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Review Article|25 Jun 2014|OPEN
Fundamental aspects of postharvest heat treatments
Susan Lurie1 , and Romina Pedreschi,2
1Department of Posthavest Science, The Volcani Center, ARO, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
2Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Escuela de Agronomía, La Palma, Quillota, Chile
*Corresponding author. E-mail: slurie43@agri.gov.il

Horticulture Research 1,
Article number: 30 (2014)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/hortres.2014.30
Views: 995

Received: 06 Mar 2014
Revised: 08 Apr 2014
Accepted: 01 May 2014
Published online: 25 Jun 2014

Abstract

Heat treatments have been investigated for use in many aspects of postharvest storage. They have been developed for insect control, prevention of fungal development and prevention of postharvest storage disorders including chilling injury. The treatment times and temperature range vary widely, from days at 35 °C to 39 °C in hot air, to up to 63 °C for less than a minute in hot water. Much of the research has been performed to develop solutions to a particular problem, and less investigation has been conducted on the responses of the commodity to the treatment. However, since the turn of the century, a number of groups have been active in examining the molecular responses and changes that occur in commodities during and after the heat treatment. This review examines the changes at the level of transcriptome, proteome and metabolome that occur in response to the different heat treatments.