The Effect of Preharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment on Quality Characteristics of Fresh Thyme (Origanum onites L.) During Cold Storage

Abstract

The effect of preharvest salicylic acid (SA) treatments on some oil quality and characteristics of fresh thyme (Origanum onites L.) during storage were investigated. The thyme plants were grouped in three blocks for each SA treatment in an orchard. The first group of plants was treated with 1.5 mM SA 20 days before the bloom stage. The second and third group thymes were treated with 1.5 mM SA and only tap water (control), respectively, 10 days before full bloom. The thyme plants harvested at the full bloom stage were transported immediately to the laboratory. The thyme samples were placed in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) bags and were stored at 1°C and 90 ± 3% relative humidity (RH) for 25 days. Weight loss, leaf color, respiration rate, gas composition in MAP, ethylene production, essential oil and carvacrol content, and sensory quality of thymes were determined during cold storage. SA-treated thymes gave better visual quality, respiration rate, carvacrol content, and ethylene production than the control. As a result, it was determined that preharvest SA treatment could be a promising tool for delaying quality losses in thyme during storage in MAP.