Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), one of the major vegetable crops, is recognized for its availability of numerous bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. The accumulation of these compounds in plant tissues can be increased by exogenous stimuli, including light exposure. This study aimed at enhancing the antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds of eggplant using light-emitting diode (LEDs) irradiation after harvest. For this purpose, eggplant fruits were irradiated under LEDs at different wavelengths, including red (650–660 nm), blue (450–460 nm), or the combination of red and blue (red + blue) LEDs, for 48 h. The results indicated that red + blue LED exposure during postharvest significantly (p < 0.05) elevated the accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. The accumulation of major phenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid (58.59 mg/100 g FW), and gallic acid (14.25 mg/100 g FW) in the eggplant fruits was increased significantly under red + blue irradiation when compared with the control (under dark condition). The total phenolic (821.86 mg GAE/100 g FW) and the total flavonoid (595.98 mg CE/100 g FW) contents were shown to have a considerably high accumulation in the peels of eggplant after irradiation under red + blue LEDs, whereas the total carotenoid content was relatively high in the flesh of eggplant fruits. Consequently, red + blue LED irradiation can be considered as a convenient tool used for the postharvest of eggplant, with a positive effect in the increasing of important secondary metabolites. The obtained eggplant fruits proved to be a promising source of bioactive and antioxidant compounds for functional food production.
We aimed to assess the effect of longkong peel extract (LPE)-silver particle-alginate coating on the postharvest decay and browning of longkong fruit during storage at 13°C and 90-95% relative humidity (RH). Longkong was coated with 0, 0.45 or 0.90 mg•L −1 LPE in silver particle-alginate solution and then stored at 13°C and 90-95% RH for nine days. In the mixture consisting of the longkong peel extract and silver solution, the silver particle size was modified to yield fine particles. Electron micrography showed the presence of silver particle sizes ranging in size from approximately 71-625 nm. Fruit coated without LPE exhibited severe browning, weight loss and decay incidence during storage. Coating with 0.45 and 0.90 mg•L −1 LPE significantly inhibited the increase in fruit browning by mainly reducing peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities. LPE coating effectively reduced the longkong weight loss and decay incidence. No fruit treatment showed a significant titratable acidity change or increased soluble solids at the end of storage. These results indicate that coating with LPE is a promising approach to inhibit decay and browning and to maintain the quality of longkong during low-temperature storage.
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