Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
M. Sc. Graduated, Department of Horticulture, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
2
Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
3
Assistant Professor, Horticulture Crops Research Department, Qazvin Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Qazvin, Iran.
10.30466/rip.2022.53730.1193
Abstract
Chico (Manilkara sapota L.) fruits are mainly consumed in local markets of Iran due to their high perishability and short postharvest life, and thus remain largely unknown in other regions. To evaluate the effects of ultraviolet (UV-C) radiation and ultrasonic treatments on the quality characteristics of Chico fruit, a factorial experiment with three factors was conducted in 2016 at the Horticultural Sciences Laboratory, University of Hormozgan. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The first factor was UV-C radiation (254 nm) at three levels (0, 5, and 10 min). The second factor was ultrasonic treatment (28 kHz) at three levels (0, 3, and 6 min). The third factor was storage duration at five levels (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 days). After exposure to the treatments, fruits were stored at 10 °C with 80–85% relative humidity. During storage, measurements were taken for fruit weight loss, firmness, flesh color parameters (L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness)), total soluble sugars, fruit decay percentage, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, and total phenol. Analysis of variance indicated that ultrasonic significantly reduced fruit decay and weight loss (P ≤ 0.01), while UV-C radiation significantly affected fruit decay and flesh redness (a*) (P ≤ 0.01). Storage duration significantly influenced all measured traits (P ≤ 0.01). After 40 days, the highest weight loss (50.31%) occurred in the control, whereas the lowest weight loss (30.83%) was recorded with ultrasonic treatment for 6 min. Notably, no visible decay was observed on day 40 in fruits treated with UV-C for 10 min and ultrasonic for 3 or 6 min. In conclusion, ultrasonic treatment for 6 min and UV-C irradiation for 10 min were most effective in maintaining fruit quality and extending the storability of Chico during cold storage.
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