Effect of hexanal treatment on fruit qualities and antioxidant activities on 'Umran' Indian jujube fruit during cold storage

Abstract

Umran Indian jujube is a widely grown cultivar due to its marketable quality and productivity, resulting in excellent market value. Despite its high quality, the products short shelf life poses a challenge for transportation, even within the domestic market. Hexanal with three concentrations (0.15%, 0.20%, and 0.25%) was applied to the fruit of Umran Indian jujube at both pit hardening and color break stages. Harvested fruits were stored for 28 days in a cold chamber of 7.5{+/-}1{degrees}C and 90-95% RH. The changes in fruit qualities were assessed with physicochemical characteristics, bioactive compounds, and enzymatic antioxidant activities every seven days. Fruits treated with hexanal of 0.20% reduced fruit weight loss and spoilage and maintained fruit firmness, soluble solids content, carotenoid content, and antioxidant activity. The activities of cell wall degrading enzymes investigated were suppressed. Of the antioxidant activities, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were positively activated. Therefore, these results indicated that pre-harvest application of hexanal 0.20% improved physiochemical characteristics, maintained bioactive compounds, antioxidant enzyme activities, and extended the shelf life of Indian jujube fruits up to 21 days during cold storage.