The reduction in postharvest quality of papaya fruit is mainly due to mechanical damage, especially those caused by cuts on the surface. In this study the cuts were reproduced in the laboratory to evaluate the effects of the number of cuts on quality and postharvest physiology of 'Golden' papaya fruit. The cuts were made using a steel blade 30 mm long and 5 mm deep. The treatments consisted of making 1 to 4 cuts on the equatorial region of the fruits. Papaya fruits with no cuts were used as control. Fruits were stored at 22 ºC and 80-90% RH for 10 days. The quality analyses were performed every two days, whereas the physiological analyses were performed daily. It was observed that firmness, soluble solid content, ascorbic acid content, respiration rate and ethylene production were affected by the number of cuts, showing that the fruit quality loss was directly proportional to the number of cuts.
Carica papaya L.; mechanical damage; physicochemical quality; postharvest physiology
