Influence of hexanal concentration and exposure time on quality of cold stored apples (Malus domestica)

Abstract

The present study was carried out during 2019 at ICAR-IARI to evaluate the effectiveness of hexanal, a volatile aldehyde in prolonging the storage life of apple cv. Royal Delicious while maintaining its quality. Application of different concentrations of hexanal as a solution @ 0.01%, 0.02% and 0.03% v/v for 2, 3 and 4 min was tested. Fruits given no hexanal treatment were taken as control. The treated and control apple fruits were stored under 1-2°C and 80-90% RH for a period of 90 days and evaluated for physical and biochemical changes at regular interval of 15 days. The study demonstrated that exogenous application of 0.01% hexanal applied as dip treatment for 3 minute soaking time given to freshly harvested Royal Delicious apple fruits reduced physiological loss in weight, retained better pulp firmness and maintained the overall quality of the fruits up to 3 months storage under 1-2 °C. Thus, hexanal as a dip treatment holds promise in prolonging postharvest storage life and preserving quality of apple cv. Royal Delicious.