Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Compositions for preservation or maintenance of cut flowers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-08
2002-01-22
Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Compositions for preservation or maintenance of cut flowers
C426S312000, C426S562000, C426S477000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340654
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a freshness-retaining agent and method for agricultural products or horticultural products (hereinafter simply called “agricultural/horticultural products”). More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a high-safety, freshness-retaining agent for agricultural/horticultural products, which can effectively and persistently delay autogeneous deteriorations, such as discoloration and softening, of the agricultural/horticultural products, said deteriorations taking place during transportation or storage, to improve their storability, and is also effective for preventing quality deteriorations of the agricultural/horticultural products by staining microorganisms. The present invention is also concerned with a freshness-retaining method for agricultural/horticultural products, which makes use of the freshness-retaining agent.
b) Description of the Related Art
Freshness-retaining technology for agricultural/horticultural products, such as vegetables, fruits, flowers and ornamental plants, has been studied in various ways for many years from the need to improve the efficiency of their supply to the market, and these studies have led, for example, to the development of low-temperature storage, CA (controlled atmosphere) storage making combined use of control of a gas concentration and cold storage, package storage relying upon films, and the like.
However, the former two methods can hardly be adapted in many instances for an economical reason that costs for storage would increase, and are not considered to be practical methods yet. On the other hand, the package storage making use of a film has been developed in an attempt to easily achieve the effect of CA but, different from real CA storage, relies only upon the gas permeability of the film itself and does not warrant any extravagant expectation.
As a method for retaining the freshness of an agricultural/horticultural product at relatively low cost, it may be contemplated to use one or more of various freshness-retaining agents. Fundamentally speaking, elimination of ethylene, which is considered to be a cause for a freshness deterioration of an agricultural/horticultural product, is regarded as being most effective for the retention of the freshness of the agricultural/horticultural product. Accordingly, most of conventional freshness-retaining agents are intended to eliminate ethylene. They are, however, insufficient in many instances to achieve the retention of freshness of agricultural/horticultural products under a broader range of conditions. To achieve safe and absolutely effective retention of the freshness of agricultural/horticultural products, there is a need for a freshness-retaining agent which has not only mere ethylene-eliminating ability but also ability to safely and effectively control staining microorganisms, which would otherwise cause deteriorations in the quality of the agricultural/horticultural products.
Freshness-retaining agents of the relatively new type include certain freshness-retaining agents which generate carbon dioxide gas that competitively inhibits the action of ethylene, and effects of such freshness-retaining agents are attracting interests. These freshness-retaining agents, which generate carbon dioxide, have a characteristic feature in that they make use of the carbon dioxide generation mechanism of bath preparations. Described specifically, a carbonate or a hydrogencarbonate is mixed with an acid to generate carbon dioxide, thereby increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide gas in a surrounding atmosphere of an agricultural/horticultural product. Since these freshness-retaining agents use, as a solid acid, a water-soluble organic acid led by fumaric acid, a reaction in which carbon dioxide gas is generated takes place abruptly and subsides shortly. They are hence accompanied by a drawback that the freshness-retaining effect for the agricultural/horticultural products does not last long.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to overcome the above-described drawbacks, and to provide a safe and reliable freshness-retaining agent which, while persistently giving off carbon dioxide little by little to suppress the concentration of ethylene in a surrounding atmosphere of an agricultural/horticultural product, effectively exhibits greenishness-retaining activity and antibacterial activity for the agricultural/horticultural product and hence achieves continuous retention of the overall freshness of the agricultural/horticultural product.
To achieve the above-described object, the present inventors have proceeded with extensive research. As a result, it has been found that use of a mixture of an organic acid and a hydrogencarbonate as a freshness-retaining agent makes it possible to solve the above-described problems of the conventional art, leading to the completion of the present invention.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided a freshness-retaining agent for an agricultural or horticultural product, which comprises an organic acid and a hydrogencarbonate. In another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a freshness-retaining method for an agricultural or horticultural product, which comprises using the freshness-retaining agent.
The freshness-retaining agent according to the present invention can show excellent ability to lower the concentration of ethylene while having high safety. On the other hand, the freshness-retaining method according to the present invention has high safety and can retain the freshness of an agricultural/horticultural product over an extended time.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will next be described in further detail based on preferred embodiments.
Methods effective for the retention of the freshness of an agricultural/horticultural product can include firstly to maintain the concentration of ethylene low in a surrounding atmosphere of the agricultural/horticultural product, secondly to take a preventive measure against staining microorganisms of the agricultural/horticultural product, and thirdly to retain the greenishness of the agricultural/horticultural product.
As a deterioration in the freshness of an agricultural/horticultural product is considered to be caused by ethylene given off from the agricultural/horticultural product itself, delaying of the deterioration in the freshness of the agricultural/horticultural product requires to maintain the concentration of ethylene low in the surrounding atmosphere of the agricultural/horticultural product by a certain method. Further, the occurrence of staining microorganisms and a reduction in greenishness, both of which take place along with a deterioration in the freshness of the agricultural/horticultural product, significantly lower the commercial value of the agricultural/horticultural product.
With the foregoing in view, the present inventors have proceeded with an investigation on various compounds. As a result, it has been found that in the presence of water given off from an agricultural/horticultural product, an organic acid gradually reacts with a hydrogencarbonate and releases carbon dioxide gas little by little over a long time. This persistent generation of carbon dioxide gas can suppress the concentration of ethylene in the surrounding atmosphere of the agricultural/horticultural product, and owing to antibacterial and anti-mold activities which the organic acid itself possesses, occurrence-preventing effect against staining microorganisms of the agricultural/horticultural product is also exhibited.
The generation of carbon dioxide gas from the freshness-retaining agent according to the present invention basically makes use of a reaction in which carbon dioxide is generated from an organic acid and a hydrogencarbonate in a water system. According to the present invention, a mixture of an organic acid and a hydrogencarbonate is caused to concurrently exist in a surrounding atmosphe
Clardy S. Mark
Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
LandOfFree
Freshness-retaining agent and method for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Freshness-retaining agent and method for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Freshness-retaining agent and method for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2858466