Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene on the quality attributes of harvested Chinese mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) fruiting bodies

The effects of paper containing different concentrations of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on the quality of Chinese mushrooms were investigated. Mushrooms were first stored with paper containing 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, or 1.25 mu l L-1 1-MCP at 15 +/- 1 degrees C for 12 hr and then continued for up to 8 days. 1-MCP reduced the respiratory peak, weight loss, degree of cap browning, relative leakage rate, and soluble solid content, and delayed the change in the surface hue angle. Mushrooms exposed to paper containing 1-MCP maintained firmness and sensory attributes. The storage time of Chinese mushrooms treated with 1-MCP at the best concentration (0.75 mu l L-1) was 8 days, which was 4 days longer than that of the control. Browning in mushrooms was related to the vitamin C content, total phenol content, and polyphenol oxidase activity. The results would be very useful to the mushroom industry and provide a theoretical basis for the potential researches of the mechanisms maturation and senescence in Chinese mushrooms.