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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production
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Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Postharvest Biology, Quality, Safety, and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 12492

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Anastasiadi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: horticultural crops; food waste; food loss; postharvest treatments; controlled atmosphere (CA); dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA); metabolomics; transcriptomics; predictive modelling; machine learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extending the storage and shelf-life of horticultural crops and maintaining their nutritional value and quality are critical components of sustainable value chains. Currently, one-third of the global food production is being lost postharvest, especially in developing countries. With the global population projected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, postharvest loss and waste prevention can contribute toward food security and food safety, and help alleviate malnutrition and hunger on a global scale. Despite the introduction of new postharvest methods in the last decades, many challenges remain, especially related to the pressure for cost-effective food production that meets consumer demands for nutritious, safe, affordable food year-round while also having a reduced environmental impact. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to invest in innovative technologies and postharvest treatments throughout the value chain that will effectively control microbial spoilage and physiological disorder development and delay senescence of agricultural commodities.

In this Special Issue, we welcome all types of articles about all kinds of innovative postharvest treatments and about the postharvest physiology of horticultural produce, including original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Maria Anastasiadi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 5496 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analyses of Ripening, Texture Properties and Cell Wall Composition in Three Tropical Fruits Treated with 1-Methylcyclopropene during Cold Storage
by Rui Li, Ying Wang, Wen Li and Yuanzhi Shao
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020126 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1843
Abstract
Regulation of fruit ripening is one of the most important topics in postharvest storage. Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) greatly depend on the responsiveness of fruit cultivar to this molecule. Although 1-MCP has been used in postharvest preservation of many fruit species, its effects [...] Read more.
Regulation of fruit ripening is one of the most important topics in postharvest storage. Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) greatly depend on the responsiveness of fruit cultivar to this molecule. Although 1-MCP has been used in postharvest preservation of many fruit species, its effects on ripening process, including ethylene production, and softening of banana, mango, and papaya are still not very clear. In the present study, we comparatively investigated the effects of 1-MCP fumigation treatment (1 μL L−1 for 20 h) on ripening behavior and texture qualities of the three fruits during storage at 15 °C. Results showed that 1-MCP treatment not only suppressed the production but also delayed the peak points of ethylene in banana and mango. However, it only significantly delayed the emergence of peak, but didn’t suppress the production of ethylene in papaya. Meanwhile, 1-MCP treated papayas showed the lowest malondialdehyde (MDA) content, cell membrane permeability (CMP) and activities of polygalacturonase (PG) and cellulose (CX), accompanied by the highest firmness and protopectin content. Furthermore, 1-MCP treatment slowed down the changes of pulp cell structure in three kinds of fruit. Thus, the findings suggest that postharvest application of 1-MCP has potential in banana and mango fruits due to both prolonging storage-life and ensuring the texture quality, whereas it is not suitable for papaya fruit because of the abnormal softening and the poor texture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production)
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15 pages, 17312 KiB  
Article
Effect of Leaf Extract from Lycium barbarum on Preservation of Cherry Tomato Fruit
by Hubai Bu, Yujia Ma, Beilei Ge, Xiaorong Sha, Ying Ma, Ping Zhang and Lei Jin
Horticulturae 2022, 8(12), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8121178 - 10 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1847
Abstract
The preservation of cherry tomatoes is a challenge for farmers, sellers, and processors. In recent years, natural extracts of plants have been increasingly used for the preservation of fruits and vegetables. In this study, we investigated the effect of treatment with goji berry [...] Read more.
The preservation of cherry tomatoes is a challenge for farmers, sellers, and processors. In recent years, natural extracts of plants have been increasingly used for the preservation of fruits and vegetables. In this study, we investigated the effect of treatment with goji berry (Lycium barbarum) leaf extract on the postharvest freshness of cherry tomatoes, and we determined the active ingredients, antioxidant capacity, and antifungal activity of the extract. Goji leaf extracts were tested at different concentrations (0.2–1.0 g/L) to assess their effects on preserving the freshness of cherry tomatoes at 5 °C and 20 °C. The goji berry leaf extract was rich in polysaccharides, saponins, polyphenols, and other active ingredients (1.11–45.83 mg/g), and the antioxidant capacity and antifungal activity were outstanding. Treatments with 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 g/L of goji berry leaf extract at 20 °C helped to preserve tomato fruit, where 0.4 g/L was the most effective, followed by 0.2 and 0.6 g/L. However, 0.8 and 1.0 g/L had no effect. Treatment with 1.0 g/L of goji berry leaf extract at 5 °C effectively reduced the loss of quality of tomato fruit. This treatment maintained the firmness and color of the tomatoes and maintained the levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, total acids, and total soluble solids. The next most effective doses were 0.8 g/L and 0.6 g/L. Cherry tomatoes treated with goji berry leaf extract could be stored for 21 days at 20 °C and for 35 days at 5 °C. Compared with the control groups treated with distilled water and no treatment, the storage period was extended by 3–6 days at 20 °C and by 7–14 days at 5 °C. The results obtained in this study provide a theoretical basis for extending the storage period of cherry tomatoes using goji berry leaf extract and the development of natural preservatives as well as enhancing the utilization of germplasm resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production)
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17 pages, 3562 KiB  
Article
Effects of 1−MCP on Storage Quality and Enzyme Activity of Petals of Edible Rose Cultivar ‘Dianhong’ at Low Temperatures
by Pengcheng Jin, Jian Fu, Wenwen Du, Hong Li and Guangfen Cui
Horticulturae 2022, 8(10), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100954 - 15 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1770
Abstract
To explore the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1−MCP) on the storage quality of edible roses, flowers of the edible rose variety ‘Dianhong’ were used as materials to study the effect of post-harvest 1−MCP fumigation (concentration of 30 μL/L). The measures included respiration intensity, water [...] Read more.
To explore the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1−MCP) on the storage quality of edible roses, flowers of the edible rose variety ‘Dianhong’ were used as materials to study the effect of post-harvest 1−MCP fumigation (concentration of 30 μL/L). The measures included respiration intensity, water loss rate, antioxidant-related substance content (soluble sugar, crude fibre, AsA, anthocyanin, total phenols and MDA), enzyme activity (SOD, CAT, APX, PAL and PPO) and petal appearance quality in different storage periods, which could provide a theoretical reference for research and development on storage and preservation technology for edible rose petals. The results showed that, compared with the control, 1−MCP treatment reduced the initial respiration intensity of petals by more than 80%, slowed the water loss rate, increased the crude fibre content and effectively maintained the contents of soluble sugars, AsA, anthocyanins and total phenols. For the petals in the treatment group at the end of storage, the rate of water loss was 3.73%, the content of soluble sugar was only 17% (62.27 μg/g)—lower than that of fresh petals—and the content of AsA (0.33 mg/g) was the same as that of pre-storage (0.34 mg/g). The contents of total phenols and anthocyanins were 30.60% and 11.63% higher than those of the control group, respectively. In addition, 1−MCP treatment increased the activity of SOD, CAT, APX and PAL and inhibited the activity of PPO. The MDA content at the end of storage was 14.36% lower than that of the control, which reduced the rate of membrane lipid peroxidation. Correlation analysis showed that sensory quality of petals in the 1−MCP treatment group was positively correlated with respiratory intensity and soluble sugar content and negatively correlated with water loss rate, MDA and crude fibre content (p < 0.05) among the four antioxidant enzymes. APX and PAL were positively correlated with anthocyanin content and total phenols content, respectively. These results confirmed that 1−MCP could effectively maintain the storage quality of edible rose petals by increasing the antioxidant capacity of petals and prolong the storage period of fresh petals to 49 days. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production)
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17 pages, 2220 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Proline-Coated Chitosan Nanoparticles on Decay Control and Quality Preservation of Strawberry Fruit (cv. Camarosa) during Cold Storage
by Reza Bahmani, Farhang Razavi, Seyed Najmmaddin Mortazavi, Gholamreza Gohari and Antonio Juárez-Maldonado
Horticulturae 2022, 8(7), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8070648 - 17 Jul 2022
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3033
Abstract
Edible coatings are an appropriate way to preserve the quality of horticultural crops and reduce post-harvest losses. In this study, treatments with proline (Pro), chitosan (CTS) and proline-coated chitosan nanoparticles (CTS-Pro NPs) to maintain quality and reduce the decay of strawberry fruit were [...] Read more.
Edible coatings are an appropriate way to preserve the quality of horticultural crops and reduce post-harvest losses. In this study, treatments with proline (Pro), chitosan (CTS) and proline-coated chitosan nanoparticles (CTS-Pro NPs) to maintain quality and reduce the decay of strawberry fruit were examined during storage at 4 °C for 12 days. The strawberries were treated with Pro 1 and 5 mM, CTS at 0.1% (w/v), CTS-Pro NPs at 0.1% (w/v) and distilled water (control) at 20 °C for 5 min. Following 3, 6, 9 and 12 days of cold storage, the fruits were removed from refrigeration, and some traits were evaluated one day after storage under shelf-life conditions. The results indicated that the fruit coated with CTS and CTS-Pro NPs showed reduced malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content and less decay and weight loss compared to control and proline. CTS-Pro NPs also preserved fruit quality by conserving higher levels of ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity and enzymes. These results confirmed the benefit of using chitosan and CTS-Pro NP coatings to maintain fruit quality and increase the shelf life of strawberries by enhancing their antioxidant system and their ability to eliminate free radicals under cold storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production)
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13 pages, 1301 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Mango Fruit by Pre- and Postharvest Application of Salicylic Acid
by Si Thu Win and Sutthiwal Setha
Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060555 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2992
Abstract
Mango fruits have a high nutritional value and are beneficial to health. However, losses frequently occur after harvest, because they are perishable. Salicylic acid (SA) can be used to preserve fruit quality and maintain their nutritional contents. Therefore, this study was conducted to [...] Read more.
Mango fruits have a high nutritional value and are beneficial to health. However, losses frequently occur after harvest, because they are perishable. Salicylic acid (SA) can be used to preserve fruit quality and maintain their nutritional contents. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of applications of 2 mM SA on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of mango fruit. For this purpose, mango fruits received preharvest (Pre SA) or postharvest applications of SA (Post SA), or their combination (Pre + Post SA); the fruits were stored at 13 °C for 20 days. Weight loss, decay, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were maintained in SA-treated fruit. The Pre + Post SA treatment was superior in delaying fruit ripening, and maintaining lower soluble solids contents and higher total acidity. In addition, total phenolic compounds, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and free radical scavenging activity of anti-inflammatory substances (such as nitric oxide), as well as hyaluronidase inhibition, were higher in the Pre + Post SA treatment throughout storage. Therefore, both pre- and postharvest SA treatments are recommended for preserving the quality of mango fruit, such as Nam Dok Mai Si Thong, and for maintaining their nutritional properties for human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Postharvest Treatment for Maintaining Quality of Horticultural Production)
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