Safe postharvest treatments for controlling Penicillium molds and its impact maintaining navel orange fruits quality.

摘要

Postharvest diseases caused by Penicillium digitatum (green mold) and Penicillium italicum (blue mold) are the most important negative factors affecting market local and export of citrus fruits in Egypt. The effectiveness of postharvest treatments of 4% chitosan, 2% potassium sorbate (PS), or 2% potassium sorbate in wax to control green and blue molds decay and keeping quality were studied on Navel oranges during storage. Intact orange or orange artificially inoculated with Penicillium digitatum or Penicillium italicum, coated and stored up to 45 days at 5 degrees C and relative humidity (RH) 90-95%. The results indicated that fruit rot and quality characteristics (weight loss and juice percentages, Total soluble solids (TSS), total acidity (TA), firmness, vitamin C content) were affected positively by application of the antifungal coatings. Antifungal coatings significantly reduced incidence and severity of both green (GM) and blue (BM) molds. Coating fruits decreased decay, weight loss and delayed changes loss in the firmness, acidity, ascorbic acid, juice percentage and total soluble solids concentration compared with control fruits. The study suggests that coating might be a promising candidate for controlling decay, maintaining naval orange quality and extending its postharvest marketing life.