I_AD values of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) at harvest in relation to fruit quality and sensory properties during cold storage and shelf life

ABSTRACT

DA-meter enables quick and non-invasive determination of fruit ripeness in different types of fruit, including apricots. In order to examine the postharvest physiology of apricots, fruits were divided into five I_AD categories (0.00; 0.01−0.40; 0.41−0.80; 0.81−1.20; and >1.20) and were analyzed in terms of the physicochemical and sensory properties at harvest, after 21 days of cold storage and after 3 days of shelf life. The specified I_AD categories differed in terms of ethylene production, flesh firmness, skin colour, composition and sensory properties at harvest. After cold storage and shelf life, ethylene production and respiration patterns, sensory properties, colour and fruit composition were affected by the I_AD value. Fruit assigned to the categories I_AD 0.81−1.20 and I_AD >1.20 categories maintained higher firmness compared with the remaining three groups. Carotenoid, phenol, fructose, sucrose, citric and succinic acid content were affected by the I_AD value during storage. Apricots attained optimal properties for consumption in different postharvest periods, depending on their maturity stage. These findings suggest that I_AD-based segregation can support apricot fruit management during storage and shelf life.

KEYWORDS:

• Prunus armeniaca
• I_AD value
• cold storage
• shelf life
• postharvest

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia [Contract number: 451-03-68/2022-2014/200222] and a project titled ‘Improvement of quality and storability of fruit by use of PGRs and growth stimulators’ funded during the 2015−2019 period by Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia.