanol vapour showed higher TSS, lower acidity, higher brix:acid ratio, and high sugar content compared to untreated fruits. The relative association of applied ethanol concentration showed a negative relationship (r = -0.84232) with acidity and a positive relationship with sugar content (r = 0.97007) at the red-ripe stage. A negative relationship was found between titratable acidity and sugar content in ripe tomato fruit (r = -0.91041). Post-harvest use of ethanol improved the sensory quality of tomato fruits after complete ripening.
