Effect of Ultrasound Treatment Combined with Salicylic Acid Treatment Reduces Decay and Improves Storage life in Sweet Cherry Fruit

Abstract

The effects of ultrasound and salicylic acid alone and in combination treatments on fruit quality and storage life in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L. cv. Regina) fruit stored at 0–1?oC were investigated. Fruits were treated with 1?mM salicylic acid, ultrasound with 32?kHz and combination of ultrasound plus salicylic acid for 10?min and stored for up to 40 days. Fruit quality parameters such as total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, visual color of the stem and decay rate were determined at the beginning and during the storage period at 10 days intervals. The results showed that treatment with ultrasound or salicylic acid alone reduced both decay and stem browning in sweet cherry fruit compared with the control. Moreover, synergistic effects between salicylic acid and ultrasound treatment were observed and combined treatment was more effective in decreasing decay, stem browning and maintaining higher quality parameters than individual ultrasound or salicylic acid treatment. Sweet cherries the combined treatment maintained higher ascorbic acid content, total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity than those treated with other treatments. Overall, results demonstrated that combinations of ultrasound plus salicylic acid treatment could be used for prolonging shelf life of sweet cherries during storage with enhanced bioactive compounds concentration. © 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland, ein Teil von Springer Nature.