Effect of Dipping in Hot Water and Chitosan and Vacuum Packaging on Storability of Two Persimmon cvs.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of different treatments on two cultivars of persimmon fruit, Diospyros kaki L. cvs. Fuyu and Hachiya. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the effects of dipping the fruits in hot water at various temperatures (20°C as control, 40°C, and 50°C) for a duration of 5 minutes, as well as dipping them in chitosan solution at concentrations of 1% and 2% for 5 minutes. Additionally, the study explored the influence of two packaging methods, namely vacuum polyethylene packaging and non-vacuum polyethylene packaging. The impact of storing two cultivars of persimmon fruit in a cold room at a temperature of 1°C and relative humidity (RH) ranging from 80% to 90% for a duration of four months on their storage behavior was examined. Following the storage time, it was observed that Fuyu persimmon cultivar exhibited a notable reduction in fruit weight, whereas Hachiya persimmon fruits displayed significantly greater levels of total soluble solids and ascorbic acid content. The application of dipping treatments was found to effectively mitigate fruit weight loss. Notably, immersing persimmon fruit in hot water at a temperature of 40°C yielded a significant increase in the overall concentration of soluble solids. The implementation of vacuum packaging resulted in a decrease in fruit weight loss, while concurrently leading to an increase in the levels of carotene and ascorbic acid. The quality of persimmon fruit was maintained through the interaction of CVS, dipping treatments, and vacuum packaging.