Enhancement of the antioxidant capacity and reduction of chilling injury in ‘Douradão’ peaches refrigerated under pre-storage and modified atmosphere

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of pre-storage for 24h and 48h and different modified atmosphere packaging-MAP treatments (using low-density polyethylene-LDPE) on the antioxidant compounds and the postharvest quality of 'Douradão' peaches under cold storage. The peaches were submitted to the following treatments: a control (no packaging or pre-storage) and prestorage for 24h or 48h at 25ºC combined with passive MAP (LDPE 60 μm or 80 μm). After the application of the treatments, the fruits were stored at 0ºC for 30 days plus 3 days at 25ºC to simulate marketing conditions. The results showed that on the simulated marketing period, all the treatments (except for the control) reduced woolliness and internal browning. Furthermore, both pre-storage and LDPE MAP enhanced the polygalacturonase (PG) activity, the levels of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity. Thus, these results suggest that the pre-storage associated with LDPE packaging increases the shelf life of peaches by up to 30 days under cold storage.

Application of Calcium Chloride at Different Phenological Stages Alleviates Chilling Injury and Delays Climacteric Ripening in Peach Fruit during Low-Temperature Storage

“…A variety of remedial measures have been tested to alleviate or limit the incidence of CI in peach fruit. Application of calcium-containing compounds or plant growth regulators, providing controlled atmospheric environment, interrupting storage conditions, delaying the pre-storage cooling operation and using modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) reduces the problem to some extent (Lurie and Crisosto, 2005;Mendes et al, 2019;Tanou et al, 2017). However, the results have been erratic and inconsistent while mostly remained inconclusive when tested under diverse agro-climatic conditions or on different genotypes (Wang et al, 2019).…”

Capability of oxygen-scavenger sachets and modified atmosphere packaging to extend fresh barberry shelf life

“…The polygalacturonase enzyme hydrolyzes the β-1-4 bond of galacturonic acid in the pectin chain, thereby reducing fruit firmness. Mendes et al [29] described that the firmness of peaches packaged under modified atmosphere decreased.…”

“…Firstly, the tissue responds to stress, leading to the production of active oxygen species and activating the systems responsible for producing antioxidant compounds. If the stress level is high, the tissue may not be able to maintain the necessary balance, and the cells become damaged [29]. An increased TPC amount during refrigerated storage can also be related to the stimulation of enzymes involved in their biosynthesis during cold storage conditions [33].…”