Articles
Preharvest putrescine treatment improves blood orange commercial quality during storage at 8°C
Article number
1396_64
Pages
483 – 486
Language
English
Abstract
Blood orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) is a non-climacteric fruit that has a rich source of bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid.
Skin anthocyanin content is considered an important quality index of blood orange as external red colour is the main characteristic that influences blood orange fresh consumption.
Previous researches have demonstrated that pre- and postharvest treatment with putrescine (Put) increased anthocyanins content in different fruits.
Therefore, the main aim of this research work was to assess the effect of preharvest foliar spray putrescine treatments, at three concentrations (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mM), on blood orange quality at harvest and during 40 days of storage at 8°C. Different quality parameters (weight loss, firmness, external and internal colour, respiration rate, total soluble solids (TSS), total acidity (TA) and anthocyanins in juice) were measured at harvest and after 40 days of postharvest storage at 8°C. Results showed that all Put treatments significantly delayed weight loss and the fruit softening during storage.
Moreover, all the concentrations tested significantly reduced the hue angle, both on the external fruit surface and fruit flesh, as well as significantly increased anthocyanins juice content, especially for the 0.01 mM concentration.
On the other hand, all treated fruits also showed a higher amount of TSS and TA respect to the control, being the 0.01 mM the best concentration.
In conclusion, results showed that a preharvest foliar spray treatment with Put improved commercial quality in blood oranges and preharvest treatment with Put at the concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1 mM could be effective on maintaining quality parameters during postharvest storage at 8°C in blood oranges.
This strategy could be of interest in other blood orange cultivars and/or fruit species, although further research is needed.
Skin anthocyanin content is considered an important quality index of blood orange as external red colour is the main characteristic that influences blood orange fresh consumption.
Previous researches have demonstrated that pre- and postharvest treatment with putrescine (Put) increased anthocyanins content in different fruits.
Therefore, the main aim of this research work was to assess the effect of preharvest foliar spray putrescine treatments, at three concentrations (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mM), on blood orange quality at harvest and during 40 days of storage at 8°C. Different quality parameters (weight loss, firmness, external and internal colour, respiration rate, total soluble solids (TSS), total acidity (TA) and anthocyanins in juice) were measured at harvest and after 40 days of postharvest storage at 8°C. Results showed that all Put treatments significantly delayed weight loss and the fruit softening during storage.
Moreover, all the concentrations tested significantly reduced the hue angle, both on the external fruit surface and fruit flesh, as well as significantly increased anthocyanins juice content, especially for the 0.01 mM concentration.
On the other hand, all treated fruits also showed a higher amount of TSS and TA respect to the control, being the 0.01 mM the best concentration.
In conclusion, results showed that a preharvest foliar spray treatment with Put improved commercial quality in blood oranges and preharvest treatment with Put at the concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1 mM could be effective on maintaining quality parameters during postharvest storage at 8°C in blood oranges.
This strategy could be of interest in other blood orange cultivars and/or fruit species, although further research is needed.
Authors
F. Garrido-Auñón, J. Puente-Moreno, M.E. García-Pastor, J.M. Valverde, D. Martínez-Romero, M. Serrano, D. Valero
Keywords
anthocyanins, Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck, colour, firmness, hue angle
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