Abstract
Carambola is a tropical fruit containing an abundance of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Low temperature storage is an effective tool for extending its shelf life, however, the fruit is particularly prone to chilling injury. Salicylic acid, as a stress hormone, plays a role in the induction of resistance related enzymes and has been shown to increase chilling tolerance. In this study, freshly harvested carambola were treated with 0.1 and 1 mM of salicylic acid and subjected to cold storage at 6°C for two weeks. Phenolic content, ascorbic acid content and the enzyme activity of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were monitored during the storage period. The salicylic acid treatments resulted in increased ascorbic acid levels as well as POD and PPO enzyme activities, although these increases were brief and were not observed at the same time points during the storage period for the three parameters. Meanwhile, total phenolic content peaked for the fruits at the same time point as ascorbic acid, but the highest peak was observed for the untreated control. In spite of the results observed for total phenolic content, salicylic acid does appear to play a protective role in the fruits and has a potential to be exploited for maintaining the quality of these perishable commodities during cold storage.
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