Suppression of internal browning and maintenance of antioxidants in beeswax plus salicylic acid coated pear fruit during different storage conditions

Abstract

SummaryPostharvest application of edible waxes blended with antioxidants is an effective strategy to regulate postharvest quality and antioxidant losses in fruits. Effect of beeswax coatings (BW 1.0% and 2.0%) alone or enriched with salicylic acid (SA) on antioxidant properties of pear fruit was studied during 67 days of cold storage and 20 days of supermarket storage conditions respectively. Results showed that under both the storage conditions fruits coated with BW + SA maintained higher total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content (AsA) as compared to the control. Furthermore, combined coatings significantly reduced polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities and inhibited internal browning (IB) in pears throughout cold and supermarket storage. Overall, the BW 2.0% + SA 2.0 mM exhibited the most competitive effect in terms of preserving the antioxidant properties and preventing internal browning in pears during storage.