New Approaches in Fig Preservation: Use of Melatonin to Maintain Postharvest Quality of Fig (Ficus Carica L.) Fruit During Cold Storage

Kucuker, Emine; Aglar, Erdal; Gundogdu, Muttalip; Tekin, Onur; Ogurlu, Ferhat; Kizgin Ozcengiz, Ceyda

doi:10.1007/s10341-023-00958-w

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 48 publications

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“…Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) represents the most applied technology for preserving fresh figs [7][8][9][10][11][12][13], although various preservation techniques have been reported in the literature. These include low-temperature storage [14], film coating or packaging [15,16], ozone treatment [17], chlorine and calcium treatments [18], fumigation [19], melatonin application [20], UVB irradiation [21], and the use of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) in conjunction with MAP [14]. An alternative to the aforementioned post-harvest technologies is the application of an edible coating (EC), offering a feasible approach.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Opuntia ficus-indica Mucilage and Aloe Gel-Based Edible Coating to Enhance Postharvest Quality and Microbiological Aspects of Fresh Figs (Ficus carica L.)

Sortino,

Guccione,

Casales

et al. 2024

Horticulturae

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Fig is a widespread crop in southern Italy, highly valued for its sweet flavor. However, its consumption as a fresh product is limited to three to four days after harvest because of its high susceptibility to quality loss and microbial contamination. The combined use of low temperature and a modified atmosphere is the traditional preservation method. However, several studies have shown that the use of Aloe arborescens or vera and O. ficus-indica (OFI) mucilage as an edible coating could reduce the microbial load and water loss, respectively. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of Aloe gel (AG) and O. ficus-indica mucilage (OM) on the quality and safety of two fig cultivars, ‘San Giovanni’ and ‘Melanzana’, during cold storage at 4 °C. The main results showed the effectiveness of edible coatings on both fig cultivars. An AG coating significantly reduced the microbial load, while the OM treatment showed the ability to preserve firmness and reduce weight loss. In addition, the combined OM + AG treatment showed the same effects as the individual coating formulations, also improving visual appearance. Thus, the use of the synergetic coating formulation could be a natural way to reduce the microbial load, extending fresh fig fruit’s shelf life.

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