Despite increasing commercial interest in sugar apple (Annona squamosa) in Brazil, this fruit has a very limited shelf-life. With the aim of retarding maturation and increasing the commercialization period, we evaluated the action of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), combined with modified atmosphere packaging and cooling. Sugar apples were treated with 0, 200, 400 and 600 nL.L -1 of 1-MCP for 8 hours at 25 oC. The fruits were then packed in a plastic membrane and stored at 15 oC for 21 days. At 7-day intervals, fruits were removed from the chamber for analysis of fresh matter loss, chroma values, pH, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), starch content, total sugars, reducing sugars and concentration of CO 2 and O 2 inside the packaging. 1-MCP had no effect on soluble solid content, titratable acidity, chroma values and O 2 concentration, only the effect of time. There was an interaction between 1-MCP concentration and days of storage in relation to the loss of fresh matter, pH, starch content, total sugars and reducing sugars. Maturation was retarded in proportion to the dose of 1-MCP applied. 1-MCP decreased the concentration of CO 2 inside the packaging, indicating a possible reduction in fruit metabolism.