Impact of Cold-Storage and UV-C Irradiation Postharvest Treatments on Quality and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits from Blueberry Cultivars Grown in Southern Chile

Abstract

Highbush blueberry fruits are very perishable, decreasing quality and antioxidant potential during postharvest storage. Several preservation technologies to improve blueberries shelf life have been proposed. We evaluated the impact of fruit cold-storage and UV-C irradiation postharvest treatments on quality and antioxidant properties of berries from different blueberry cultivars grown in southern Chile. Berries of Legacy, Brigitta, and Bluegold cultivars were subjected to cold-storage (4°C, for 28 days) or UV-C irradiation (2.3 or 4.6 kJ m −2) before cold-storage (4°C) during 5 or 10 days. Then, fresh weight (FW), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TiA), radical scavenging activity (RSA), total phenol content (TPC), and total anthocyanin content (TAC) were analyzed in whole fruits. During cold-storage, fruit FW was reduced (~20%) from day 7 onward, without variations among storage times. The irradiation of fruits with UV-C light also tends to reduce berry FW (~20%), but only in cultivar Legacy and in response to the highest UV-C doses. No significant differences were found in TSS or TiA of fruits by the effect of any treatments. Interestingly, UV-C irradiation induced greater antioxidant properties of blueberries. Bluegold and Brigitta fruits revealed increased RSA under 4.6 kJ m −2 doses. Also, Bluegold showed the highest levels of TPC at doses of 4.6 kJ m −2 of UV-C. Moreover, fruits of all cultivars exhibited increased TCA in response to the higher doses of UV-C. UV-C irradiation could be an interesting tool to improve antioxidant potential in highbush blueberries, which can negatively affect fruit quality for fresh consumption.

Effect of Glutamic Acid and 6-benzylaminopurine on Flower Bud Biostimulation, Fruit Quality and Antioxidant Activity in Blueberry

“…The interest in producing and marketing blueberries is related to their high content of bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, among others, which are beneficial to human health [ 55 ]. The beneficial effects of these compounds are mainly due to their antioxidant properties and free radical scavenging capacity in the human body [ 56 ].…”

Effect of Chitosan/Thyme Oil Coating and UV-C on the Softening and Ripening of Postharvest Blueberry Fruits

“…Using ultraviolet rays of appropriate wavelength, UV-C destroys the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) in microbial cells, resulting in the death of growing cells [ 17 ]. In this context, Villagra et al found that UV-C treatment can delay the blueberries’ quality decline during storage and improve their antioxidant activity [ 18 ]. Furthermore, Zhou et al found that UV-C could effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms, maintain quality, and enhance the antioxidant activity of blueberries during postharvest storage [ 19 ].…”