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Salicylic Acid Treatment as an Effective Approach to Address Postharvest Quality Challenges in Mexican Lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle cv.(
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Pedram Assar   , Leila Taghipour |
| Jahrom University |
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Abstract: (7 Views) |
The mature green Mexican lime fruit occupies a prominent position at the international level owing to its nutritional and medicinal value. However, the rapid onset of senescence-related processes—such as weight loss and peel color change—represents major postharvest quality challenges for this product that warrant serious attention. The aim of the present study was to assess how the fruit quality attributes are affected by postharvest salicylic acid treatment. Fruits were immersed for 5 minutes in salicylic acid solutions (1.5, 3, and 4.5 mM) or distilled water (control), then stored at 8°C and 80 ± 5% relative humidity for 30 days. Evaluations were performed every 10 days. Fruit treatment, particularly at the concentration of 3 mM, significantly reduced weight loss and peel electrolyte leakage during the storage period. Treatments with 3 and 4.5 mM concentrations were associated with greater stability in juice total soluble solids and a marked improvement in the final taste index. Moreover, the highest levels of ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity in the juice, along with the highest chlorophyll content and the lowest carotenoid content in the peel, as well as the highest score in sensory evaluation for overall consumer acceptance, were observed in fruits treated with 3 mM salicylic acid. Therefore, treatment with 3 mM salicylic acid can be considered a safe and environmentally friendly approach to maintain quality, nutritional attributes, and desirable marketability of Mexican lime fruit.
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| Keywords: Citrus fruit, Peel color retention, Sensory evaluation, Storage, Weight loss |
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Full-Text [DOCX 465 kb]
(2 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Postharvest physiology
Received: 2025/07/22 | Accepted: 2025/09/13 | Published: 2025/12/16
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