Effect of post harvest treatments on physico-chemical characteristics and quality of pomegranate in cold storage and ambient conditions

Abstract

Freshly harvested pomegranate fruits of Bhagwa variety were treated with three types of lac based wax (SH-01, SH-02 & SH-03) developed by Indian Institute of Natural Gums and Resins, Ranchi. The fruits were dipped in five concentrations of lac based wax (0, 6, 12, 18 and 20%) and stored at room temperature (RT; 19.7 to 26.9°C and 41.0 to 70.2%RH) and in cold storage (CS; 8°C and 90.0 to 95.0% RH) with three replications in Factorial Completely Randomized Design during the years 2013–2015. Results indicated that there was an increase in total soluble solids, sugars, physiological loss in weight with corresponding decrease in aril percentage, rind percentage, juice percentage, acidity, anthocyanin and firmness irrespective of post harvest treatments. The physico-chemical changes were slower in cold storage as compared to room temperature storage. It was also observed that the shelf life of pomegranate fruits Cv. Bhagwa treated with SH-03 (20%) lac based wax could be extended upto 52 days in cold storage as compared to 12 days at room temperature storage with overall acceptability and organoleptic score of 8.71 and 7.86 in CS and RT, respectively.