Effect of Post-Harvest Melatonin Application on Quality Characteristics of Avocado Fruit
摘要
In this study, post-harvest doses of 0.25 mM, 0.50 mM and 1.0 mM melatonin were applied to the perishable avocado fruit and the fruit was stored for 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. In addition, some fruit was stored as a control group on the same day without any processing. We investigated the weight loss, decay rate, fruit firmness, amount of soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, fruit color characteristics (L*, a*, b*, chroma, and hue angle) and specific biochemical properties (total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, total protein content, and DPPH activity value) of the fruit during the storage. Depending on the different melatonin applications during the different storage periods, there was a general increase in weight loss, decay rate, SSC, TA, and color values in the control group fruit, and there was a decrease in total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, total protein content, DPPH activity value, and fruit firmness. Based on the results of the study, it was determined that the application of 1.0 mM melatonin was associated with the highest preservation of the quality characteristics of the stored avocado fruit, although this varied according to 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day storage periods and quality parameters. It was concluded that all melatonin doses used (0.25 mM, 0.50 mM, and 1.0 mM) could be applied as a post-harvest tool to preserve the quality and storage life of avocado fruit.