The Effect of Postharvest UV-C Treatment and Associated with Different Storage Conditions on the Quality of Tahitian Limes (Citrus latifolia)

Penta Pristijono^1*, Bowyer MC¹, Scarlett CJ¹, Vuong QV¹, Stathopoulos CE³ and Golding JB^1,2

¹School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia

²NSW Department of Primary Industries, Gosford, NSW 2250, Australia

³School of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of Abertay, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK

*Corresponding Author : Dr. Penta Pristijono
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, PO Box 127, Ourimbah-NSW 2258, Australia
Tel: +61 2 4349 4783
Fax: +61 2 4348 4145
E-mail: penta.pristijono@newcastle.edu.au

Received: July 13, 2017 Accepted: July 31, 2017 Published: August 04, 2017

Citation: Pristijono P, Bowyer MC, Scarlett CJ, Vuong QV, Stathopoulos CE, et al. (2017) The Effect of Postharvest UV-C Treatment and Associated with Different Storage Conditions on the Quality of Tahitian Limes (Citrus latifolia). J Food Nutr Disord 6:4. doi: 10.4172/2324-9323.1000230

Tahitian limes (Citrus latifolia) were exposed to 0 and 7.2 kJm-2 UV-C. After treatments, it was stored for 28 days in air at 20°C, 80% RH (control) and in air containing <0.005 or 0.1 μL.L−1 ethylene at 20°C and 100% RH. Weight loss, peel colour, calyx abscission, ethylene production, respiration rate, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and acceptability index were assessed. The UV-C light treatment  significantly affected the quality of lime during storage. UV-C treatment significantly affected peel degreening at 20°C in all storage conditions, whereas treated limes showed significantly lower in peel degreening than the control. These effects reduced over the storage time, with the exception of fruits stored in <0.005 μL.L-1 ethylene which still produced a significantly higher in Hue value after 21 days storage relative to the control. UV-C treatment affected ethylene production during storage under all storage conditions. This effect also diminished with storage time. UV-C treatment did not affect the respiration rate, SSC or TA for all storage conditions. The UV-C treated limes had higher acceptability index than untreated limes up to 14 days storage at 20°C. Storage conditions significantly affected ethylene production, with limes that stored in air exhibiting higher ethylene production than fruits stored in the <0.005 or 0.1 μL.L-1 ethylene atmosphere. Storage conditions also significantly affected weight loss, with fruits stored in air showing greater weight loss compared to the other storage conditions. The results suggest that a pre-storage UV-C treatment, followed by storage in less than 0.1 μL.L-1 ethylene atmosphere improves the quality of limes postharvest.