Hypobaric and salicylic acid treatments prevent tissue softening and browning in apricot fruit

Abstract

Apricots are susceptible to tissue softening and browning, compromising quality and shelf life. This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of short-term hypobaric (H) and Salicylic acid (SA) treatments in maintaining the firmness and reducing browning in ‘Begali’ apricots. Sample categorization involves an untreated (control), hypobaric (50 kPa − 4 h) treatment, 1.381 mmol/L SA treatment, and combination of hypobaric and SA treatment (H + SA). Over a 36 d of storage period, apricots were stored under controlled conditions of 4 ± 1 °C and 95 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). Results demonstrated that the combined H + SA treatment, maintained firmness and reduced browning during storage. Treated apricots manifest reduced weight loss to 7.6%, browning index (BI) to 0, and ethylene production rate to 0.14 nmol kg^− 1 s^− 1 at the end of storage. Additionally, enzymatic activities, such as polyphenol oxidase, cellulase, β-glucosidase, pectin methyl esterase, and polygalacturonase, were substantially reduced (8033 U g^− 1, 80.67 U kg^− 1, 79.3 U kg^− 1, 182.6, and 0.23 U kg^− 1, respectively) contributing to a decreased browning. Moreover, the treated apricots indicated comparatively elevated titratable acidity (TA), hue angle (h^o), total phenolic content (TPC) of 0.68%, 84.2°, 0.097 g kg^− 1 respectively, and reduced respiration rate to 500 nmol kg-1 s^− 1. The H + SA treatment also resulted in an enhanced sensory score of 9 (most liked) in terms of appearance, texture, taste, and overall acceptability after 36 d postharvest phase. This study highlights the potential of the combined H + SA approach as an effective strategy to uphold apricot quality, firmness, and mitigate browning. This method offers safety advantages in contrast to conventional chemical postharvest methods. Further exploration is needed to assess the practical applicability of these treatments within commercial contexts.