Influence of Degradative Enzymatic Activitieson the Shelf Life of Ready-to-EatPrickly Pear Fruits

Prickly pear fruit (Opuntia ficus indica L. Miller)belongs to the Cactaceae family. This species is very sensitive to lowstorage temperatures (< 5°C) which cause damages. The fruits can bepeeled, suitably packaged and successfully commercialized as aready-to-eat product. The main limit to the extension of the shelf lifeis the production of off-flavors due to different factors, the growth ofmicroorganisms and the action of endogenous enzymes.Lipoxygenase (LOX) and Pectinesterase (PE) are involved in fruitdegradation. In particular, LOX pathway is directly responsible forlipid oxidation, and the subsequent production of off-flavours, whilePE causes the softening of fruit during maturation. They act on thetexture and shelf-life of post-harvest, packaged fruits, as a function ofthe the grown of microorganisms and packaging technologies used.The aim of this work is to compare the effect of different packagingtechnologies on the shelf life extension of ready-to-eat prickly pearfruits with regards for the enzymes activities.