EFFECT OF SOME ESSENTIAL OILS, SALTS AND SALICYLIC ACID ON REDUCING DECAY, KEEPING QUALITY AND PROLONGING SHELF-LIFE OF CANINO APRICOT FRUITS

Abstract

The present study was conducted on fruits harvested from 12 years old Canino apricot trees grown in a private orchard situated at Dinoushr village, El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Al-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt during 2017and 2018 seasons to study the effect of essential oils and some salts on reducing decay, maintain quality and prolonging shelf-life of Canino apricot fruits. Canino apricot fruits were dipped inessential oil: Thyme oil at 100 ppm, Spearmint oil at 1000 ppm, Clove oil at 1000 ppm, Eucalyptus oil at 1000 ppm and Mustard oil at 1000 ppm, and salts: K2CO3 at 2%, KHCO3 at 2%, CaCl2 at 3% and Salicylic acid at 2%as well as distilled water (control) for 5 min. The treated fruits were stored at 0±1°C with 90 – 95 % RH. for 28 days. The data showed that the weight loss, decay and respiration rate of the Canino apricot fruits were decreased significantly by the use of Eucalyptus, Spearmint and Clove oils. Also, applications of Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Clove and K2CO3were effective in maintaining firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, soluble solids content and SSC/acid ratio of Canino apricot fruits during cold storage period. Accordingly, Eucalyptus oil, Spearmint oil and Cloves oil are more effective in reducing weight loss, decay and respiration rate as well as maintaining overall quality of Canino apricot fruits under cold storage conditions for 28 days, as compared to other treatments.