Abstract
Chitosan (CHT) is a natural compound that has been used to control postharvest pathogenic diseases due to its capability of eliciting natural defense responses in plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of foliar CHT application on yield and quality of the litchi fruit. Chitosan was applied by spraying on to fruit and foliage just after fruit set four times at 7-day intervals with four varying doses viz. 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 µg L<sup>−1</sup> and a control (0 µg L<sup>−1</sup>). Although the application of CHT had no significant effect on the size of the fruits (length and width), the total contents of phenolics, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid and the antioxidant activity of litchi fruit arils were significantly increased in CHT-treated fruit compared with the untreated control. The highest phenolic, flavonoid, and ascorbic acid contents were 334 µg gallic acid g<sup>−1</sup>, 881 μg quercetin g<sup>−1</sup>, and 178 µg g<sup>−1</sup>, respectively, in fruits treated with 500 µg L<sup>−1</sup> CHT. However, the highest antioxidant activity (622 μg butylated hydroxytoluene g<sup>−1</sup>) was recorded in 250 µg L<sup>−1</sup> CHT-treated fruits. Our findings revealed that the application of low doses of CHT in a litchi orchard might improve fruit quality by increasing the content of antioxidants and antioxidant activities.
Highlights
Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a highly popular table fruit in many countries of the world in tropical and subtropical regions
100 μg L−1 CHT resulted in 12% increase in fruit width which was similar to the fungicide treatment
Chitosan had no significant influence on the total weight but seed and aril weights were significantly improved by CHT application
Summary
Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a highly popular table fruit in many countries of the world in tropical and subtropical regions. Litchi belongs to the Sapindaceae family, which originated in southern China and northern Vietnam [1]. It is a rich source of vitamin C and various bioactive compounds antioxidants such as flavonoids and other phenolics [2]. Antioxidants of litchi fruit reduce human blood serum cholesterol, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) [3,4,5]. A higher consumption of bioactive secondary metabolites through eating litchi fruits should provide benefit to human health. Synthetic chemicals and pesticides are used frequently in litchi orchards for higher yield and to protect fruits from insects and diseases. Indiscriminate use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides has detrimental effects on human health and the environment. In order to minimize pesticide use and prevent pesticide related accidents, it is important to introduce an eco-friendly approach to protect litchi fruits
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