Postharvest ethanol treatment affects the ripening and senescence of horticultural crops. In banana fruit, some reports have found it to inhibit while another report found it to promote. The effects of ethanol treatment on fruit ripening seem to depend on a number of factors, including the mode of application and the duration of exposure. We treated mature green fruit with ethanol vapor by placing the fruit, along with ethanol pads, in a perforated polyethylene bag. The ethanol treatment promoted ripening in this way. To clarify the promotion mechanism, we investigated the effects of ethanol treatment on gene expression of ethylene biosynthetic enzymes, including MaACO1, MaACO2, MaACS1, and MaACS2, and ripening-related transcription factors, including MaMADS1, MaMADS2, and MaMADS7, in the pulp and peel of banana fruit. Overall, the color score was promoted by ethanol treatment, and changes in the gene expression in ethanol-treated fruit in each color score were similar to those in the control fruit, except for MaACS1 in the pulp. These results might support the hypothesis that ethanol essentially could induce the gene expression of ripening-related transcription factors acting upstream of the ethylene-mediated ripening control, resulting in ripened fruit.

　To evaluate the effects of meat-aging treatment using the chilled room of a domestic refrigerator (R-XG6700H, Hitachi Global Life Solutions, Inc.), we compared the number of viable bacteria and concentration of taste components in, as well as palatability of, beef and pork loin, aged using a refrigerated (refrigerated aging) or a chilled room on vacuum mode (about 0.8 atm) at superchilling temperature of around －1 ℃ (chilled aging). The growth rate of viable bacteria in the case of chilled aging was 62.3 % lower in beef and 55.0 % lower in pork than in the case of refrigerated aging. The rate of increase in the total free amino acid content in beef was lower in the case of chilled aging compared to that in refrigerated aging; however, the suppression rate was lower than that for the number of viable bacteria. In contrast, the rate of increase in the total free amino acid content in pork did not change significantly in the case of chilled aging compared to that in refrigerated aging. Furthermore, the results of sensory evaluation showed that umami of pork and beef were significantly stronger in chilled aging for 7 days than in refrigerated aging for 3 or 4 days. These results indicate that beef and pork meats using the chilled room of a domestic refrigerator at superchilling temperature of around －1 ℃ for 7 days increases the content of total free amino acids in meat and improves its palatability compared with meats using a refrigerated room of a domestic refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

　We analyzed the generation of defective gomu-mame (gummy beans) and ishi-mame (stone-formed beans) in boiled adzuki beans. As the number of days during which the adzuki beans are treated at a constant temperature (60℃) is increased, the moisture content of the raw beans is lost, leading to the increased generation of gomu-mame and ishi-mame. The abundance ratios of normal beans, gomu-mame, and ishi-mame 7 days post drying were 59.7%, 28.0%, and 12.3%, respectively. The coefficients of water absorption of boiled beans were 139.2% for normal beans, 60.8% for gomu-mame, and 0% for ishi-mame, with even less water being absorbed with harder boiled beans. The results of boiled bean tissues showed that starch grains swell in the surface and inner layers of normal beans but do not swell in the surface layer of gomu-mame, which had slightly swelled starch grains in the inner layer. In contrast, starch grains did not swell at all in ishi-mame. This suggests that the hard beans in boiled beans may reduce the quality of beans by changing bean nodules via over-drying, leading to substantially lower water absorption, which prevents water from reaching starch grains.

　Sodium hypochlorite is widely used to sanitize fresh-cut vegetables. However, its application to vegetables causes nutrient loss and a chlorine odor. In this study, we investigated the effects of fine-bubble ozone water on the quality and storability of fresh-cut cabbage. One-millimeter-wide samples of fresh-cut cabbages treated with water, fine-bubble ozone water, or a solution of sodium hypochlorite were stored at 10℃ for 6 days in unsealed or sealed OPP film pouches. The mass loss rate, gas composition in the pouch, ethylene and ethanol concentrations, respiration rate, color value, aerobic plate count, ascorbic acid content, and sugar content were measured. Fresh-cut cabbage treated with sodium hypochlorite solution showed a higher respiration rate and higher carbon dioxide and ethanol concentration in the pouch than did the cabbage in the other treatments. After 6 days of storage at 10℃, discoloration and bacterial growth were significantly suppressed in the fresh-cut cabbage treated with fine-bubble ozone water relative to that treated with sodium hypochlorite solution. The ascorbic acid content showed a decreasing trend during storage. This study indicated that compared with sodium hypochlorite solution, fine-bubble ozone water is more effective for maintaining the quality of fresh-cut cabbage.