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Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables
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Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Physiology and Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 15231

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez-Téllez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Vegetal, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo, Sonora, México
Interests: physiological disorder; chilling injury; food quality and safety; plant cell wall metabolism; oligosaccharin
Dr. Jose J. Virgen-Ortíz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Food and Development A.C. - Center of Innovation and Agroalimentary Development of Michoacán (CIDAM), Morelia 58341, Michoacán, Mexico
Interests: postharvest quality; nutritional and phytochemical composition; natural defense mechanisms; plant defense-related enzymes; biochemistry responses to biotic/abiotic stresses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, there are recurrent food losses of up to 1.3 million tons each year causing environmental, social, and economic problems worldwide. Since fresh fruit and vegetables are highly perishable foods, an important amount of loss and waste of horticultural products occurs during postharvest storage due to inadequate and insufficient management systems and technology leading to accelerated senescence, dehydration, mechanical injury, and pathogen infections. Common conservation technologies for fresh fruit and vegetables, such as chemical preservatives and refrigeration may trigger physiological disorders that affect their quality, content of nutrients, and safety. Therefore, in order to contribute to dealing with the current world challenges for food provision, such as the development of efficient postharvest management systems, we encourage the submission of research addressing strategies to decrease the loss and waste of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other plant organs including flowers, roots, and stems with focus on the biochemical and molecular events related to their physiology.

Works evaluating how preharvest aspects may influence the postharvest quality and safety of fresh horticultural products are also welcome.

Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez-Téllez
Dr. Jose J. Virgen-Ortíz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • horticultural crops
  • shelf life
  • active coatings
  • postharvest physiological disorders
  • plant cell wall metabolism during postharvest storage
  • quality and safety during postharvest storage
  • elicitors of physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2851 KiB  
Article
Quality and Phytochemical Composition of Sweet Cherry Cultivars Can Be Influenced by Altitude
by Diana Nacouzi, Rim Masry and Walid El Kayal
Plants 2023, 12(12), 2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122254 - 09 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1638
Abstract
Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are among the most important stone fruits in Lebanon. They are harvested between May and July; however, the introduction of new early varieties in low and medium altitudes (500–1000 m) and late varieties in higher altitudes (1800–2200 [...] Read more.
Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are among the most important stone fruits in Lebanon. They are harvested between May and July; however, the introduction of new early varieties in low and medium altitudes (500–1000 m) and late varieties in higher altitudes (1800–2200 m) along with postharvest technologies can extend harvesting season. In this study, physicochemical characteristics along with total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity of the most commercial cherry cultivars were evaluated at different altitudes to determine optimum harvesting time. Findings indicated that some varieties, such as “Teliani” and “Irani”, are more significantly impacted by altitude than the other varieties in terms of maturity indices. Duration of fruit development was prolonged with altitude, and in most instances, higher fresh weights and sizes were observed; however, fruit firmness decreased. While total phenolic content (expressed as gallic acid equivalent) did not significantly vary between varieties, the antioxidant activity (FRAP and DPPH assays) showed the lowest value in “Banni” and the total anthocyanin content showed the highest levels in “Irani” and ”Feraouni” and the lowest in “Mkahal” and “Banni”. Furthermore, total phenolic content and reduction of ferric complex (FRAP) were interestingly influenced by geographical locations, in contrast to total anthocyanin content and radical scavenging activity (DPPH) which were unaffected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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13 pages, 4565 KiB  
Article
Pre- or Post-Harvest Treatment with MeJA Improves Post-Harvest Storage of Lemon Fruit by Stimulating the Antioxidant System and Alleviating Chilling Injury
by Ling Liao, Sichen Li, Yunjie Li, Zehao Huang, Jiahao Li, Bo Xiong, Mingfei Zhang, Guochao Sun and Zhihui Wang
Plants 2022, 11(21), 2840; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212840 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
Cold storage preserves lemon fruit quality; however, it can result in significant chilling injury (CI). The effects of pre- and post-harvest methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments at four concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mM) on CI and sensory quality of lemons during 80 [...] Read more.
Cold storage preserves lemon fruit quality; however, it can result in significant chilling injury (CI). The effects of pre- and post-harvest methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments at four concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mM) on CI and sensory quality of lemons during 80 d of storage at 7–10 °C were investigated. Both pre- and post-harvest MeJA treatments reduced CI, weight loss (WL) and maintained higher firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), and total acidity (TA) than in the controls. Antioxidant enzyme activities decreased in the control fruit but increased in both pre- and post-harvest MeJA-treated fruit. In addition, phospholipase D (PLD) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were higher in the control than in the MeJA-treated fruit. Pre-harvest MeJA treatment generally preserved fruit better than post-harvest MeJA treatment, with the best results observed when MeJA was applied at 0.3 mM, which enhanced the antioxidant system of the lemon fruits, thus reducing the post-harvest incidence of chilling injury. These results have important implications for improved fruit quality post-harvest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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17 pages, 2547 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Postharvest Precooling Treatments on Cold-Storage Quality of Yellow Peach (Amygdalus persica)
by Yuchen Zhang, Meijie Guo, Jun Mei and Jing Xie
Plants 2022, 11(18), 2334; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182334 - 06 Sep 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2039
Abstract
The rapid precooling of yellow peaches after harvest can minimize the tissue damage and quality deterioration of yellow peaches during postharvest storage. Refrigerator precooling (RPC), cold-water precooling (CWPC), strong-wind precooling (SWPC), fluidized-ice precooling (FIPC), and vacuum precooling (VPC) were used to precool the [...] Read more.
The rapid precooling of yellow peaches after harvest can minimize the tissue damage and quality deterioration of yellow peaches during postharvest storage. Refrigerator precooling (RPC), cold-water precooling (CWPC), strong-wind precooling (SWPC), fluidized-ice precooling (FIPC), and vacuum precooling (VPC) were used to precool the fresh yellow peaches. The yellow peaches after different precooling treatments were stored at 4 °C for 15 days. CWPC and RPC can effectively retard the respiration and ethylene peak production, reduce the quality loss of yellow peaches during postharvest storage, maintain the color and fruit hardness of yellow peaches, inhibit browning, maintain the contents of soluble solids, titratable acids, and ascorbic acid, increase the activity contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), inhibit the decrease in the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, and delay the increase in the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. The shelf life of yellow peaches with cold-water precooling and refrigerator precooling reached 15 days, which was 6 days longer than those of the VPC- and FIPC-treated samples, and 3 days longer than that of the SWPC-treated samples. Therefore, CWPC and RPC were effective methods to prolong the storage period and maintain the quality of yellow peaches during postharvest storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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18 pages, 16876 KiB  
Article
Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Optimization of the Physicochemical Quality Attributes of Ultraviolet (UV-C)-Treated Barhi Dates
by Mahmoud Younis, Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed, Khaled A. Ahmed, Hany M. Yehia, Diaeldin O. Abdelkarim, Assem I. Zein El-Abedein and Abdulla Alhamdan
Plants 2022, 11(17), 2322; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172322 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2183
Abstract
Barhi date fruit is one of the most important fruits that has high consumer preference and market value at the Khalal maturity stage. However, this stage is very short and the fruit is vulnerable to decay and the ripening process under improper handling [...] Read more.
Barhi date fruit is one of the most important fruits that has high consumer preference and market value at the Khalal maturity stage. However, this stage is very short and the fruit is vulnerable to decay and the ripening process under improper handling and storage conditions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing ultraviolet (UV-C) as a method to preserve the qualitative features of Barhi dates under various storage circumstances. The core of this study was defining the best conditions for UV-C treatment of Barhi dates, which was accomplished using a response surface methodology (RSM) model with a central composite, rotating four-factors-mixed-levels design (CCRD). The impacts of independent variables [UV-C exposure time (1, 2, 3, 4 min), UV-C dose (1, 3, 5, 7 kJ/m2), storage time (1, 6, 11, 16, 21 days) and storage temperature (1, 5, 15, 25 °C)] on the moisture content (MC), total soluble solids (TSS), total color changes (E), firmness, total phenolic content (TPC), total viable count (TVC), DPPH antiradical activity, fructose and glucose were investigated. The results revealed that the optimum UV-C treatment and storage settings for keeping the quality features of the dates were the UV-C exposure period and dosage of 1 min and 2.07 kJ/m2, and the storage time and temperature of 18 days and 12.36 °C, respectively. At the optimum conditions, the values of 59.66% moisture content, 38.24% TSS, 60.24 N firmness value, 48.83 ΔE, 0.07 log CFU/g TVC, 5.29 mg GAE/g TPC, 56.32% DPPH antiradical activity, 6.87 g/100 g fructose and 14.02 g/100 g glucose were comparable predicted values demonstrating the suitability of the used RSM models. Overall, the perfect UV-C treatment and storage circumstances for extending the storability and shelf life and maintaining the quality features of Barhi dates were identified in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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17 pages, 7109 KiB  
Article
Extending the Shelf Life of Fresh Khalal Barhi Dates via an Optimized Postharvest Ultrasonic Treatment
by Diaeldin O. Abdelkarim, Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed, Khaled A. Ahmed, Mahmoud Younis, Hany M. Yehia, Assem I. Zein El-Abedein and Abdulla Alhamdan
Plants 2022, 11(15), 2029; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11152029 - 04 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1580
Abstract
The Barhi date is a high-quality date cultivar whose fruits (dates) are plucked and eaten fresh when they reach the Khalal maturity stage due to their sweetness, crispiness, and yellow skin color. After harvesting, Khalal Barhi fruits rapidly matured to the Rutab stage, [...] Read more.
The Barhi date is a high-quality date cultivar whose fruits (dates) are plucked and eaten fresh when they reach the Khalal maturity stage due to their sweetness, crispiness, and yellow skin color. After harvesting, Khalal Barhi fruits rapidly matured to the Rutab stage, where their tissues become soft and their skin color browner. This results in a decrease in their market value and customer demand. This study aims at investigating the effectiveness of the postharvest ultrasonic treatment in conserving the physical, microbial, and nutritional quality of Barhi fruits and extending their shelf life. To achieve the goals of the present work, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of the ultrasonic intensity (50, 100, 150, and 200 W/cm2) and application time (5, 10, 15, and 20 min) to preserve the Barhi dates high quality features for varied storage temperatures (1, 5, 15, and 25 °C) and duration (1, 6, 16, and 21 days). In RSM, a four-factors-mixed-levels central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied to optimize the ultrasound treatment and storage environments for better-quality physical [total soluble solids (TSS), firmness, and total color changes (ΔE)], microbial [total viable count (TVC)], nutritional [total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH antiradical activity, glucose, and fructose] features of Barhi dates. The outcomes showed that ultrasound intensity and its application time, storage temperature, and storage period influence the physical, microbial, and nutritional quality attributes in different magnitudes. The ideal settings for lessening the changes in the physical attributes, eliminating the microbial growth, and improving the nutritional quality attributes were 140 W/cm2, 5.2 min, 20.9 °C, and 21 days for ultrasound intensity, ultrasound exposure duration, storage temperature, and storage duration, respectively. In conclusion, this study proved the potential application of ultrasound for persevering the excellence aspects of Barhi dates and identified the ideal ultrasound environments for maintaining the physical, microbial, and nutritional quality features of Barhi dates during extended storing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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15 pages, 1608 KiB  
Article
Effects of Functional Coatings Containing Chitosan, Orange Peel and Olive Cake Extracts on the Quality Attributes of Cucumber during Cold Storage
by Kashif Ghafoor, Fahad Y. Al-Juhaimi, Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed, Elfadil E. Babiker, Syed Ali Shahzad and Omer N. Alsawmahi
Plants 2022, 11(14), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11141895 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1484
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of functional coating using 2% chitosan and different concentrations of olive cake extract (OCE) and orange peel extract (OPE) on the physicochemical quality attributes of cucumber during cold storage at 4 °C for 21 days. Both coating and [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effect of functional coating using 2% chitosan and different concentrations of olive cake extract (OCE) and orange peel extract (OPE) on the physicochemical quality attributes of cucumber during cold storage at 4 °C for 21 days. Both coating and storage influenced (p ≤ 0.05) the physicochemical attributes of cucumber. The highest values of moisture content, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, total phenolic contents (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity, yellowness (b*), and hardness were found in coated samples, which also showed the lowest values of the lightness (L*), greenness (a*), total viable count (TVC), yeast and mold counts, and acidity (p ≤ 0.05). Uncoated cucumber samples showed the highest (p ≤ 0.05) levels of acidity, lightness, greenness, TVC, and yeast and mold count. During storage, concomitant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in moisture, TSS, pH, TPC, DPPH radical scavenging activity, L*, a*, b*, and hardness along with concurrent (p ≤ 0.05) increment in acidity, TVC, and yeast and mold count were evident in all cucumber samples. Interestingly, the changes in the aforementioned attributes were minimal in functionally coated samples in comparison to uncoated ones, suggesting the potential of OCE and OPE to preserve quality attributes of cucumber during cold storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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15 pages, 3655 KiB  
Article
Exogenous Postharvest Application of Calcium Chloride and Salicylic Acid to Maintain the Quality of Broccoli Florets
by Hossam S. El-Beltagi, Marwa Rashad Ali, Khaled M. A. Ramadan, Raheel Anwar, Tarek A. Shalaby, Adel A. Rezk, Sherif Mohamed El-Ganainy, Samy F. Mahmoud, Mohamed Alkafafy and Mohamed M. El-Mogy
Plants 2022, 11(11), 1513; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111513 - 05 Jun 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3067
Abstract
The importance of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) consumption has increased in recent years due to its significant amount of anticarcinogenic and antioxidant compounds, as well as its many vitamins. However, broccoli florets are a highly perishable product which rapidly senesce [...] Read more.
The importance of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) consumption has increased in recent years due to its significant amount of anticarcinogenic and antioxidant compounds, as well as its many vitamins. However, broccoli florets are a highly perishable product which rapidly senesce and turn yellow after harvest, resulting in losses in nutritional and bioactive compounds. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the effect of postharvest exogenous of salicylic acid (SA) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) and their combination on the quality of broccoli florets stored at 5 °C for 28 days to minimize the rapid senescence of broccoli florets. Samples treated with 2 mM SA alone or in combination with 2% CaCl2 showed lower weight loss and lower losses of chlorophyll content, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, flavonoids, and glucosinolates compared with the control samples. Additionally, antioxidant activity was maintained by either SA or SA + CaCl2 treatments while peroxidase activity was decreased. For higher quality and lower losses in antioxidant compounds of broccoli florets during refrigerated storage at 5 °C, SA + CaCl2 treatment could be helpful for up to 21 days. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Physiology and Biochemistry of Fruits and Vegetables)
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