Exogenous melatonin treatment on post-harvest jujube fruits maintains physicochemical qualities during extended cold storage.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the effects of melatonin treatment on the visual appearance and physicochemical properties of postharvest jujube fruits stored at 0°C for 15 days.
Results Summary
Melatonin treatment improved the crispness of jujube fruits, delayed weight loss and firmness decline, and stabilized total soluble solids and titratable acidity. It also enhanced antioxidant capacity by increasing ascorbic acid content and superoxide dismutase activity while reducing malonaldehyde content, with 50 µM melatonin showing the best results.
Population
Postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao)
Effective Dosage
0 (control), 50, 100, 200, and 400 µM melatonin solutions
Duration
15 days
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | increase | rate of crisp fine fruits | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | improved | #1 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | decrease | weight loss | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | delayed | #2 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | decrease | firmness decline | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | delayed | #3 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | no change | total soluble solids (TSS) contents | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | suppressed changes in | #4 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | no change | titratable acidity (TA) contents | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | suppressed changes in | #5 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | increase | antioxidant capacity | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | improved | #6 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | increase | ascorbic acid (AsA) content | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | increased | #7 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | increase | superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | enhanced | #8 |
melatonin solutions (50, 100, 200 and 400 µM) | decrease | malonaldehyde (MDA) content | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | decreased | #9 |
50 µM melatonin | increase | visual appearance | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | showed the greatest improvement of | #10 |
50 µM melatonin | increase | quality maintenance | postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) | - | showed the greatest improvement of | #11 |
This study was conducted to investigate the visual appearance and physicochemical changes of postharvest jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Shucuizao) stored under 0 °C for 15 days. The fruits were dipped in 0 (control), 50, 100, 200 and 400 µM melatonin solutions after harvest. The results showed that treatment with a suitable melatonin concentration improved the rate of crisp fine fruits, delayed weight loss and firmness decline, and suppressed changes in total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) contents of jujube fruits compared with the control. In addition, jujube fruits soaked with melatonin showed improved antioxidant capacity through increased ascorbic acid (AsA) content, enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and decreased malonaldehyde (MDA) content. As a result, 50 µM melatonin showed the greatest improvement of visual appearance and quality maintenance, and could be used as an effective treatment to preserve postharvest jujube fruit.