Single-frequency sound wave delays tomato (solanum iycopersicum) ripening by suppressing respiration and regulates lycopene / Muhammad Afiq Azman

Tomato had become one most consumed and utilized fruit. Tomatoes are
cultivated, harvested and commercialized on a wide scale all over the world. This
poses the question ·'Would the tomatoes last long?" Fresh tomatoes place on a
counter would only last for a week and extended for another week if stored in
refrigerator at 23°C. The onset of senescence is triggered by ripening process.
Ripening process in tum triggered by multitude of factors. The major factor
known is the initiation of ethylene biosynthesis. The accumulation of ethylene
would trigger multiple enzymatic processes along with multiple protein synthesis.
The transition of chloroplasts into chromoplasts is driven by enzymatic action that
results in the loss of green coloration among tomatoes. Carotenoids on the other
hand are the main coloration pigments that give the orange and red coloration to
tomatoes. Single-frequency sound wave at 1 kHz as the treatment agent of the
project proved to have delays ripening process when applied to a group of
tomatoes. The results showed a noticeable different between controlled group and
treated group. The color transitions from green to red of the tomatoes were
considerably slower in treated group during the whole period of 15 days. The
sound wave treatment also reduces the respiration rate of tomatoes as the headspace
gas sample analyzed revealed that the amount of C02 was lower in the gas
sample of treated group. The GC test showed those treated groups only have
0.39886% C02 content out of 50 mL gas sample taken. In contrast, controlled
group's C02 content was 1.27148% with the same volume of gas sample. The result
obtained proved that single-frequency sound wave at I KHz was capable of delaying
ripening process as well as reducing respiration rate in tomatoes