Articles
New strategies to control and improve the postharvest quality of lemon fruits
Article number
1396_75
Pages
569 – 574
Language
English
Abstract
Lemon fruits are highly appreciated by consumers and have a high content of bioactive compounds.
They are susceptible to suffer disorders leading to quality losses during storage.
Fungicides have been commonly used to alleviate this effect.
However, the development of different alternative natural treatments is currently being studied. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a natural elicitor composed of four-carbon non-proteinaceous with functions in plant metabolism, such as signalling, modulation of growth and development, pH regulation and induction of stress tolerance.
GABA is currently acquiring interest, applied in preharvest or postharvest, for its effects in delaying senescence and increasing tolerance to oxidative stress or chilling injury in many fruits.
This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of GABA on lemon trees as a preharvest treatment on crop yield as well as on its quality parameters, including functional quality, at harvest and during storage at 2°C. Thus, Citrus lemon L. of Verna were treated with GABA, at 10, 50 and 100 mM, by foliar spray at three key points of on-tree fruit development.
Results showed that treatments were effective on increasing crop yield and quality parameters such as firmness or reducing weight losses as well as greater phenolic compounds content and total antioxidant activity (TAA). These results suggest that preharvest application of GABA on lemon trees could be a useful tool to increase crop yield, fruit quality parameters and bioactive compounds at harvest and maintain them during storage, delaying quality losses and decay incidence.
They are susceptible to suffer disorders leading to quality losses during storage.
Fungicides have been commonly used to alleviate this effect.
However, the development of different alternative natural treatments is currently being studied. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a natural elicitor composed of four-carbon non-proteinaceous with functions in plant metabolism, such as signalling, modulation of growth and development, pH regulation and induction of stress tolerance.
GABA is currently acquiring interest, applied in preharvest or postharvest, for its effects in delaying senescence and increasing tolerance to oxidative stress or chilling injury in many fruits.
This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of GABA on lemon trees as a preharvest treatment on crop yield as well as on its quality parameters, including functional quality, at harvest and during storage at 2°C. Thus, Citrus lemon L. of Verna were treated with GABA, at 10, 50 and 100 mM, by foliar spray at three key points of on-tree fruit development.
Results showed that treatments were effective on increasing crop yield and quality parameters such as firmness or reducing weight losses as well as greater phenolic compounds content and total antioxidant activity (TAA). These results suggest that preharvest application of GABA on lemon trees could be a useful tool to increase crop yield, fruit quality parameters and bioactive compounds at harvest and maintain them during storage, delaying quality losses and decay incidence.
Authors
F. Badiche el Hilali, A. Carrión Antolí, S. Castillo, D. Valero, M. Serrano
Keywords
Citrus, innovative treatments, storage, properties, high-quality, antioxidants
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