Changes in the physicochemical quality, functional properties, and actinidin content of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) during postharvest storage

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis, Hayward) was stored at 25℃ for 0~30 days and investigated to find out the optimum storage time to obtain the best physical and functional properties for consumers’ preference. Kiwifruits was stored at different time period (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 days) for investigating their physiochemical quality, nutritional components, and functional characteristics. Kiwifruits stored for 20~30 days showed the best physiochemical quality such as higher total acidity and proper firmness. They were also more enriched with dietary fibers, free sugar, and organic acid, although no significant changes were observed in crude protein, crude fat, and moisture content. For functional properties, kiwifruits stored for 20 days showed significantly higher contents of total phenolics, flavonoids, and actinidin. In addition, it showed stronger antioxidant activity, whitening effect, and proteolytic activity when compared with other samples. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the presence of actinidin enzyme in kiwifruits. These results indicated that the kiwifruits stored for 15~20 days possessed excellent quality and high concentrations of nutritional and functional compounds, which could be best for both fresh consumption and product processing