Effects of Treatment with 1‐Methylcyclopropene and Clo₂ on the Postharvest Shelf‐Life and Physiological Quality of Mulberry Fruit (Morus alba L.)

Abstract

In this paper, we examined the use of 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) and ClO2 as safe and effective preservative agents for mulberries. Individual treatment of 1 g/m3 1‐MCP or ClO2 at 20 g/m3 significantly delayed fruit senescence and did not affect sensory qualities. Combined treatment of 1 g/m3 1‐MCP and 12 g/m3 ClO2 yielded the lowest mildew rate, and the fruits remained plump and bright with bright green stalks on the third day. In contrast, most of the mulberry fruits of the control group were moldy on the second day, with no edible value. Physiological quality studies showed that combined treatment of 1‐MCP and ClO2 could effectively maintain the nutritive qualities, such as ascorbic acid and polysaccharide contents and titratable acidity, and delay malondialdehyde accumulation. Thus, combined treatment of 1‐MCP and ClO2 prolonged the shelf‐life of mulberries for about 3 days. Our finding is of great value to the horticulture and fruit postharvest. Practical Applications Current methods used for fruit and vegetable preservation might leave harmful chemical residues. 1‐Methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) has been found to effectively regulate fruit maturation and prolong fruit shelf‐life, and ClO2 is a strong oxidant that leaves no harmful substances or odor residuals after treatment. We show that combined treatment of 1 g/m3 1‐MCP and 12 g/m3 ClO2 can maintain the mulberry fruit's exterior qualities and significantly reduce the rotting rate and weight loss ratio. We demonstrate the applicability of the combined treatment of (1‐MCP) and ClO2 to prolong the shelf‐life of mulberries for about 3 days. Our finding is of great value to the horticulture and postharvest and industry because mulberry fruit has a very low shelf‐life. Its maturation period is extremely short, rendering its storage, transportation, and sale very difficult.

Natamycin treatment reduces the quality changes of postharvest mulberry fruit during storage

“…The TA contents of mulberries treated with 0.1 g/L and 0.3 g/L NA were 0.35% and 0.36% by 10 days, respectively. Previous studies have also reported that treatment of mulberries with 1‐MCP and ClO 2 (Fang et al, ), CaCl 2 (Oz & Ulukanli ), precooling (Han et al, ), and AITC (Chen et al, ) could effectively maintain TA contents throughout storage. The difference in TSS and TA contents between the control and NA‐treated mulberries could be explained by lowered respiratory rates (Figure ) and decay rates (Figure a).…”

“…MDA levels in mulberries subject to treatment with 0.1 g/L and 0.3 g/L NA were 1.11 and 1.13 µmol/g, respectively, at 8 days, indicating that NA treatment could reduce MDA content of mulberry fruit. Previous studies have shown that AITC treatment (Chen et al, ), as well as the combined treatment of 1‐MCP and ClO 2 (Fang et al, ) could also decrease MDA content of mulberry fruit.…”

“…Precooling (PC) treatment is a physical process in which the rapid removal of heat reduces microbial populations, thus extending the storage period (Han, Gao, Chen, Fang, & Wu, 2017). Application of aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) (Chen, Zhu, & Han, 2011;Fang et al, 2016) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S)-releasing compound, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), (Hu, Shen, & Li, 2014) are the examples of chemical treatments which have been used for the preservation of mulberry fruit. However, the effects of these chemical preservatives may be harmful to human health.…”

Biochemical composition of Philippine Mulberry (Morus spp.) fruits

“…Further, mulberry fruit product consumption has been rapidly increasing because of biological benefits, nutritional value, and taste, (Aramwit et al, 2010), as cited by Raman et al (2015).…”

Benzoic Acid, Chlorine Dioxide, and 1-Methylcyclopropene Induce Flavonoid Metabolic Shifts in Postharvest Flowering Chinese Cabbage Revealed by High-Dimensional Analytical Data

“…Benzoic acid, chlorine dioxide, and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) are commonly used to prolong the shelf life of postharvest fruit and vegetables [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. It is reported that preharvest application of benzoic acid can increase the content of total phenolic compounds and total anthocyanins in table grapes [ 14 ], and postharvest antimicrobial treatments with benzoic acid can improve the shelf life of fresh blueberries [ 15 ].…”