tended to maintain higher TSS values than did 40% O2 and
air in strawberry and blueberry fruit (Tables 5 and 6). After
14 days of storage at 5 C, significantly higher values of
TSS in 80% or 100% O2 treated strawberry fruit were
detected in comparison with other high O2 and air treatments.
After 35 days of storage at 5 C, significantly higher
values of TSS in three higher level O2 treated blueberry
fruit were detected in comparison with 40% O2 and air
treatments. However, no significant differences were
observed in TSS between the two or among the three
higher level O2 treatments in strawberry or blueberry fruit.
On the contrary, significantly lower TSS values in high
O2-treated strawberries than in air-stored fruit after storage
at 5 C were reported in earlier studies (Wszelaki & Mitcham,
2000; Pe´rez & Sanz, 2000). As the main substrates
of respiratory metabolism, sugars and acids are depleted