Effect of the potassium permanganate during papaya fruit ripening: Ethylene production

Abstract

The effect of potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ) on the ripening process of papaya fruits by monitoring the ethylene emission rates is reported.The ethylene emission was monitored by a photoacoustic spectrometer.Two experimental conditions were applied, being one of them just putting the fruit alone inside the sampling chamber and the second, modifying the atmosphere by the presence of KMnO 4 .The use of the ethylene absorber reduces the autocatalytic process of ethylene during papaya fruit ripening.For 20 g of KMnO 4 the maximal intensity of the ethylene emission decreases by a factor two.Using the same amount of KMnO 4 , a reduction of about 2.2 % in the concentration of ethylene for a mixture of 1ppmv of ethylene in synthetic air was observed.