BACKGROUND: Barberry, is the main agricultural product in South Khorasan province of Iran, after saffron. Fresh fruit is perishable with short storage time. OBJECTIVE: Irradiation is an economical modern technology in food processing which maintains nutritional values and enhance shelf life of raw food without using any additives. METHODS: Barberry fruit was harvested in Birjand city by methods including “cutting branches” and “collecting fallen fruit from the cluster”. Fruit on cut branches was dried at ambient temperature under shadow which is known as “puffy barberry” locally. Fruit has fallen under shrubs was dried on a clean cloth under sunlight and locally is famed as “jewel barberry”. Some of fresh barberries were treated by osmotic solution and then they have been dried. Untreated dried fruit was processed by, freezing pasteurization and gamma irradiation at doses of 0, 3, 5 and 10 kGy. Effects of dried barberry types (puffy and jewel), processes, 6 months of storage at temperature of 4 or 25°C on texture, color and sensory properties of fruit were evaluated. RESULTS: Puffy barberry irradiated at 5 kGy by gamma radiations, after 6 months of storage at 4°C showed an acceptable quality. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of irradiation and refrigerated storage were reported as optimal conditions of processing and storage for barberry fruit.

Seedless barberry is a medicinal shrub and has been cultivated in Iran for more than two centuries. It is perishable with short shelf-life. Irradiation has shown to improve microbial safety and expands durability of raw fruits. Undoubtedly, current food processes undesirably affect bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins. Fresh barberry fruit was harvested in Birjand city by methods including “cutting branches” and “collecting fallen fruit under shrubs”, which locally are known as “puffy barberry” and “jewel barberry”, respectively. Some of the fresh barberries were treated by osmotic solution and then they have been dried. Untreated dried fruit was processed by freezing. Osmotic and frozen treatments were packed in polyamide film. Some of the dried jewel/puffy barberries packed in polyamide film were irradiated at doses of 0, 3, 5, and 10 kGy. All samples were stored at 4 and 25 °C for 6 months. Effects of barberry types (puffy/jewel), processes, storage time and temperature on chemical, microbial, and pest characteristics of dried barberry fruit were evaluated. Puffy barberry gamma irradiated with 5 kGy after 6 months of storage at 4 °C showed acceptable properties. Irradiation and storage at 4 °C were reported as optimal processing and storage conditions for barberry fruit.