Sodium alginate enriched with pomegranate peel extract maintains pear cv. Punjab Beauty cell membrane integrity and postharvest life
M Megha, P. P. S. Gill, S. K. Jawandha, Preetinder Kaur, Aeshna Sinha
Abstract
• SA 2% + PPE coating delayed respiratory peak and softening in cold stored pears. • Sodium alginate blended with pomegranate peel extract preserved pear fruit quality. • SA + PPE restricted the activities of cell wall degrading enzymes in stored fruits. • SA + PPE maintained membrane integrity and restricted MDA accumulation in fruit. In this study, the efficacy of sodium alginate (SA), pomegranate peel extract (PPE), and SA + PPE were evaluated on fruit quality and regulation of softening related enzymes in ‘Punjab Beauty’ pear during cold storage (0–1 ºC with 90–95% RH) for 67 days. Results showed that the combined coatings of SA + PPE reduced the respiration rate, mass loss and maintained the firmness and internal quality during storage as compared to untreated fruit. Furthermore, these coatings conserved the membrane integrity as manifested by the accumulation of lower malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage than the sole SA or PPE treatments. Moreover, the SA 2% + PPE coatings delayed the activities of cell wall degrading enzymes including polygalacturonase (PG), pectin methylesterase (PME) and cellulase in stored ‘Punjab Beauty’ pear fruit. Thus, SA + PPE coating is a promising approach in slowing down the softening and senescence process in cold stored ‘Punjab Beauty’ pears.