Effect of dip wash treatments with organic acids and acidic electrolyzed water combined with ultraviolet irradiation on quality of strawberry fruit during storage

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dip wash treatments with 2% citric acid (CA), 0.2% benzoic acid (BA), 0.2% sorbic acid (SA) and acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) followed by 2 kJ•m-2 ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on the postharvest decay and quality of strawberry fruit cultivar 'Malvina', as compared to control, and UV alone treated samples. Weight loss, firmness, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, total phenolics content, total anthocyanins content, antioxidant activity and decay incidence of control and treated strawberry fruits were investigated during cold storage at 8 °C for 21 days. The result showed that UV-treated fruits had a lower weight loss, higher titratable acidity, phenolic and anthocyanin content and were firmer than the untreated fruits. Dip wash in AEW before UVC treatment reduced weight loss and increased firmness of strawberry fruits but did not significantly affect total phenolic content, total anthocyanins content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity and fruit decay. Dip wash treatment with organic acids followed by UVC irradiation was significantly more effective than UV treatment alone in reducing fruit decay and weight loss and in maintaining at higher levels titratable acidity, total anthocyanins content, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of strawberries during refrigerated storage. The present findings demonstrate that dip wash treatment with 0.2% SA, 0.2% BA or 2% CA followed by UV treatment can be an effective method for maintaining the phytochemical content and delaying the decay of strawberry fruit during cold storage.

Recent advances in activated water systems for the postharvest management of quality and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables

“…Youssef and Hussien (2020) found no significant difference in TSS, TA, and pH of acidic and ALEW treated "Valencia" oranges compared with the control samples. Similar observations were reported on "Crimson Blaze" nectarine (Belay et al, 2021), "Satsuma" orange (Shi et al, 2020), "Malvina" strawberries (Nour et al, 2021), and "Duke" blueberries (Chiabrando et al, 2017) treated with EW. With respect to vegetables, no significant changes in pH values were reported between EW treated and untreated red cabbages (Chen et al, 2018).…”

“…“Fuyan” longan fruit firmness was also maintained by EW when stored for 5 days (Sun, Chen, et al., 2022). Similarly, ultraviolet irradiation in synergy with acidic EW maintained “Malvina” strawberry fruit firmness after 7‐ and 14‐days storage at 8°C (Nour et al., 2021). Furthermore, the application of O 3 ‐ and 1‐MCP‐MNBs water delayed the loss of firmness for “Florida 683” fresh parsley (Shi et al., 2023) and “Hom Thong” banana fruit (Pongprasert & Srilaong, 2014).…”

Development of Basil Essential Oil (BEO) as a Novel Alternative to Prolong the Storage of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.)

“…Weight loss was determined by weighing tomatoes with a digital scale (Sartorius CP124S, UK, accuracy = 0.01 g) both at the beginning of the experiment and every 7 days of storage, results being expressed as percentage of weight loss to initial weight [36].…”

“…Total soluble solids content (TSS %) was measured with a digital refractometer (Hanna Instruments, Woonsocket, RI, USA) from a sample obtained by blending tomatoes in an electrical blender. The total and the results were expressed as percentage of soluble solids [36].…”

Application of Electrolyzed Water in the Food Industry: A Review

“…In the various food industries, electrolyzed water is used as disinfectant for cutting tools, an antimicrobial agent for the carcasses of poultry birds [28], and for disinfecting eggs in the meat industry [29]. In the fruits and vegetable processing industries [30], lettuce [31], pears [32], peaches [33], sprouts [34], apples [35], tomatoes [36], alfalfa seeds [37], strawberries, and their respective forms of processing equipment are disinfected using electrolyzed water [38].…”