RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Effect of hot water treatment weight loss and firmness of the fruit
There was a significant (p < 0.05) difference in weight loss between control and hot water treated (40 and 50°C for 20 min) fruits. Weight loss of fruits in the treatments gradually increased from 0 to 11.2%, 23.3 and 38.4% in 40, 50°C and control treated fruits, respectively during the 16 days storage time (Figure 1A). 40°C treatment for 20 min generated the least weight loss compared to control (12.1% higher) and 50°C treatment for 20 min (27.2% higher). According to Lurie et al. (1997) the outer pericarp tissue of hot water treated fruits tomatoes had higher phospholipids, lower sterol contents, less saturated fatty acid than unheated fruits, and this might be to the reason for the treated fruit to have less weight loss compared to control. The basic mechanism of weight loss from fresh fruit and vegetables is due to vapor-phase diffusion caused by difference in water vapor pressures at different location where the product is stored (Yaman and Bayoindirli, 2002) and besides that respiration also results in loss of weight of fruits as it involved degradation and loss of carbon atom from the fruit (Bhowmik and Pan, 1992).