Peel Color Research Articles

Potassium phosphite in the management of green mold in citrus

Orange is among the main produced species in citriculture, a widely important area of Brazilian agrobusiness. However, postharvest diseases, particularly the green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum, result insignificant losses in the sector. Given that chemical control is still the primary type of disease management, it is vital to create varied control methods to combine disease management programs. In this context, this study aimed to apply an alternative product based on potassium phosphite and evaluate its effect on the control of green mold and the quality of postharvest oranges.'Valencia' orange trees were treated with water (control), potassium phosphite (19.5 mL L-1), and benzimidazole fungicide (at the manufacturer's recommended dosage) at the first step of this work. The frequency and severity of green mold in the fruits were evaluated in the second step. The third step involved determining the physicochemical characteristics, which included peel and pulp color, pulp firmness, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, and ratio (SS/AT). Green mold incidence was reduced in oranges treated with fungicide and potassium phosphite, although the pathogen was not entirely inhibited. The effects of the potassium phosphite and fungicide treatments in oranges were similar in the area under the disease progress curve. The preharvest application of potassium phosphite (19.5 mL L-1) reduced the incidence of green mold in postharvest oranges without affecting the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruits, proving that the use of the alternative product can be a promising substitute.

Effect of Drying Time on Physicochemical Characteristics of Dragon Fruit Peels Powder (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

The increasing production and demand of dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) in Indonesia produces a high amount of dragon fruit peel waste that can pollute the environment. As an alternative, dragon fruit peel could be applied as a functional food ingredient due to its high fiber content and antioxidant capacity. This study contributed to analyzing the effect of drying time on the physical and chemical characteristics of dragon fruit peel powder. To optimize the functional properties, dragon fruit peel was developed into a powder that was prepared by using a food dehydrator at 60 °C with drying times of 4, 5, and 6 h. The results showed that the longer drying time led to lower moisture and protein content, which reached the lowest at 9.73% and 13.07% with a drying time of 6 h, respectively. Meanwhile, drying time (4-6 h) did not significantly affect the ash (13.74-14.57%), fat (22.46-23.46%), and crude fiber content (29.13-31.75%) of dragon fruit peel powder. The drying time can affect antioxidant activity significantly, while the highest antioxidant activity was found in 6 h drying time (IC50 0.03 gram/mL). The L* value was measured between 29.68-30.23, a* value 9.61-10.34, and b* value 15.20-16.53. The drying time of 4 h could maintain the color of dragon fruit peel and produce the highest yield product at 4.52%. In general, drying dragon fruit peel powder for 4 hours gave the best results for high fiber content and high yield. Drying it for 6 hours was suggested to increase its antioxidant activity.

To study and analyse the different packaging materials on shelf-life study of banana (Musa paradisiaca var. Robusta): A Review

Packaging plays an important role to maintain the shelf life of banana thereby providing nutritional and market value alongside to the farmer losses as well. The present review study is to determine how different banana cultivars’ shelf lives were affected by the materials used for packaging. The banana cultivars, referred to locally as Robusta var., would be packed using five different materials a perforated low density polyethylene bag, dried banana leaf, gunny bag, brown paper bag, cling wrap, and no packaging material. Three replications of a factorial combination were used in the Randomized Complete Block Design experiment. Every four days, a variety of physical characteristics were evaluated, such as weight loss, pulp hardness, pulp dry matter, pulp to peel ratio, peel colour, pulp thickness, decay, and loss % of marketability. The present review revel on different packaging materials to increase shelf-life banana, latest packaging technologies used in banana’s packaging and future research in banana packaging would revel.

Determining the Concentration Rates of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) as Ripening Inhibitor of Lakatan Banana (Musa acuminata AAA Group)

Lakatan (Musa acuminata AAA Group) is one of the most essential banana variety commodities in the Philippines as a tropical country. This present study was conducted to determine and investigate the effects of (GA3) Gibberellic Acid in different concentration rates as post-harvest treatments on the shelf life and quality of bananas like physiological weight, peel color, and its pulp-to-peel ratio to determine which of treatments can prolong the shelf life of the banana; and to evaluate the most effective rates of GA3 that have the highest efficacy against the rapid ripening activity of ‘Lakatan’ banana variety as well as banana sample are soaked into the different concentration of treatment with the duration of five minutes then air dried for ten minutes and put into a polyethylene plastic cellophane which was open with cardboard boxes in each replication and placed under room temperature. This study was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and replicated three times. The treatments were: where T1 – is a control which contains 1000 ml pure distilled water, T2 -consists of 100 ml GA3 mixed with 900 ml water, T3 -comprised of 200 ml GA3 mixed with 800 ml water, T4 – consists of 300 ml GA3 mixed with 700 ml water and T5 – contained 400 ml GA3 mixed with 600 ml water. This design was utilized to show the results intended for this study. Results of the study revealed highly significant differences among using different concentration rates of plant growth hormones GA3 as post-harvest treatments like cumulative physiological loss in weight, shelf life, peel color index, pulp peel ratio, No. Of days that the samples start to ripen, no. of ripe fingers, no. of unripe fingers, no. of days that all the models are fully unripe, and no of days that the pieces are fully ripened. Keywords: plant growth hormones, ripening, Lakatan, Musa, postharvest, distilled water, gibberellic acid

Identification, extraction, and application of orange peel color extracts for silk fabric coloration

Under-utilized orange peel waste contains natural colorants that might be used for textile dyeing. Research into orange peel waste as natural colorants provides benefits for both the agricultural and fashion industry with a creative and sustainable solution. This research performed the extraction of colorants from the orange peel as plant dyes and investigated their potential dyeing capability of silk fabrics. With full factorial analysis, we determined the optimal extraction conditions by comparing 100 % ethanol, 70 % ethanol, and water, aiming to achieve the highest absorbance for the extracted solution. Conditions obtained with the best performance include an extraction temperature of 60 °C, an extraction time of 120 min, and a material-to-liquor ratio of 1:20 (wt/vol) for both 100 % and 0 % ethanol. To attain the highest K/S values on textiles with orthogonal experimental design, the optimal dyeing profiles of silk fabrics with water solution were found to be 100 °C, 60 min, pH 3, and Liquid Ratio of 1:15. Colorfastness results of crocking, washing, and sunlight are in favor of the usage of orange peel color extracts for textile application.

Identification of candidate genes associated with less-photosensitive anthocyanin phenotype using an EMS mutant (pind) in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.).

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a highly nutritious and economically important vegetable crop. However, the fruit peel of eggplant often shows poor coloration owing to low-light intensity during cultivation, especially in the winter. The less-photosensitive varieties produce anthocyanin in low light or even dark conditions, making them valuable breeding materials. Nevertheless, genes responsible for anthocyanin biosynthesis in less-photosensitive eggplant varieties are not characterized. In this study, an EMS mutant, named purple in the dark (pind), was used to identify the key genes responsible for less-photosensitive coloration. Under natural conditions, the peel color and anthocyanin content in pind fruits were similar to that of wildtype '14-345'. The bagged pind fruits were light purple, whereas those of '14-345' were white; and the anthocyanin content in the pind fruit peel was significantly higher than that in '14-345'. Genetic analysis revealed that the less-photosensitive trait was controlled by a single dominant gene. The candidate gene was mapped on chromosome 10 in the region 7.72 Mb to 11.71 Mb. Thirty-five differentially expressed genes, including 12 structural genes, such as CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, ANS, and UFGT, and three transcription factors MYB113, GL3, and TTG2, were identified in pind using RNA-seq. Four candidate genes EGP21875 (myb domain protein 113), EGP21950 (unknown protein), EGP21953 (CAAX amino-terminal protease family protein), and EGP21961 (CAAX amino-terminal protease family protein) were identified as putative genes associated with less-photosensitive anthocyanin biosynthesis in pind. These findings may clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying less-photosensitive anthocyanin biosynthesis in eggplant.

Enhancement of antioxidant quality by Bacillus siamensis N-1 and the role of LcPOD4 in regulating peel browning and senescence of litchi fruit

Plant peroxidases (POD) are involved in various physiological and biochemical processes. Currently, there are relatively few studies on the role of POD in regulating the antioxidant capacity and senescence of postharvest litchi. In this study, we assessed the effects of Bacillus siamensis strain N-1 on the physiology and antioxidant quality of litchi fruit stored at 25 ℃, and characterized the molecular function of LcPOD4 gene in regulating the senescence of litchi fruit. The results showed that N-1 treatment significantly suppressed the increase in ethylene production, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde (MDA) but did not inhibit the respiration rate of litchi during storage. Meanwhile, N-1-treated fruit maintained higher levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and lower levels of superoxide anions (O2-.) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In addition, N-1 treatment enhanced the activity of defense enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione reductase (GR), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). The results of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that the expression of nine selected LcPOD genes was induced by N-1 treatment at later stages of litchi storage. LcPOD4 cloned from litchi fruit was located in the cell wall and membrane. Transient overexpression of the LcPOD4 gene in tomato and litchi fruits significantly enhanced POD activity and total phenolic and flavonoid contents while accelerating peel color change in the fruit. Collectively, our results indicate that LcPOD4 may contribute, at least partially, to the enhancement of antioxidant capacity in litchi fruit but does not retard peel browning and senescence.

Detecting, mapping and digitising canopy geometry, fruit number and peel colour in pear trees with different architecture

Increasing farm labour and input costs and the requirement for more orchard data are leading to rapid advances in technology to improve management systems in fruit production. The study aimed to (i) validate a sensorised platform to estimate fruit number, peel colour and blush coverage in pear orchards with different pear selections and tree architectures, (ii) establish relationships between fruit number, peel colour and canopy geometry features, and (iii) evaluate the platform for mapping and digitising orchard features. The study was carried out over two years in an experimental ‘ANP-0131′ orchard and in one year in two commercial pear orchards (‘ANP-0131′ and ‘PremP009’). Predictions of fruit number and blush coverage were compared in traditional three-dimensional (3D) and modern high-density two-dimensional (2D) training systems. Overall, prediction errors for fruit number were < 6.5 % in all the training systems, but improved performance was achieved in vertical 2D configurations (% standard errors = 2.2 %). Fruit number and blush coverage per unit of leaf area were higher in 2D compared to 3D training systems. Blush coverage predictions in ‘ANP-0131′ were reliable (R2 = 0.67, RMSE = 3.70 %). Accurate predictions of blush coverage classes were achieved by modifying sample variance. Fruit number and blush coverage were negatively affected by increasing canopy size. The platform proved useful for mapping and digitisation. Spatial heatmaps of orchard features provided a valuable visual aid to identify zones for priority interventions for peel colour enhancement.

Classification of six banana ripeness levels based on statistical features on machine learning approach

&lt;span&gt;Banana plants are often cultivated because they have many benefits. In producing, we need to maintain the quality of bananas by looking at banana ripeness levels before being distributed to markets. The level of banana ripeness is related to marketing reach. If the marketing reach is far, bananas should be harvested when the ripeness level of bananas is still relatively low. A system that can classify the degree of ripeness of bananas can help overcome this problem. In this study, our dataset includes 6 ripeness levels of bananas, more than in previous related studies. Furthermore, we use the statistical features extraction method to find the parameters that affect the level of banana ripeness, considering the texture and color of the banana peel which determines the level of ripeness visually. The extraction used is features extraction based on a histogram, then we employ four features, i.e., mean, skewness, energy descriptor, and smoothness, generated from the image dataset. In the next stage, we perform classification based on the features that have been obtained. In this study, we use Naive Bayes classifier and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms. Based on the result of this research, the best performance is the Naive Bayes classifier, with an accuracy is 86.67%, a weighted average precision of 83.55%, and a weighted average recall of 86.67%.&lt;/span&gt;

Integrated analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome provides insights into anthocyanin biosynthesis of cashew apple

The cashew apple remains an underutilized agricultural product despite its abundance as a by-product of cashew nut production. Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments responsible for red, purple, and blue hues in plant tissues and have various health-promoting properties. To investigate the anthocyanin biosynthesis in cashew apples, fruits with varying peel colors from three cultivars were subjected to integrative analyses with metabolomics and transcriptomics. Through a UPLC-ESI-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics analysis, a total of 26 distinct anthocyanin compounds were identified in the fruits of the three cashew cultivars. Subsequent quantification revealed that Pelargonidin-3-O-galactoside, Petunidin-3-O-arabinoside, and Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside were the primary contributors responsible for the red pigmentation in cashew apple peels. Following transcriptomic analysis showed that the expression levels of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes were predominantly higher in the red cashew apples as compared to the other two cultivars. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that eight potential transcription factors implicated in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. Among these, four transcription factors exhibited positive correlations with both anthocyanin contents and anthocyanin biosynthetic gene expression, while the remaining four transcription factors displayed negative correlations. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of anthocyanin biosynthesis in cashew apple peels.

Phenyllactic acid treatment for controlling anthracnose disease (Colletotrichum musae) and preserving banana fruit quality during storage

Banana is considered climacteric fruit that undergoes rapid post-harvest senescence, making it highly susceptible to diseases such as anthracnose, leading to a decline in quality. To address this issue, researchers investigated the effects of phenyllactic acid (PLA), a novel natural bio-preservative with broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, on banana fruit after harvesting. The study revealed that PLA treatment resulted in improved attributes of postharvest quality, including reduced changes in peel color, soluble solids concentration, and firmness. Additionally, respiratory rate, ethylene release, and disease index were significantly decreased, indicating that the fruit's physiological processes were better regulated. Furthermore, PLA treatment enhanced the activity of disease-resistant enzymes β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase, and upregulated the expression of pathogenesis-related genes. Importantly, PLA demonstrated its efficacy in suppressing the growth of anthracnose-causing fungi (Colletotrichum musae) and reducing disease severity on harvested fruit. In conclusion, PLA treatment shows promise as a new approach to maintain the freshness and quality of harvested banana fruit by reducing disease development, regulating physiological processes, and enhancing disease resistance mechanisms.

Genome-Level Investigation of WRKY Transcription Factors and Their Potential Roles in Fruit Peel Ripening and Coloration in the Common Fig (Ficus carica L.)

Genome-Level Investigation of WRKY Transcription Factors and Their Potential Roles in Fruit Peel Ripening and Coloration in the Common Fig (Ficus carica L.)

Evaluate the Effect of Different Packaging Materials on the Shelf Life and Quality of Banana Fruit

The experiment was carried out to determine the impact of shelf life on banana cv. grand naine under various packing materials during storage for the current study in the Department of Horticulture lab at ITMU from October to December 2022. In this experiment, low-density polybags and black newspaper bags were employed as packing materials. paper bag, cardboard gunny bag high-density polybag white paddy straw with banana leaves Banana samples were taken at intervals of four days after each treatment to test a range of biological and physical traits, including pH, physiological weight, and peel colour. As these values were given for the analyses of variance and ANNOVA, the treatment group showed the greatest physiological weight reduction as compared to the control group; however, the Treatment T6 high-density white polybag showed the lowest physiological weight loss and the most appealing colour. is recorded in the treatment T6 high-density white polybag, whereas the peel's least yellow hue is observed throughout treatment to regulate the highest total soluble solid brix value was recorded in Treatment T1 low-density black polybag, and the minimum values recorded for these parameters are found in Treatment T0 control, while the maximum ph value was recorded in Treatment T7 banana leaf and the minimum ph value was noted in Treatment T0 control. According to the observational data, the banana fruit's pH rose as it ripened, further from the present experimental findings. The best packaging material suitable for the enhancement of shelf life and maintenance of visual appearance and quality for bananas is low-density black polythene Treatment T1.

Citrus Fruit Pigments

Citrus fruits enjoy popularity among consumers due to their enjoyable flavor, health-beneficial properties, and nutritional value. The peel and flesh pigmentation of different citrus species and cultivars ranges from green, to yellow, orange, pink and red. Pigmentation is influenced by genetics, environmental conditions, and tree management. Mature fruit of edible citrus are diverse in size, flavor, and peel and flesh color. The external color of citrus fruits is one of their most important quality characteristics, but the internal pigments also play a significant role in determining their health benefits. The edible part of citrus fruits, including sweet orange, mandarin, pummelo, grapefruit, lime, and lemon, has distinct attributes and pigments.

MiMYB10 transcription factor regulates biosynthesis and accumulation of carotenoid involved genes in mango fruit

Carotenoids are essential and beneficial substances for both plant and human health. Identifying the regulatory network of these pigments is necessary for improving fruit quality and commodity value. In this study, we performed integrative analyses of transcriptome data from two different type fruits, ripening peel color at green (‘Neelum’ mango) and red (‘Irwin’ mango). Specifically, we found that MiMYB10 transcription level was highly associated with mango peel color. Further, silencing MiMYB10 homologous gene in tomato fruits resulted in lower carotenoid and anthocyanin content. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and dual-luciferase clarified that MiMYB10 regulates the carotenoid biosynthesis gene MiPDS (phytoene desaturase gene) in a direct manner. On the other hand, MiMYB10 activates the expression of carotenoid biosynthesis genes (PSY, Z-ISO, CRTISO, LCYE) and chlorophyll degradation gene (SGR1), promoting the accumulation of carotenoid, accelerating chlorophyll degradation, and controlling peel color. In summary, this study identified important roles of MiMYB10 in pigment regulatory and provided new options for breeding strategies aiming to improve fruit quality.

Active film strips to extend the shelf life of fruits: Multibranched PLA-gallic acid as an antioxidant/oxygen scavenger in a case study of bananas (Musa AAA group)

This original research developed active polylactic acid (PLA) film strips for use inside food packaging to extend the shelf-life of bananas (Musa AAA group). Multibranched PLA functionalized with gallic acid (GA) (mPLA-GA) was prepared by ring-opening polymerization and functionalization. mPLA-GA was compounded with PLA and fabricated into PLA/mPLA-GA film strips by melt processing using different mPLA-GA contents (1, 2 and 4 wt%). The morphology, antioxidant activity, free-radical scavenging ability under a radiation sterilization dose (25 kGy), migration behavior, mechanical properties, and O2 scavenging capacity of PLA/mPLA-GA film strips were determined and compared with neat PLA and PLA/GA film strips. Bananas were vacuum-packed using commercial plastic packaging together with the PLA-based film strips and kept at room temperature for 14 days. The performance of the PLA/mPLA-GA film strips in extending the shelf-life of bananas was investigated by physical appearance, peel color difference (ΔE*ab), ripening index (RI), and firmness. Analysis of variance at the 0.05 level of significance (p ≤ 0.05) was conducted to compare mean values. PLA/mPLA-GA film strips exhibited a homogeneous matrix with improved mechanical properties and showed outstanding antioxidant as well as O2 scavenging effects by preventing the bloating of packaging, delaying fruit ripening, and extending the shelf-life of bananas. Under vacuum packaging with PLA/mPLA-GA film strips, bananas retained their green peel color and firmness after storing for 14 days. The results suggest that PLA/mPLA-GA film strips show promise as an active bioplastic for extending the shelf-life of bananas as well as other fruits and food items.

Development of gelatin/agarose active coatings functionalized with Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil for enhancing storability of ‘Booth 7’ avocado

Novel active coating from gelatin/agarose (GA) functionalized with Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil (OGO) had been developed as a medium to evaluate their properties before being applied for avocado preservation. The resultant coating films showed enhanced mechanical, water-barrier, bactericidal, antioxidant, and UV-shielding properties by adding OGO. The best tensile strength (2.91 MPa) and flexibility (45.82 %) was found in the GA film containing 5 % (w/w) of OGO (GA-OGO-5). Furthermore, this coating formulation presented moderate antibacterial activities against Listeria, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, and Escherichia. The GA-OGO-5 coating film also divulged the highest hydrophobicity and adequate antioxidant function (30.75 μg/mL) and thus, was chosen to coat on ‘Booth 7’ avocados by dipping method. The GA-OGO-5 coating layers were to be efficient to decline the respiration rate of avocado during 6-day storage at 25 °C and 64 %RH. Peel color, weight loss (5.22 %), total soluble solids (8.14 %), and solution pH (6.79) at the end of storage also indicated that the GA-OGO-5 coating presented the best effectiveness for enhancing the storability of avocado as compared to uncoated and GA-treated fruit. Therefore, the GA-OGO coating has been considered as an alternative post-harvest technique to enhance the avocado storability and could be further commercialized for industry application.

Effect of Pre-Harvest Fruit Bagging on Fruit Quality Characteristics of Different Guava Cultivars during Rainy Season

The present investigation was carried out on 6-7 years old grafted guava plants at Guava Demonstration Centre, Bhuna, Haryana, India during the rainy season (2019-20). During the experiment, the fruits of different guava cultivars viz. Hisar Safeda, Hisar Surkha, Allahabad Safeda, and Shweta were bagged with different bagging materials immediately after the fruit set. Results showed that the fruits bagged with blue polythene exhibited maximum fruit volume (113.96 ml) and organoleptic score (8.8), while the minimum (95.30 ml and 6.3, respectively) values were observed in the control. The highest fruit firmness (6.62 Kg/cm2) was observed with green polythene, while the minimum (5.03 Kg/cm2) was in control. Additionally, bagged fruits showed better peel colour development. The fruit drop was also reduced in all treatments except for the control (20%), yellow paper (12.78%), and green paper (11.66%). Fruit drop was minimum in transparent polythene (5.55%) and green polythene. On the other hand, Decay loss was eliminated in yellow paper, green paper, blue paper, cotton cloth, and muslin cloth bags, and significantly reduced in all the treatments except the control (8.88%). Among the cultivars, the maximum fruit firmness (5.98 Kg/cm2) was recorded in Hisar Safeda, whereas the least firmness (5.64 Kg/cm2) was in Allahabad Safeda. In conclusion, pre-harvest bagging of fruits was found promising in enhancing the quality attributes of various guava cultivars which can also be applied in real farm situations to enhance the yield as well as the quality of guava crop.

Changes in Physicochemical Characteristics, Peel Color, and Juice Attributes of ‘Moro’ Blood Orange Fruit Treated with Glycine Betaine and Methyl Salicylate during Cold Quarantine Storage

Cold quarantine storage is the practice of subjecting citrus fruit to low temperatures after harvesting to comply with stringent international phytosanitary standards for export, but fruit quality can be affected during storage. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of glycine betaine (GB) and/or methyl salicylate (MeSA) on physicochemical changes, chemical attributes of juice, and peel color of ‘Moro’ blood orange at cold quarantine storage (2 °C) for 60 days. Fruit were treated with GB (15 and 30 mM) by vacuum infiltration at 30 kPa for 8 min and vapor treatment of MeSA (100 µM) for 18 h as well as the combination of both GB concentrations with MeSA. The key findings of this research revealed that the combined treatment of 30 mM GB and 100 µM MeSA significantly mitigated weight and firmness losses in ‘Moro’ blood orange fruit during the cold quarantine period. Furthermore, there was a decrease in titratable acidity (TA) across all treatments, with the highest TA recorded for the 30 mM GB + 100 µM MeSA combination. Conversely, total soluble solids (TSS), TSS/TA ratio, and juice pH increased in all treatments, with the control treatment displaying the highest values. Regarding peel color parameters, which encompass L* (lightness), b*, hue angle (h°), chroma (C*), and a*, as well as the citrus color index (CCI), these exhibited characteristic changes during cold quarantine storage. However, the application of GB and MeSA, especially at the 30 mM GB + 100 µM MeSA level, noticeably delayed these peel color variations. Overall, GB and MeSA treatments offer significant advantages in preserving the physicochemical characteristics and chemical attributes of ‘Moro’ blood oranges during cold quarantine storage. These findings underscore the potential of GB and MeSA treatments for maintaining the quality of ‘Moro’ blood oranges during cold quarantine storage, with a noteworthy synergistic effect between MeSA and GB in preserving fruit quality.

Harnessing the metabolic modulatory and antioxidant power of 1-(3-Phenyl-Propyl) cyclopropane and melatonin in maintaining mango fruit quality and prolongation storage life

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare and investigate the effects of 1-(3-phenyl-propyl) cyclopropene (PPCP) and melatonin (MT) as anti-ethylene agents on postharvest senescence, quality, chilling tolerance, and antioxidant metabolism in the mango fruit cv. “Keitt”. The study involved exposing the fruit to 20 μL L− 1 PPCP or 200 μM MT, in addition to a control group of untreated fruit, before storing them at 5 ± 1 °C for 28 d. The findings revealed that the treatments with PPCP and MT were effective in reducing chilling injury and preserving fruit quality when compared to the control group.ResultsThe use of 20 μL L− 1 PPCP was an effective treatment in terms of mitigating chilling injury and preserving fruit quality for 28 d. This was attributed to the decrease in metabolic activity, specifically the respiration rate and the production of ethylene, which led to the maintenance of fruit firmness and bioactive compounds, energy metabolism, and antioxidant activity, such as ascorbic acid, total flavonoids, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase activity, ATP, and ATPase activity. The study also found that the MT treatment at 200 μM was effective in reducing chilling injury and weight loss and improving membrane stability. Additionally, it led to a decrease in malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage, and the maintenance of fruit quality in terms of firmness, peel and pulp colour values for mango peel and pulp total carotenoid content, as well as phenylalanine ammonia lyase and tyrosine ammonia lyase activity. These findings indicate that PPCP and MT have the potential to be efficient treatments in maintaining mango quality and minimizing post-harvest losses.ConclusionThe utilisation of treatments with 20 μL L− 1 of PPCP or 200 μM MT was found to effectively preserve the postharvest quality parameters, in terms of bioactive compounds, energy metabolism, and antioxidant activity, of mangoes cv. “Keitt” that were stored at 5 ± 1 °C for 28 d.