Retention of storage quality and post-refrigeration shelf-life extension of plum (Prunus domestica L.) cv. Santa Rosa using combination of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating and gamma irradiation

Publication date: February 2015 Source:Radiation Physics and Chemistry, Volume 107 Author(s): Peerzada R. Hussain , Prashant P. Suradkar , Ali M. Wani , Mohd A. Dar Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coatings alone and in combination with gamma irradiation was tested for maintaining the storage quality and extending shelf-life of plum. Matured green plums were CMC coated at levels 0.5–1.0% w/v and gamma irradiated at 1.5kGy. The treated fruit including control was stored under ambient (temperature 25±2°C, RH 70%) and refrigerated (temperature 3±1°C, RH 80%) conditions. In fruits treated with individual treatments of 1.0% w/v CMC; 1.5kGy irradiation and combination of 1.0% w/v CMC and 1.5kGy irradiation, no decay was recorded up to 11, 17 and 21 days of ambient storage. Irradiation alone at 1.5kGy gave 8 days extension in shelf-life of plum compared to 5 days by 1.0% w/v CMC coating following 45 days of refrigeration. All combinatory treatments of CMC coating and irradiation proved beneficial in maintaining the storage quality as well as delaying the decaying of plum during post-refrigerated storage at 25±2°C, RH 70% but, combination of CMC at 1.0% w/v and 1.5kGy irradiation was found significantly (p≤0.05) superior to all other treatments in maintaining the storage quality and delaying the decaying of plum. CMC coating of plums at 1.0% w/v followed by irradiation at 1.5kGy resulted in chlorophyll retention of 19.4% after 16 days compared to 10% in control after 8...

Source: Radiation Physics and Chemistry - November 7, 2014 Category: Physics Source Type: research