Showing 5 results for Zare-Bavani
Volume 20, Issue 141 (November 2023)
Abstract
The use of edible coatings to preserve fruits and vegetables during storage has attracted increasing attention. Also, salicylic acid has been used as an anti-ethylene and antimicrobial compound to improve the postharvest life of some crops. In this study, the effects of different concentrations of salicylic acid (0, 1, 2, and 4 mM) and sweet basil mucilage (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 percent) on the postharvest quality of okra during storage at 10 °C were evaluated. The results showed that increasing the storage time decreased the quality characteristics of okra. Sweet basil mucilage and salicylic acid treatments were significantly effective on maintaining the quality characteristics of okra. The highest levels of fruit firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, visual appearance, and the lowest weight loss were obtained in the 0.3% sweet basil mucilage and 4 mM salicylic acid treatments. Okra without coating and salicylic acid treatment completely lost its appearance quality during 16 days of storage but okra treated with high concentrations of salicylic acid and mucilage had good quality and required marketability. As a result, sweet basil mucilage and salicylic acid can be used as effective treatments to maintain the quality aspects of okra for a more extended period.
Volume 20, Issue 144 (February 2024)
Abstract
Cucumber fruits have a short shelf life in the post-harvest stage due to high water content, high metabolic activity, and spoilage caused by the growth of microorganisms. In this research, the effects of putrescine (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mM) and chitosan (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5%) on some characteristics of cucumber fruit during storage at 12±1 degrees Celsius during storage (0, 10, and 20 days) and one day at 25 degrees Celsius was investigated. The results showed that chitosan and putrescine significantly prevent weight loss, maintain total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, firmness, total chlorophyll of skin, and ascorbic acid and improve the sensory quality of cucumber fruit during storage. The lowest weight loss and the highest firmness were obtained in the treatment of 1.5% chitosan and 2 mM putrescine at 10 and 20 days of storage. Also, the highest amount of soluble solids, titratable acidity, total chlorophyll, vitamin C, total antioxidant, total phenol, and the lowest amount of pH, and decrease in sensory quality in 10 and 20 storage times related to the treatments of 1.5% chitosan and 2 mM putrescine that showed a significant difference with the control treatment. 1% and 1.5% chitosan coating treatments showed no significant difference in other traits measured during storage, except for weight loss. It seems that pretreatment of putrescine (2 mM) and chitosan coating (1 to 1.5%) can maintain the quality of fruits for a more extended period while increasing the storage life of cucumber.
Volume 20, Issue 145 (March 2024)
Abstract
Okra is a vegetable crop with high nutritional value that quickly loses its quality and decay after harvesting. This research aimed to investigate influences of calcium chloride concentrations combined with chitosan coating on the quality characteristics of okra pods during post-harvest. Okra pods were immersed in different concentrations of calcium chloride (0%, 1%, 2%, 4%) and then covered with chitosan (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%). Physicochemical analysis including: physiological weight loss, firmness, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content, total phenol content, and visual appearance and decay rate were performed at 4-day intervals for 16 days. The results showed that during storage, weight loss, soluble solids, and decay rate increased and firmness, ascorbic acid, total phenol content, titratable acidity and visual appearance showed a sharp decrease. Chitosan coating containing calcium chloride was significantly effective in maintaining the quality characteristics of okra. Among the investigated treatments, a combination of 2% calcium chloride and 1% chitosan was the most effective method to maintain the highest overall quality index score of okra pods stored at 4°C for up to 16 days. This treatment also significantly reduced weight loss and maintained ascorbic acid, total phenolic content, titratable acidity and visual appearance, and delayed increase in soluble solids and decay.
Volume 21, Issue 154 (December 2024)
Abstract
The growth of fungal pathogens on the grape fruit causes a decrease in its quality and shelf life. In this study, the antifungal activity of ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oil was investigated against fungal pathogens that cause spoilage in grape fruit. Ginger essential oil was extracted using hydrodistillation method and the content of total phenol, total flavonoid, antioxidant activity based on the inhibition of DPPH and ABTS free radicals and its antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer and Botrytis cinerea strains based on disc diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum fungicidal concentration were evaluated. The results showed that ginger essential oil has 89.80 mg GA/g total phenol and 38.60 mg QE/g total flavonoid. Its antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals was 73.45 and 66.53 μg/ml, respectively. The results of antifungal activity showed that A. niger and B. cinerea were the most sensitive and resistant fungal strains to essential oil, respectively, and the diameter of the inhibition zone in the disc diffusion and well diffusion agar methods, the minimum inhibitory concentration, and the minimum fungicidal concentration for the A. niger strain was equal to 13.90 mm, 14.50 mm, 8 mg/mL and 64 mg/mL, respectively. In general, ginger essential oil can be used as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent to increase the shelf life of agricultural products.
Volume 21, Issue 154 (December 2024)
Abstract
Considering the sensitivity of apple fruit to many pests and diseases and the sensitivity of consumers to synthetic pesticides, the use of plant essential oils has increased to increase the lifespan of various horticultural products, including apples. In this research, total phenol, total flavonoid and antioxidant properties of Elettaria cardamomum essential oil were investigated. In addition, the antimicrobial property of this essential oil was evaluated on a number of fungi that cause spoilage of apple fruit, including Penicillium expansum, Botrytis cinerea, and Alternaria alternata. The phenol and flavonoid content of E. cardamomum essential oil was equal to 69.60 mg of gallic acid per gram of essential oil and 27.40 mg of quercetin per gram of essential oil, respectively. The amount of antioxidant property of E. cardamomum essential oil in DPPH and ABTS free radical inhibition method was obtained as 57.30% and 63.60%, respectively. In the investigation of the antifungal property, the largest inhibition zone was observed in P. expansum by disk diffusion and agar well methods, and the minimum inhibitory concentration for P. expansum and B. cinerea fungi was 8 mg/ml and minimum fungicidal concentration was 64 mg/ml. Considering the high antioxidant and antifungal properties of E. cardamomum essential oil, it can be used as a suitable alternative to synthetic fungicides.
