Greenhouse-grown purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) were harvested
mature-green 55 or 60 days after anthesis (DAA) and stored for 10 days at 10C.
After storage, half the fruit were treated with 10 µl ethylene/liter for 35 hours and
then stored at 21C for 48 hours. Juice of treated and nontreated fruit was analyzed
for comparison with juice of vine-ripened fruit (harvested 70 to 80 DAA). Sucrose
concentration decreased and fructose and glucose concentrations increased after storage,
regardless of ethylene treatment. Fruit harvested 55 or 60 DAA, with or without
ethylene, had the same sugar and soluble solids concentrations and pH as vine-ripened
fruit. Ethylene treatment enhanced surface purple pigmentation of fruit harvested
mature-green.