*The Role of Some Pre and Postharvest Applications on Storage Behavior and Protein Pattern… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109899*

 *a* 1% chitosan, which decreased this treatment with no significant differences in both seasons. Li and Yu (2000) found a decrease in the acidity of peach fruits during the storage period and at the end of the storage period, and an increase in acidity on fruits treated with chitosan, while in other fruits such as mango, the acidity decreased slowly, and linked this decrease with loss of quality [32, 33].

As for the effect of storage treatments, the highest value of acidity percentage was (0.311 and 0.3931), (0.287 and 0.327%) for the fruits of the two cultivars Berhi and Breim treated with the compound (1-MCP) at a concentration of 1 ppm for the two seasons respectively with a significant difference from the control treatment which amounted to (0.213, 0.161%) and (0.247, 0.222%) for Berhi and Breim cultivars for the two seasons respectively, except for Breim cultivar for the second season. The storage period had a clear effect, as it was noted from the mentioned table that the percentage of total titratable acidity decreased, with the increment of the storage period, where the lowest percentage of total titratable acidity reached (0.222, 0.219) and (0.227, 0.248%) for Berhi and Breim fruits after 5 months of storage for the two seasons, respectively. As for the effect of the interaction between spraying chitosan in the field and storage treatments, the results indicated that the fruits treated in the field with 2% chitosan and stored with the compound (1-MCP) at a concentration of 1 ppm have worked to maintain the highest percentage of total titratable acidity (0.317, 0.337) and (0.317, 0.357%), while the lowest percentage of total titratable acidity was (0.196, 0.157) and (0.226, 0.213)% for the fruits of the Berhi cultivar treated with 0% chitosan in the field for the control treatment for the two seasons and for the fruits of the Breim cultivar treated with ultraviolet rays for (5) minutes for the first season and with the compound (1-MCP) at a concentration of 1 ppm for the second season respectively.

The results also showed that the effect of the interaction between spraying chitosan in the field and the storage period had a significant effect, as the highest percentage of total titratable acidity reached (0.260, 0.287) and (0.267, 0.249%) for the fruits of the Berhi and Breim cultivars treated in the field with 2% chitosan at the end of the storage period for the two seasons respectively. As for the lowest percentage of total acidity, it was (0.222, 0.227) and (0.211, 0.194%) for the fruits of the Berhi cultivar field-treated with chitosan at a concentration of 1% and for the fruits of the Breim cultivar for the comparison treatment at the end of the storage period. The results also showed that the effect of the interaction between the storage treatments and the storage period had a significant effect, as the highest percentage of total titratable acidity was (0.253, 0.273) and (0.253, 0.293%) for the fruits of the Berhi cultivar treated with the compound (1-MCP) at a concentration of 1 ppm at the end of the storage period for the two seasons, respectively.

The effect of the interaction between the three factors was spraying chitosan in the field, storage treatments, and storage period. It was noted that the highest percentage of total titratable acidity was (0.290, 0.310) and (0.290, 0.330%) for the fruits of the Berhi and Breim cultivars treated with 2% chitosan and with the compound 1-MCP0 at a concentration of 0.5 ppm at the end of the storage period for the two seasons respectively, while the lowest percentage of total acidity was (0.186, 0.146) for the fruits of the Berhi cultivar treated in the field with chitosan at a concentration of 0% for the comparison treatment at the end of the storage period for the two seasons respectively, and (0.180, 0.176%) for the fruits of Breim cultivar treated in the field with chitosan at a concentration of 1% and UV rays for 10 minutes for the first season and field treated with chitosan at a concentration of 1% and ozone for one hour for the second season at the end of the storage period.

#### *The Role of Some Pre and Postharvest Applications on Storage Behavior and Protein Pattern… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109899*

The results of the present study indicate the role of the treatments in improving the qualitative characteristics of date palm fruits of the two cultivars, Berhi and Breim, which were stored by freezing. No doubt that preserving the palm fruits in the rutab stage (fresh stage) after harvesting is one of the priorities of the technology of storing these fruits, especially the soft ones such as Berhi and Breim, which are characterized by an excellent flavor as well as price is higher compared to other cultivars. Refrigerated storage of fruits, in principle, aims to reduce the vital activities that occur [31] in fruits, especially the process of respiration [2]. In addition to limit the growth of microorganisms, especially fungi. The studies showed that the high temperatures after harvesting, and during storage lead to an acceleration of physiological processes, increase affection of pathogens, and the speed of consumption of food stored in the fruis, thus storage ability decreases.

The process of ripening fruits as mentioned by [8] is a series of changes in the color, taste, and composition making fruits in an edible state, as is known, the process

**Figure 4.** *(a, b) Berhi fruits after six months of storage at 10 2 °C.*

of ripening is a complex process in which many factors interaction, making the fruits finally edible. Concerning the date palm fruits, the changes that occur at maturity are identical to those that occur in the climacteric fruits, which is closely related to changes in respiratory rate. Khalal stage has been considered as the maturity stage (completeness of growth, while the rutab stage is the stage of ripening. Undoubtedly, controlling the ripening process requires first lowering the temperature, as low temperatures slow down respiration, ethylene production, and vital activity of fruits, especially the enzymatic activity [2]. Results in the same line with [34] who mentioned that the low temperature (0 °C) led to a decrease in the respiration rate of date palm fruits, cv. Breim, and no climacteric rise was observed in them climatically, while it was observed in the stored fruits at room storage temperature.

**Figure 5.** *(c, d). Breim fruits after six months of storage at 10 2 °C.*

*The Role of Some Pre and Postharvest Applications on Storage Behavior and Protein Pattern… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109899*
