Extending post harvest quality of litchi litchi chinensis sonn cv rose scented through gamma irradiation and edible coatings

Abstract

The present study, was conducted at Post Harvest Laboratory of Department of Horticulture, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India, spanning the years 2022 and 2023 in refrigerated storage at a temperature of 2 °C during the month of June. The fruits of litchi cv. Rose Scented were procured from the orchard of the Horticulture Research Centre, Patharchatta, Pantnagar. The experiment encompassed a range of treatments involving gamma irradiation and combinations with Aloe vera gel and chitosan at different concentrations. A statistical approach was employed, utilizing the 2 factorial CRD with 19 treatments and three replications at various storage intervals (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 days). Throughout the 20-day refrigerated storage period assessments were conducted on various physical, bioactive compound and sensory parameters to evaluate the effectiveness of each treatment. newlineThe results revealed that among all the treatments, the application of 1.0 kGy followed by 1.0 kGy+ 10% Aloe vera gel significantly reduced physiological loss in weight, fruit decay, and shrinkage, while maintaining fruit weight, diameter, acidity, total soluble solids, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, and TSS: acid ratio better than other treatments during storage. Additionally, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and anthocyanin content and also sensory qualities were preserved better in this combination throughout the 20-day storage period. Notably, fruits treated with 1.0 kGy followed by 1.0 kGy+ 10% Aloe vera gel demonstrated acceptable and marketable quality until the 16th day of refrigerated storage. Consequently, the study concludes that litchi cv. Rose Scented treated with 1.0 kGy proved most effective in maintaining postharvest quality attributes and extending their shelf-life by 3 to 4 times more when compared to uncoated control fruits. This finding holds considerable significance for enhancing the preservation and marketability of litchi fruits under refrigerated storage condition. newline newline