Grape Seed and Skin Extracts as Natural Preserving Agents on Strawberry Fruit

Concerning highly restricted application of chemicals in postharvest technology of horticultural crops, it is necessary to introduce the safe methods for preserving food or methods of food preservation. This study aimed to improve quality and prolong storage life of strawberry fruit by application of grape seed and fruit skin extracts and to compare them with calcium chloride as a chemical. In this study, strawberry fruit was individually immersed in the 1% and 2% CaCl2 solutions, seed and skin extracts (1 and 2 mg L-1) and then placed in polyethylene packaging for 24 d at 5±1 °C. Measurements of firmness, titrable acid, pH, weight loss, total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, anthocyanin, vitamin C, enzymes' activity including catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase and decay were carried out at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 d of storage. All applied treatments caused a significant effect on measured parameters including weight loss, titratable acidity, decay percentage and firmness, maintenance of anthocyanin and vitamin C contents, total phenolic, and antioxidant capacity. However, grape skin extract and grape seed extract showed the best results. Therefore, it can be concluded that Shiraz dark grape seed and skin extracts have the potential to control the decay incidence, prolong the storage life and preserve of postharvest valuable attributes of strawberry.