Utilization of jojoba oil and salicylic acid as postharvest treatment on storability and fruit quality of ‘Late Swelling’ peach cultivar

Abstract

The ‘Late-Swelling’ peach is an important cultivar due to its attributes of fruit quality, such as handling ability and late harvest season. Peaches rapidly deteriorate during storage, which shortens their shelf-life. The preservation of quality traits of ‘Late-Swelling’ peach during handling and storage investigated. Fruits harvested in the early ripe stage (last week of June) were either dipped in jojoba oil (JO) 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm and salicylic acid (SA) 100, 200, and 300 ppm, then stored at 5+1 °C and 85% RH for 35 days besides 7 days as shelf-life the fruits were examined every 7 days until the end of the experiment. Positive influences were observed for JO and SA on the different chemical and physical characteristics of the peach fruits under study especially those related to storability and fruit quality. All fruits treated with JO 1500 and 1000 ppm, and SA 300 ppm maintained the fruit firmness, hº, total acidity, and ascorbic acid over the whole storage period, in addition to the lowest decay and weight loss, as well as maintaining the fruit sensory quality and decreased peroxidase [PPO] activity while increasing polyphenol oxidase [POD], catalase [CAT], and ascorbate peroxidase [APX] activities compared with the control at the end of shelf-life period. In conclusion, our results suggest using JO and SA to enhance and prolong the storability of peach fruits at 5+1 °C and 85% RH.