<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This study was performed to explore the efficacy of combining more than one postharvest treatment in maintaining some quality attributes and reducing fungal pathogenicity in cold-stored guava fruits. The investigated postharvest treatments included the control, CaCl2 (4%), lemongrass oil (2 dm3 kg−1), gamma (γ) irradiation (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 kGy), 0.4 kGy γ irradiation + CaCl2 (4%), and 0.4 kGy γ irradiation + lemongrass oil (2 dm3 kg−1). The studied physiochemical attributes included weight loss, decay percentage, fruit firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and vitamin C content. Different fungal species were also isolated from decayed fruits and were identified as <italic>Alternaria alternata</italic>, <italic>Alternaria solani</italic>, <italic>Aspergillus niger</italic>, <italic>Botrytis cinerea</italic>, <italic>Fusarium solani</italic> and <italic>Rhizopus stolonifer</italic>. The severity of infection for the different fungi was determined, and an <italic>in vitro</italic> antifungal assay was conducted for lemongrass oil. All the investigated treatments generally reduced decay and water loss percentages, and controlled TSS, TA and vitamin C decrements that occurred during cold storage. On the other hand, higher irradiation doses generally increased fruit softness, and the 0.4 kGy γ dose did not contribute to the overall fruit quality when coupled with CaCl2 and lemongrass oil, compared to CaCl2 and lemongrass oil treatments alone.</abstract>

This study was performed to explore the efficacy of combining more than one postharvest treatment in maintaining some quality attributes and reducing fungal pathogenicity in cold-stored guava fruits. The investigated postharvest treatments included the control, CaCl2 (4%), lemongrass oil (2 dm3 kg−1), gamma (γ) irradiation (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 kGy), 0.4 kGy γ irradiation + CaCl2 (4%), and 0.4 kGy γ irradiation + lemongrass oil (2 dm3 kg−1). The studied physiochemical attributes included weight loss, decay percentage, fruit firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and vitamin C content. Different fungal species were also isolated from decayed fruits and were identified as Alternaria alternata, Alternaria solani, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium solani and Rhizopus stolonifer. The severity of infection for the different fungi was determined, and an in vitro antifungal assay was conducted for lemongrass oil. All the investigated treatments generally reduced decay and water loss percentages, and controlled TSS, TA and vitamin C decrements that occurred during cold storage. On the other hand, higher irradiation doses generally increased fruit softness, and the 0.4 kGy γ dose did not contribute to the overall fruit quality when coupled with CaCl2 and lemongrass oil, compared to CaCl2 and lemongrass oil treatments alone.

Efficacy of coupling gamma irradiation with calcium chloride and lemongrass oil in maintaining guava fruit quality and inhibiting fungal growth during cold storage

Food Irradiation Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority

Natural Products Research Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority

Folia Horticulturae

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

This study was performed to explore the efficacy of combining more than one postharvest treatment in maintaining some quality attributes and reducing fungal...

Efficacy of coupling gamma irradiation with calcium chloride and lemongrass oil in maintaining guava fruit quality and inhibiting fungal growth during cold storage

Published Online: Jun 19, 2018

Page range: 67 - 78

Received: Jul 24, 2017

Accepted: Dec 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2018-0007

Keywords
cold storage, fungal growth, postharvest, L

© 2018 Ramadan A. Hassanein et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Efficacy of coupling gamma irradiation with calcium chloride and lemongrass oil in maintaining guava fruit quality and inhibiting fungal growth during cold storage

Published Online: Jun 19, 2018

Page range: 67 - 78

Received: Jul 24, 2017

Accepted: Dec 20, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2018-0007

Keywordscold storage, fungal growth, postharvest, L

© 2018 Ramadan A. Hassanein et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
cold storage, fungal growth, postharvest, L