Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Agronomy, Food Science & Technology, Agriculture, diffusivity, measurement set-up, respiration, Pyrus communis, modeling, CORE BREAKDOWN, GAS-DIFFUSION, SKIN, RESISTANCE, 0607 Plant Biology, 0706 Horticultural Production, Plant Biology & Botany, 3008 Horticultural production, 3108 Plant biology

Abstract:

Knowledge of gas diffusion is important for understanding and developing controlled atmosphere treatments and modified atmosphere packaging for extended product life. Measuring gas diffusion properties of fruit tissue has proven difficult due to the available gas measurement techniques and the inherent biological variability of biological material as well as the fast deterioration and respiration activity of cut tissue samples. A measurement set-up for tissue diffusivities using fluorescent optical probes was developed. The optical sensors produced good informative O2 and CO2 partial pressure versus time profiles. Diffusivities of O2 and CO2 were estimated based on a finite element model describing simultaneous O 2 and CO2 gas transport as well as respiration in the tissue. The average O2 and CO2 diffusivity of pear inner cortex tissue were (2.56-0.48)×10-10 m2/s and (3.8-1.1)×10-9 m2/s, respectively.