Quality of Goji Berry Fruit (Lycium barbarum L.) Stored at Different Temperatures

Abstract

Goji berries are widely known for their outstanding nutritional and medicinal properties; they are usually found in the market as dried fruit or as juice because the fruit has a short shelf-life, and little information is available about its postharvest behavior at low temperatures. This study aimed to determine the storage performance of goji berry fruit by evaluating physicochemical, and sensorial attributes during storage at three different temperatures (0, 5, and 7 °C) for 12 days in a range that has not been extensively studied before. In addition, fruit respiration and ethylene production rates were also measured at the three temperatures. Fruit stored at 0 °C showed the lowest respiration rate and ethylene production (5.8 mg CO2 kg−1h−1 and 0.7 µg C2H4 kg−1h−1, respectively); however, at this temperature, the incidence and severity of pitting and electrolytic leakage were the highest. In contrast, 5 °C was found to be the best storage temperature for goji berry fruit; the fruit appeared fresh and healthy, had the highest scores during sensory analysis with an acceptable general impression, and had the lowest amount of damage attributable to chilling injury, with 17.1% fruit presenting with shriveling, 12.5% pitting, 6.7% mold, and 35% electrolytic leakage on day 9 of storage. Storage of goji berries at 7 °C resulted in the lowest marketability and the highest incidence of decay. Significant differences were also found in the phytochemical attributes, vitamin C content, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), SSC/TA ratio, total polyphenol content, 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazy (DPPH), and anthocyanin content. This study revealed that a storage temperature of 5 °C for 9 days is recommended to maintain the quality of fresh goji berry. Thus, broadening the existing knowledge of the postharvest behavior of fresh goji berries; our results can help improve the commercial life of goji berries and ensure high-quality attributes throughout distribution.

Microbial Diversity and Bioactive Compounds in Dried Lycium barbarum Fruits (Goji): A Comparative Study

“…There is little information on the microbial quality of goji berries, either at the stages of fruit processing and preservation or in terms of the finished product. Most research discusses the quality of goji berries in terms of preserving their shelf life [ 19 , 20 ]. There are few studies concerned with the microbial quality in relation to the presence of food-borne pathogens, which can not only cause spoilage and shorten the shelf life but also be dangerous to the consumer.…”

Investigation of the regulatory effects of water and nitrogen supply on nitrogen transport and distribution in wolfberry fields

“…Wolfberry ( Lycium barbarum L.) is a deciduous shrub with a well-developed root system and strong resistance to cold. It has significant effects on windbreak and sand fixation, soil and water conservation, and the improvement of saline-alkaline land improvement ( Danial et al., 2022 ). It is widely planted in the Yellow River irrigation area of Gansu Province.…”

Lycium species and variety recognition technology based on electrochemical sensing of leaf signals

“…Goji berry resources are divided into 7 species. In addition, over the years of breeding, there are many different varieties of goji berry (Vidović et al, 2022;Fatchurrahman et al, 2022;Liu et al, 2022). Different varieties of goji berry have their own unique advantages, nutritional composition and physiological active ingredients in the content and effect of different (Skenderidis et al, 2022;Li et al, 2021).…”