3.2. Pepino dulce
Pepino dulce stored at 18 °C and treated with Semperfresh showed a decrease in pigments within 10 days of shelf life, and hence a lower content of chlorophyll a and b and b-carotene in comparison to the food- tainer packaging and the control (Fig. 1). However, at a low temperature of 5 °C chlorophyll a and b were not effected by both treatments after 21 days, whereas b- carotene decreased in coated pepino dulce (data not shown). A modification of the internal atmosphere in Semperfresh treated pepino dulce fruits caused by an additional physical barrier (Baldwin et al., 1999) might have led presumably to an acceleration of enzyme ac- tivities in chlorophyll and b-carotene degradation. In respect to anticancerogenic and antioxidative effects the bioactive pigments could be maintained by choosing a foodtainer packaging. This indicates a preserving effect of foodtainer packaging on bioactive pigments (Huys- kens-Keil, Schreiner, Prono-Widyat, & Peters, 2000), probably due to the enhanced CO2 and reduced O2 concentration which was caused on one hand by a rising respiration rate and on the other hand by the diffusion