Effect of Postharvest Application of Thyme Essential oil on Quality and Shelf-life of Pomegranate (Punica granatum cv. Tarom red skin) Fruit

علوم باغبانی

Article 4, Volume 29, Issue 4, November 2015, Pages 547-555   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jhorts4.v29i4.26064

Authors

Mahshid Ghfouri^* ; Ali Soleimani; Vali Rabiei; Roghayeh Hemmati

University of Zanjan

Abstract

Introduction: Due to high quality, Iran pomegranate is quite competitive compared to other countries is unrivaled among agricultural products and has great economic importance. Using essential oil is a new idea to reduce postharvest losses and increase the horticultural crop storage life and control of fungal infection. In this context, a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design was conducted to study the postharvest spraying of thyme essential oil on storage life and qualitative characteristics of pomegranate fruit (cv. Tarom red skin)
Materials and Methods: Pomegranate fruit (cv. Tarom red skin) was prepared and transferred to University of Zanjan, Horticulture postharvest physiology lab. Treatments were included essential oil of thyme at four levels (0, 500, 1000, 1500 mg/l) and the cold time storage (6 °C and 85% of relative humidity) at three levels (one, two and three months (by four replications. In the first experiment, 180 normal pomegranate fruits were treated with thyme essential oil. In the second experiment, fruits were infected with spores of the fungus Aspergillus niger and then treated with essential oil. During experiment, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, pH, anthocyanin, electrolyte leakage, chilling injury, weight loss and fungal decay were evaluated. Fruit juice TSS was determined with a hand-refractometer at room temperature. TA was determined by titration an aliquot (20 mL) of the juice with 0.1 N NaOH and the results were expressed as a percentage of citric acid. The maturity index (TSS/TA ratio) was evaluated as the TSS/TA ratio. Fruit juice pH was measured using a pH meter. Anthocyanin was performed to method Fuleki & Francis. Electrolyte leakage was measured according to McCollum & McDonald method. Weight loss was measured according to Ershadi method. Chilling injury was measured by Wang method. Decay was visually evaluated and expressed as percentage. An analysis of variance was used to analyze difference between treatments and the Duncan test was applied for mean separation at p

Keywords

Chilling Injury; Electrolyte leakage; Fungus Decay; Storage time; Weight loss

References

1- Abdolahi A., Hassani A., Ghuosta Y., Javadi T. and Meshkatalsadat M.H. 2010. Essential oils as control agents of Post-harvest Alternaria and Penicillium rots on tomato fruits. Journal of Food Safety, 30:341-352.

2- Aboutalebi A.H. and Mohammadi M.H. 2011. Effect of Essential oils on Postharvest stability of fruits quality and decay Management of kinnow Mandarin. Journal of Seed and Plant Production, 27:501-504. (in Persian)

3- Asghari Marjanlu A., Mostofi Y., Shoeibi SH. and Fattahi M. 2009. Effect of Cumin Essential Oil on Postharvest Decay and Some Quality Factors of Strawberry. Journal of Medicinal Plants, 8 (28): 131-139. (in Persian).

4- Burt S. 2004. Essential oils their anti-bacterial properties and potential applications in foods a review. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 94: 223-253.

5- Ding C.K., Wang K.C. and Smith D.L. 2001. Reduction of chilling injury and transcript accumulation of heat shock proteins in tomato fruit by methyl jasmonate and methyl salicylate Plant Science, 161:1153–1159.

6- Elahiniya A. 2011. Diseases of fruit trees and some garden plants and methods fighting them. Gilan University Pub, 570.

7- Ershadi M. 2006. Postharvest Physiology. Iilam University Pub, 32-45.

8- Fuleki F. and Francis J.F. 1986. Quantitative method for anthocyanin determination of total anthocyanin and degradation index for cranberry Juice. Journal of food science, 33: 78-83.

9- Gonzalez-Aguilar A.B., Buta J.G., and Wang C.Y. 2003. Methyl jasmonate and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) reduce decay and maintain Postharvest quality of papaya ‘Sunrise’. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 28:361-370.

10- Hosseini Ghedari F. 2008. Study Quantitative and Qualitative three varieties of apple rootstocks in Ghidari Region. M. Sc Thesis. Department of Horticultural Science, Science and Research Islamic Azad University, Tehran.

11- Jalili Marandi R., Hassani A., Ghosta Y., Abdollahi A., Pirzad A. and Sefidkon, F. 2010. Thymus kotschyanus and Carum copticum Essential oils as botanical preservatives for table-grape. Journal of Medicinal Plants research, 4(22): 2424-2430

12- Juven B.J., Kanner J., Sched F. and Weisslowicz H. 1994. Factors that interact with the antimicrobial of thyme essential oil and its active constituent's. Journal of applied bacteriology, 76: 626-631.

13- Kang G. Z., Wang Z.X. and Sun G.C. 2003. Participation of H2O2 in enhancement of cold chilling by salicylic acid in banana seedlings. Acta Botanical Sinica, 45: 567-573.

14- Karimi Z.,and Rahemi M. 2008. Comparison of Essential Oils of Clove, Thyme and Imazalil Fungicide on Blue Mold ( Penicillium italicum Wehemer) of Citrus Fruits in Storage. Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 12(45): 231-237. (in Persian).

15- Liu W.T. and Chu C.L. 2002. Thymol and acetic acid vapors reduce Postharvest brown rot of apricot and plum. Journal of Horticulture Science, 37: 151-156.

16- McCollum T.G. and McDonald R.E. 1991. Electrolyte leakage, respiration and ethylene production as indices of chilling injury in grapefruit. Horticulture Science, 26: 1191-1192.

17- Mohammadi M., Azimi M.H. and Khodabandeloo F. 2011. Comprehensive guide illustrated pomegranate cultivation, publishing of Education and extension agricultural, Tehran, 260.

18- Mohammadi S., Aminifard, M H. 2012. Effect of essential oils on Postharvest decay and some quality factors of Peach (Prunus persica var Redhaven). Journal of Biological and Environmental Sciences, 6(17): 147-153.

19- Mostofi y., Dehestani Ardekani M., and Razavi H. 2011. The effect of chitosan on postharvest life extension and qualitative characteristics of table grape “Shahroodi”. Journal of Food Science, 8(30): 93-102. (in Persian with English abstract)

20- Muscovi A. and Mortazavi A. 2004. Antifungal activity of Essential oils of Thymus vulgaris and Trachyspermum ammi against Aspergilus. Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 8(2): 207-214. (in Persian).

21- Nanda S. Rao D.V.S. and Krishnamurthy S. 2001. Effects of shrink film wrap-ping and storage temperature on the shelf life and quality of pomegranate fruits cv. Ganesh. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 22 (1): 61-65.

22- Omid Baigi R. 2012. Production and processing of medicinal plants. Mashhad Astane Quds Razavi Pub, 400.

23- Pooly W.D., Ringer T., and Combrink S. 2009. Essential oils amended coating as alternatives to synthetic fungicide in citrus Postharvest management. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 53: 117-122

24- Rabiei v., Shirzadeh E., Rabbi.Angourani H. and Sharafi Y. 2011. Effect Essential oils of Thyme and Lavender on the qualitative and quantitative traits and traits and storage life of apple Jon gold cultivar. Medicinal Plant, 5:5522-5527.

25- Rahemi M. 2007. Postharvest physiology: Introduction to physiology and handling of fruit and vegetables. Shiraz University Publications, 650.

26- Ranjbar H., Farzaneh M., Hadian J., Mirjalili M.J. and Sharifi Z. 2008. Fungi toxic effect of some plant extracts post-harvest diseases of strawberry pazhohesh and sazandegi. 81: 46-60. (in Persian).

27- Ranjbar H., Zolfaghari Nasabe R., Ghasemnejade M. and Sarkhose A. 2005. Effects of methyl jasmonate induction of resistance to chilling injury at pomegranate (cv. Saveh Malas). pazhohesh and Sazandegi, 75: 43-49. (in Persian)

28- Salimi L., Arshad M., Rahimi A.R., Rokhzadi A., Amini S. and Azizi M. 2013. Effect of some Essential oils on Postharvest quality of grapevine (Vitis vinifera cv. Rasha (Siah-e-Sardasht)) during cold storage. International Journal of Biosciences, 3 (4): 75-83

29- Sayari M., Babalar M., Kalantari R., Alizadeh H. and Askari M.A. 2009. Effects of Salicylic Acid on Chilling Resistance and Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase Activity in ‘Malase Saveh’ Pomegranate (Punica granatum) during Cold Storage. Iranian Journal of Horticultural Sciences, 40)3(: 21-38. (in Persian)

30- Talaei A., Askari Sarcheme M.A., bahadaran F. and Sherafatiyan D. 2004. The effects of Hot water and in polyethylene Bag Packaging on the Storage life and Quality of the pomegranates (cv. Malas Saveh) Iranian Journal of Horticultural Sciences, 35)2(: 369-377. (in Persian with English abstract).

31- Tripathi P., Dubey N.K., and Shukla A.K. 2008. Use of some Essential oils as Postharvest botanical fungicides in the management of grey mold of grapes caused by (Botrytis cinerea). World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 24: 39–46.

32- Tripathi P., Dubey N.K., Banerji R. and Chansouria J.P.N. 2004. Evaluation of some Essential oil as botanical fun toxicants in management of postharvest rotting of citrus fruits. World Journal of Plant Pathology, 20: 317-321

33- Wang L., Chena S., Kong W., Li W. and Archibald D. 2006. Salicylic-acid pretreatment alleviates chilling-injury and affects the antioxidant system and heat shock proteins of peaches during cold storage. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 41: 244-251.

34- Zargari A. 1991. Medicinal Plants. Tehran University Pub, 946.