PJB-2025-336
Sadia
Abstract
Peach fruits suffer substantial postharvest losses (17-40%) due to their high perishability, rapid ripening, and susceptibility to quality deterioration during storage. Maintaining acidity, sweetness, and nutritional value while extending shelf life remains a significant challenge in peach postharvest management. This study investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin treatment (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 µM) on the postharvest quality of 'Early Grand' peach fruit during 28 days of cold storage at 3 ± 2 °C. Melatonin application significantly influenced key quality parameters in a concentration-dependent manner. Fruits treated with higher melatonin concentrations (150-200 µM) maintained significantly lower juice pH values (indicating higher acidity), with the lowest pH of 3.10 recorded in the 200 µM treatment after 28 days. Total soluble solids (TSS) increased during storage, with melatonin-treated fruits showing higher TSS (up to 11.01%) compared to control (9.93%). Interestingly, titratable acidity decreased more rapidly in melatonin-treated fruits, with the 200 µM treatment showing the lowest acidity (0.32%) at day 28. The sugar-acid ratio increased substantially during storage, reaching a maximum of 35.86 in the 200 µM treatment at day 28. Melatonin also modulated sugar metabolism, enhancing reducing sugar accumulation (up to 3.00% in 100 µM treatment) while affecting non-reducing sugar degradation patterns. Most notably, melatonin significantly enhanced phenolic content, with the 200 µM treatment maintaining the highest levels (860.88 mg GAE 100g-1) compared to control (579.50 mg GAE 100g-1). The results demonstrate that melatonin treatment, particularly at 150-200 µM concentrations, effectively modulates postharvest metabolism in peach fruits by maintaining acidity, enhancing soluble solids accumulation, optimizing sugar composition, and significantly boosting antioxidant capacity through increased phenolic content.
Key words: Acidity, melatonin; peach; phenols and sugars
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