A combination of hot air treatment and nano-packing reduces fruit decay and maintains quality in postharvest Chinese bayberries.
BACKGROUND
Chinese bayberry is susceptible to microbial decay during postharvest handling and storage. To search for effective alternatives to currently used fungicides for disease control, the efficacy of hot air (HA) treatment at 48 °C for 3 h alone or in combination with nano-packing (NP) containing nano-TiO(2) and nano-Ag in controlling green mould decay caused by Penicillium citrinum and natural decay, and their effects on fruit quality in harvested Chinese bayberries were investigated in this study.


RESULTS
The combined treatment of HA and NP resulted in a remarkably improved control of green mould and natural decay in Chinese bayberries compared with treatment of HA or NP alone. The in vitro growth of P. citrinum was significantly inhibited by individual HA or NP. In addition, HA in combination with NP showed interactive effect on inhibiting fruit respiration, ethylene production and membrane lipid peroxidation, and maintained higher fruit firmness and DPPH radical scavenging activity.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that a combination of HA treatment and NP may be a useful technique to reduce fruit decay and maintain quality in Chinese bayberries during postharvest storage and retail conditions.
Wang
Kaituo
K
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
Jin
Peng
P
Shang
Haitao
H
Li
Hongmei
H
Xu
Feng
F
Hu
Qiuhui
Q
Zheng
Yonghua
Y
D000388:Air; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005638:Fruit / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008628:Mercury; D031641:Myrica; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010407:Penicillium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D010851:Picrates / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants; D014025:Titanium
D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005030:Ethylenes; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D010851:Picrates; C009495:titanium dioxide; C036216:ethylene; D014025:Titanium; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D008628:Mercury