Postharvest Salicylic Acid Treatment Influences Some Quality Attributes in Air-Stored Pomegranate Fruit

Abstract

Popularity of pomegranate fruit has increased in recent years becauseof its health benefit content, economic value and medicinalcharacteristics. Since pomegranate fruit is perishable species,prolonging storage life, keeping fruit quality during storage andmarketing period with minimum quality and quantity loss afterharvest are essential. Influence of salicylic acid treatments on somequality properties in ‘Hicaznar’ cultivar fruit were investigated in thecurrent study. After harvest at commercial maturity, fruit wereexposed to salicylic acid (SA) treatments. Controls (C1) wereuntreated. The other groups were dipped into a solution containing0.01% Tween 20 (C2), 0.01% Tween 20+2 mM SA (SA1), and 0.01%Tween 20+4 mM SA (SA2). Then fruit were stored at 5±1 °Ctemperature, 85-90% relative humidity for 120 days. Changes in fruitskin and aril color, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, weightloss and chilling injury rate total phenolic content, antioxidantactivity were followed at 60 days intervals. Neither SA1 nor SA2affected total phenolic content and antioxidant activity levels of fruit.But, both treatments helped to maintain C* values in arils and skin,titratable acidity and soluble solids content. Since SA2 treatmentsignificantly reduced chilling injury symptoms during cold storageperiod of 120 days, it could be considered as promising postharvesttechnology.