who observed a decrease in anthocyanins during stor-age, related to postharvest dehydration rate. In in vivo conditions, vacuolar pH of the pericarp of litchi fruit is close to 3.0, and anthocyanins are red (Brouillard et al., 1997). Thus pH of the pericarp of sulphur-fumigated and HCl-treated litchi fruit is about 2.5 (Underhill et al., 1992), while the pH of the pericarp of litchi fruit sta-bilized after being treated with acid and water vapour is about 3.0 (Lichter et al., 2000).