Temperatura, umidade relativa e condições de atmosfera controlada para o armazenamento de pinhões (Araucaria angustifolia)

Abstract

Pinhão is a nutritious food of cultural and socioeconomic importance in the South Brazil. However, there are little researches that aims at post-harvest storage. The commercialization of pinhão occurs in a short period of time due to the long period of off-season and short shelf life, which is due to intrinsic factors (recalcitrant physiology, high humidity and water activity) and extrinsic factors (biological attacks, storage conditions). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of temperature, relative humidity and controlled atmosphere conditions on the conservation of the pinhão in natura for an extended period of storage.Experiments were carried out with storage of the Pinhão in natura, as follow: 1) temperatures were 20.0 °C; 2.0 °C; 1.0 °C; 0.0 °C, -0.5 °C in 90 +3% RH, in 60 and 135 days of storage and 3 days of shelf life; 2) relative humidity conditions 98; 90; and 80% RH, at 2.0 ± 0.2 °C, at 60 and 135 days storage and 3 days shelf life; 3) CA conditions at partial pressure levels of O2 and CO2 (kPa O2 + kPa CO2) of 20.91 + 0.04; 3.00 + 0.00; 20.91 + 3.00; 20.91 + 5.00 at 2.0 ±0.2 ° C and 90 ±3% RH, after 120 days of storage and 7 days shelf life; 4) temperatures of 0.5ºC and 2.5ºC in 96 +2% RH and 20.0 ºC in 70% RH, in 120 and 210 days of storage and 14 days of shelf life; 5) CA conditions, levels of 1 + 3; 3 + 5; and 5 + 20 (kPa O2 + kPa C O2) at 0.5 °C and 2.5 °C and 96 +2% RH, after 120 and 210 days storage and 14 days shelf life. The quality of the stored pinhão was evaluated as: mass loss; respiration rate; ethylene production; shell color; pulp firmness; incidence of fungi, rot and damage by pinhão borer; water activity; percentage of infection, and fungi identified. Pinhão stored in CA presented lower respiratory activity and mass loss, and better conservation of quality, compared to those in refrigerated storage under the same conditions of temperature and RH. Extended storage of the pinhão in natura in CA is possible, under the conditions 1,0 kPa O2 + 3,0 kPa CO2; 3.0 kPa O2 + 5.0 kPa CO2; 5 kPa O2 + 20.0 kPa CO2 at 2.5 ºC and 96 +2% RH, for about seven months, guaranteeing the supply of this food in the off season.