‘Wonderful’ pomegranate arils were treated with 0.5% and 1% of calcium chloride, 0.5% and 1% of calcium lactate, and salicylic acid (1 and 2 mM), then treated and untreated (control) arils packaged in clean (sterilized) plastic containers. Fresh produce was then stored at 5±1 ℃. Assessment of arils quality was carried out at 3-day intervals by evaluating the following quality parameters: appearance, decay, off odor, flavor, total soluble solids, acidity, anthocyanin and vitamin C content, firmness, colour development (L* value and hue angle), and microbial load. Pomegranate arils treated with salicylic acid, calcium chloride, and calcium lactate maintained a general good quality and appearance up to 12 days of storage at 5±1 ℃, with no visible decay and off odor development. The total microbial population was lower in arils treated with salicylic acid, in comparison to treatments with calcium chloride, calcium lactate and control arils. All treatments scored above the limit of marketability, maintaining good quality of fresh-cut produce during storage. However, the use of salicylic acid and calcium chloride helped to keep a better overall quality of arils at the end of the 12-day storage at 5±1 ℃.
Due to the rising interest in healthy products, super foods such as pomegranate have spread widely on the international market in recent years. Several postharvest treatments have been applied in order to maintain the quality and extend shelf life of pomegranate arils. This study evaluated the effect of Arabic gum treatment as well as different edible coatings (Jojoba oil, Gelatin, Wheat Germ oil and Rosemary oil) on shelf life and fruit quality parameters of Wonderful pomegranate during cold storage at 5oC with 85-90% relative humidity for 45 days. Fruit characteristics, such as fruit weight, volume, firmness, and weight loss%, total juice weight and volume, total soluble solids, total acidity, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), total anthocyanin, total sugars % and total phenols were determined periodically along a storage period of 45 days. It is clear that, all fruit characteristics were positively affected by different edible coating treatments. Pomegranate fruits coated with rosemary oil at 2% in combination with Arabic gum at 10% effectively reduced weight loss%, maintained higher firmness, fruit weight, fruit volume, juice weight and juice volume.
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