Post-harvest preservation of green grapes utilizing 405 nm light emitting diode

Abstract

The public is increasingly concerned about the safety of fruit, so the production and preservation of high-quality fresh fruit is becoming more and more important. This work evaluated the use of a 405 nm light emitting diode (LED) for postharvest preservation of fresh green grapes under tropical temperatures of 29 ± 1 °C. LED exposure to green grapes was done for various lengths of time (0, 24, and 48 hours), corresponding to different dosages of 0, 0.7, and 1.4 kJ/cm2. After 7 days of testing, the results found that 95%, 75%, and 5% of the grapes had been invaded by microorganisms, which matched the pretreatment with LED light at 0 h, 24h, and 48 h. According to the first-order kinetic model, the constant rate of weight loss (k) was 0.039 ± 0.005 (control, LED-0h), 0.037 ± 0.009 (LED-24h), 0.062 ± 0.005 (day−1) (LED-48h), with all p-value < 0.001. Compared to the control condition, weight loss was mostly unaffected by LED-24h. No appreciable color changes were seen for LED-24h and 48h, indicating that the fruit has retained its original color as well as its freshness. In control samples, however, one-third of L* and a* values were reduced from baseline. The control samples are susceptible to fungus infection like Guignardia bidwellii, however, color development and morphology showed that LED-48h with an irradiation dose of 1.4 kJ/cm2 had outstanding anti-fungal effectiveness. These LEDs are a possible replacement for fluorescent lights in fruit market showcase and storage rooms, serving as both a source of illumination and protection against microbial contamination.