The mangaba, a highly perishable native fruit, presents reduced shelf-life. New technologies of fruit preserving have been developed and the use of plant growth regulators has been promising. This study evaluated the application of the regulator ethylene 1-MCP at different concentrations (250, 500 and 1000 ηL L-1), in order to verify the increase of fruits durability and their physical and chemical characteristics during storage at room temperature and at 11 ºC. The use of 1-MCP, at every concentrations used, was beneficial to the fruits post-harvest under natural conditions, increasing the shelf life of mangaba, and so was the use of storage at 11 ºC, which favored the reduction of weight loss and the maintenance of the levels of acidity, soluble solids and vitamin C. When associated with the application of 1-MCP, the loss by excessive maturation decreased. The fruits presented a proper content of total phenols, which increased during storage, mainly under the concentration of 1.000 ηL L-1 of 1-MCP.
conservation; Hancornia speciosa; post harvest; total phenols
