Inhibition of Astringency Removal in Semidried Japanese Persimmon Fruit by 1-methylcyclopropene Treatment

The inhibition of astringency removal on semidried persimmon fruit treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) was investigated. The rate at which soluble tannin decreased in 1-MCP-treated semidried fruit was less than control fruit, the soluble tannin concentration in dried flesh of 1-MCP-treated fruit was more than 150 mg·100 g −1 on a fresh weight (FW) basis and, with sulfur treatment, reached 270 mg·100g −1 FW [which exceeds the concentration of tannins required to detect astringency (Inari and Takeuchi, 2001)], and the degree of inhibition for astringency removal in semidried fruit was different among cultivars. It is suggested that these phenomena occur by the inhibition of ethylene action for fruit softening by 1-MCP treatment.