Pre-storage Application of Antioxidant Alleviates Chilling Injury and Maintains Quality of Valencia Orange Fruits Stored at Low Temperature

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

        HE EFFECTS of postharvest antioxidant solutions on ……..quality of ‘Valencia’ orange fruits under cold storage were studied. Fruits were soaked for 10 minutes in a solution of distilled water (control), salicylic acid (SA) 2 mM, ascorbic acid (AsA) 12 mM, citric acid CA 20 mM, and their combinations. Fruits treated with these applications alone or in combination antioxidant solutions especially 2 mM SA plus 12 mM AsA or 20 mM CA alleviated chilling injury index symptoms, reduced fruit weight loss percentage and decay incidence as well as increased the marketable percentage as compared to untreated fruits. Moreover, these treatments decreased loss of firmness, hue angle, lightness values and juice content of fruits. Furthermore, these applications reduced the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and pectinase (PE) enzymes beside enhanced the activity of peroxidase (POX) enzyme. In addition, orange fruits treated with antioxidant solutions especially 2 mM SA in combination with 12 mM AsA had the highest fruit contents of titratable acidity (TA) and ascorbic acid (AsA) and had least soluble solids content (SSC) and SSC/TA ratio than control during cold storage at 5°C plus one week shelf life at ambient temperature. 

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