Abstract  

This  study  aimed  to  investigate  the  effects  of  1-methylcyclopropylene  (1-MCP)  and  abscisic  acid (ABA) treatments on the postharvest tangerine variety Orah. The whole fruit was treated separately with 0.6 μL/L 1-methylcyclopropylene and 20 mg/L abscisic acid. The fruit was subjected to texture analysis, whereas fruit peel was obtained for microstructure observation. Correlation and principal component  analyses  showed  that  1-MCP  treatment  could  maintain  a  good  peel  texture.  ABA treatment accelerated fruit senescence and caused the deterioration of textural properties of the fruit. The  data  showed  that  1-MCP  treatment  maintained  the  integrity  and  compactness  of  the  peel structure. The  peel  of  the  fruit  treated  1-methylcyclopropylene  also  had  a  uniform  thickness  after storing  at  ambient  temperature  for  20  days.  The  peel  tissue  of  fruit  treated  with  ABA  was  more prone  to  collapse  and  structural  disorder.  These  findings  study  suggested  that 1-methylcyclopropylene  treatment  was  an  effective  way  to  prevent  the  deterioration  of  Orah tangerines.