**2. Brassinosteroids**

Brassinosteroids are referred as the sixth group of plants hormones [71] as well as hormone of the twenty-first century, because of its important contribution in various physiological processes [72]. At the first, this brassinolide (most active form of BRs) was extracted from the pollens of rapeseed plants (*Brassica napus*) and later on from the insect galls of chestnut and termed as "castasterone." Nowadays, many plant species are using to extract the BRs like date palm pollens, oranges pollens, loquat flower bud, seeds of persimmon and pumpkin, etc. BRs involve in many developmental process like cell division, cell elongation, vascular differentiation, photomorphogenesis, and senescence. Owing to its multiple effects, it can be used in horticulture to improve growth, yield and quality. In recent, this hormone was proved as a natural, nontoxic, and safe to environment, thus it may be used in horticultural crops to improve the quality of the produce [73]. There is several evidence that it acts as growth promoter in plants either solely or in combination with other hormones like GA3, jasmonic acid and polyamines. Several researchers carried

**27**

*Harnessing the Recent Approaches in Postharvest Quality Retention of Fruits*

FW)

),

 and 10<sup>−</sup><sup>5</sup> M)

**Crop with dose Salient findings References**

Jujube (5 μM) Reduce senescence process in Jujube [10]

anthocyanin accumulation

Reduced anthracnose

Pineapple (1 mm) Inhibits ethylene production, weight loss,

deterioration

dismutase (SOD)

Banana (20 mm) Reduce the deterioration and enhances their storability of fruits

postharvest ripening

Apple (2 mm) Increasing of antioxidants [30]

polyamine accumulation

fruit color and texture

Mature green tomatoes Accumulation of lycopene during the

ripening

storage

Plum (1.5 mm) Suppresses chilling injury by altering

Apple (2.0 mmol/L) Reduce percentage of weight loss, increase

Mango (2.0 mm) Reduces weight loss, maintain ascorbic

temperature

Oxalic acid Mango (30 mm) Extend storage shelf-life and suppress quality

Ber (10 mm) Maintain enzymatic activity of

SA Guava (600 μmol) Improve postharvest quality and delay

Inhibited rot caused by *Botrytis cinerea*

) Higher soluble solid content, titratable acidity and delayed fruit firmness loss

> phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide

Enhancing total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and antioxidant enzymes activity

internal browning and enhances total phenol which produces during cold storage

Retention of firmness [28]

Increase the shelf life during short term

malondialdehyde content, and enhancing

total soluble solids and limiting changes in

acid and increase shelf life at ambient

exogenously

development

MeJA Peaches Delayed ripening [15]

Grape (0.4 mg/L BRs) Managing quality of fresh produces like more

Enhances rate of ripening when applied

Reduced activities of PAL and PPO enzymes

Better shelf life [14]

Protect from chilling injury [16–18]

Promote fruit ripening, fruit color

[8, 9]

[11]

[12] [13]

[19, 20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[31]

[32]

[33]

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86889*

(45 and 60 ng g<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup>

Sweet cherry (0.2 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> )

pomegranate (0.01 mM), pineapple

(10<sup>−</sup><sup>3</sup> , 10<sup>−</sup><sup>4</sup>

Peach (0.1 mmol L1

Loquats (10 μmol/L) Strawberries (1 μmol/L)

Sabrosa strawberry (8 μmol L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> )

Fuji apple (2240 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup>

Strawberry (400 mm BL, 200 mm BZ)

BRs Grape, mango Epi-BL

**Name of technology**


*Harnessing the Recent Approaches in Postharvest Quality Retention of Fruits DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86889*

*Modern Fruit Industry*

state of produces during storage [6].

diseases and disorders and physiological changes. The rate of deterioration varies and largely depends upon intrinsic characters of produces, storage conditions and

efficacy for enhancing the quality and shelf life of the fruits.

Brassinosteroids are referred as the sixth group of plants hormones [71] as well as hormone of the twenty-first century, because of its important contribution in various physiological processes [72]. At the first, this brassinolide (most active form of BRs) was extracted from the pollens of rapeseed plants (*Brassica napus*) and later on from the insect galls of chestnut and termed as "castasterone." Nowadays, many plant species are using to extract the BRs like date palm pollens, oranges pollens, loquat flower bud, seeds of persimmon and pumpkin, etc. BRs involve in many developmental process like cell division, cell elongation, vascular differentiation, photomorphogenesis, and senescence. Owing to its multiple effects, it can be used in horticulture to improve growth, yield and quality. In recent, this hormone was proved as a natural, nontoxic, and safe to environment, thus it may be used in horticultural crops to improve the quality of the produce [73]. There is several evidence that it acts as growth promoter in plants either solely or in combination with other hormones like GA3, jasmonic acid and polyamines. Several researchers carried

The major aim of postharvest technology is to optimize and reducing the losses during unit operations by adopting the emerging technologies. There is a strong lacuna of sound postharvest management for quality retention during supply chain [7]. Existing technologies are insufficient to reduce these postharvest losses. Moreover, the awareness towards harmful chemicals, sanitizers, coatings materials and other unsafe chemicals forced the research community to invent alternatives of these technologies. To meet out the satisfactory results, several researchers applied these technologies to induce shelf life and maximize the quality of fresh fruits. These includes edible and nonedible coatings, use of salts, postharvest spray of different phytohormones, irradiation treatment, etc., but side by side, these existing technologies are being replaced with new emerging technologies. With the advancement of technology and science, many recent trends have come into existence, and they are safe to health and environment and consumer friendly. Among major recent approaches, some technologies are applied use of brassinosteroids (BRs), methyl jasmonates (MeJA), oxalic acid (OA), salicylic acid (SA), application of edible coatings and films, irradiation, use of biocontrol agents and advance storage techniques like controlled atmospheric storage and modified atmospheric packaging which really revolutionized the postharvest industry (**Table 1**). Application of these technologies proven a milestone in the supply chain management of fresh commodities and made them more market oriented by addition of some extra quality. The application methodology and concentration are specific to formulation and nature of products. Some of them are novel phytohormones which enhance the defense system of fruits and help in achieving delayed ripening and senescence. Edible coatings are also used solely or in mixture with other coatings which help in reducing the firmness and retention of quality. In addition to that, some nanomaterials, fortified materials, antimicrobials, etc. can be added to the coating mixtures which significantly reduce the microbial contamination and increase the quality. Some recent storage atmosphere techniques are available which reduce the storage disorders and also enhance the shelf life. In this chapter we jotted down the different technologies and their mechanism application, and

**26**

**2. Brassinosteroids**


**29**

exogenously in grape 0.4 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup>

treated with BRs at the rate of 0.2 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup>

*Harnessing the Recent Approaches in Postharvest Quality Retention of Fruits*

 s<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> )

**Crop with dose Salient findings References**

*digitatum* and *Botrytis cinerea*

production

Banana Positive effect on the quality (accumulations

Citrus and stone fruits Control green mold in citrus and brown rot (*Bacillus subtilis*)

anthracnose

fruit juices

phenols)

Induces fruits ripening by ethylene

of ascorbic acid content, total sugar and

Increase total sugar content, total phenols ascorbic acid and enhances antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase)

Antagonist against gray mold and

the glucose and fructose

Increase the sucrose content whereas reduces

Helpful in color retention and reduction of darkened area formed during storage

Increases the anthocyanin content in some

Increases antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and also inhibits *Penicillium italicum*

Induce disease resistance against *Penicillium* 

[57, 58]

[57–59]

[59]

[60]

[61, 62]

[63, 64]

[65, 66]

[68, 69]

[70]

[67]

out experiments on postharvest applications and got success to found significant achievements. A well understand correlation has been established between BRs and ripening in the fruits. Their applications alter the ripening related genes, resulting regulation in ripening and senescence. It enhances rate of ripening when applied

senescence process in Jujube at a specific concentration (5 μM) [10]. However, majority of author reported that action of BRs is concentration specific and varies from nanograms to milligrams. Schlagnhaufer et al. [11] observed in his experiment that BRs application enhanced the ripening process by stimulating ethylene biosynthesis between methionine and ACC pathway. BRs (@400 mm BL, 200 mm BZ) involved in fruit color development of strawberry by expressing BR receptor, gene (*FaBRI1*) during initial red color development [12]. The applied BRs is also helpful in managing quality of fresh produces like more anthocyanin accumulation in grapes [71], reduced activities of PAL and PPO enzymes [13]. Roghabadi and Pakkish [14] found better shelf life of "Tak Danehe Mashhad" sweet cherry, when

.

of fresh weight [9], tomato in the concentration of 3 μmol L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup>

*Application of different approaches to extend the quality and shelf life of fruits.*

[8], mango at the rate of 45 and 60 ng per gram

[74] and arrest the

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86889*

(70 L mol m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>

Strawberry, citrus, peaches (40 mol m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>

*vinifera* (80-mol m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>

Strawberry (blue (470 nm) light at an intensity of 40-mol m<sup>−</sup><sup>2</sup>

 s<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> ), *Vitis* 

 s<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> ), banana (464−474 nm)

> s<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> )

Strawberry, grape and

Cut kiwifruit (dielectric barrier discharge, at 15 kV for 10–20 min)

Mandarin (2.45 GHz, 900 W, 1 L/min, 0.7 kPa, N2, He, N2 + O2 (4:1) for 10 min)

Cashew apple juice (30 mL/min)

Sour cherry, pomegranate juice (at 25 kHz, Ar, 0.75–1.25)

banana

**Name of technology**

Biocontrol agents

Cold plasma

**Table 1.**

LEL Citrus


*Harnessing the Recent Approaches in Postharvest Quality Retention of Fruits DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86889*

#### **Table 1.**

*Modern Fruit Industry*

Papaya (papaya leaf extract + *Aloe vera* gel

1:1)

Blueberries (SemperFresh)

Fresh-cut persimmon (pectin coating + potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate)

*vera*)

chitosan)

chitosan

100%)

Fresh-cut oranges (*Aloe vera*, gelatin, green tea)

Kiwi fruit slices (*Aloe* 

Strawberry (CH and CMC coatings enriched with MSO) (1%)

Banana (putrescine and

Mango beeswax and

Pomegranate (0.5% black seed oil)

Apple (eucalyptus, thyme 0.6% and lemon grass oil 0.8%)

Mandarin (coconut oil

Strawberry (chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC))

Mangoes (five nanolayers of pectin and

strawberry, Nagpur mandarin and acid lime

Papaya, mango (<150 Gy)

chitosan)

Irradiation Mango, pear, peach,

**Crop with dose Salient findings References**

Delayed peel color development

Inhibits ethylene production Slowed softening process

Inhibited browning, molds, yeasts and psychrophilic aerobic bacterial growth

Prevention of weight loss, retarded the microbial growth, extended the shelf life

Increases in phenolic compound and antioxidant activity at the end of the storage period. 1% chitosan coating enhances postharvest quality and shelf-life of banana

Reduces PLW, maintained firmness and reduces the activities of hydrolysis enzymes

Reducing the incidence of gray and blue

Enhance shelf life, quality and also delayed

Effective to prevents the loss of firmness and aroma volatiles, reduces the primary and

Better quality in terms of weight loss, total soluble solids and titratable acidity

Delaying of ripening, reduced fruit firmness, reduced rate of respiration and ethylene and lower enzymatic activities which extend the

Helpful against many quarantine pests like *Bactrocera dorsalis*, fruit fly and stone weevil

and Mediterranean fruit fly as a quarantine

Reducing chilling injury and controlling gray

Slow down weight loss [35]

Inhibition of microbial growth [39]

Decrease microbial spoilage [40]

[34]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[50–53]

[54, 55]

[56]

[53]

Retained firmness

Reduced weight loss

during cold storage

Pomegranate (chitosan) Delays the ripening [41]

mold disease

the mold appearance

secondary metabolites

Citrus (CMC/chitosan) Maintained fruit firmness [49]

shelf life

Mango Kill third instar larva of Mexican fruit fly

treatment

Nagpur mandarin Delayed the Penicillium rot with higher total soluble solids

molds

Plum (3% alginate) Decreased weight loss

**Name of technology**

Edible coating

**28**

*Application of different approaches to extend the quality and shelf life of fruits.*

out experiments on postharvest applications and got success to found significant achievements. A well understand correlation has been established between BRs and ripening in the fruits. Their applications alter the ripening related genes, resulting regulation in ripening and senescence. It enhances rate of ripening when applied exogenously in grape 0.4 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> [8], mango at the rate of 45 and 60 ng per gram of fresh weight [9], tomato in the concentration of 3 μmol L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> [74] and arrest the senescence process in Jujube at a specific concentration (5 μM) [10]. However, majority of author reported that action of BRs is concentration specific and varies from nanograms to milligrams. Schlagnhaufer et al. [11] observed in his experiment that BRs application enhanced the ripening process by stimulating ethylene biosynthesis between methionine and ACC pathway. BRs (@400 mm BL, 200 mm BZ) involved in fruit color development of strawberry by expressing BR receptor, gene (*FaBRI1*) during initial red color development [12]. The applied BRs is also helpful in managing quality of fresh produces like more anthocyanin accumulation in grapes [71], reduced activities of PAL and PPO enzymes [13]. Roghabadi and Pakkish [14] found better shelf life of "Tak Danehe Mashhad" sweet cherry, when treated with BRs at the rate of 0.2 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> .

## **3. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA)**

Jasmonic acid (JA) and its methyl ester (methyl jasmonate (MeJA)) are types of endogenous phytohormones that have distinct and potentially useful properties which affect plant growth and development in response to environmental stresses. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was discovered in *Jasminum grandiflorum* flower extracts in 1962 as a sweet-smelling compound [75]. It has inhibitory effect on ethylene biosynthesis and delayed ripening of peaches [15]. Application of jasmonate has been found effective to protect from chilling injury in many fruits crops, such as peach (@ 0.1 mmol L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> ) [16], pomegranate (@ 0.01 mM) [17], and "Smooth Cayenne" pineapple (@10<sup>−</sup><sup>3</sup> , 10<sup>−</sup><sup>4</sup> and 10<sup>−</sup><sup>5</sup> M) [18]. It has been discovered that exogenous treatment with MeJA enhances antioxidant capacity of different harvested fruits and horticultural crops [17, 76]. Applied MeJA also controls the postharvest diseases and decay of fruits. It was observed that application of 10 μmol/L, MeJA effectively reduced anthracnose in loquats [19] and inhibited rot caused by *Botrytis cinerea* in strawberries when treated with 1 μmol L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> . [20] It has good potential to enhance the postharvest life of Sabrosa strawberry fruit (@8 μmol L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> ) [21]. Aglar and Ozturk [22] found that application of 2240 mg L<sup>−</sup><sup>1</sup> MeJA on fruits of Fuji apple had higher soluble solid content, titratable acidity and delayed fruit firmness loss. Boonyaritthongchai and Supapvanich [23] observed in pineapple that treatment of fruits with 1 mM MeJA inhibits ethylene production, weight loss, internal browning and enhances total phenol which produces during cold storage.

## **4. Oxalic acid**

Oxalic acid (OA) is an organic compound which is chemically C2H2O4. It naturally occurs in some fruits such as carambola, bilimbi, ripe papaya and kiwifruit. Oxalic acid has main role in regulating the physiology of many processes and various biochemical pathways inside the plants. It helps to increase the photosynthetic ability of plants, thereby cause increase in total soluble solids, sugars and titratable acidity. Oxalic acid reduces the production of polygalacturonase (PG) and pectin methyl esterase (PME), which are responsible for cell wall degradation, so that the treated fruit maintains the firmness in plum [77]. Zheng et al. [24] found that postharvest application of oxalic acid (@30 mM) could be a promising method to extend the storage shelf-life and suppress quality deterioration of mango fruit. It was observed in ber cv. Gola that fruit treated with 10 mM oxalic acid found to be best in maintaining enzymatic activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), their minimum values were observed with this treatment [25]. Li et al. [26], observed in mature green tomatoes that postharvest application of OA increased accumulation of lycopene during the postharvest ripening which may be due to upregulation of the expression of genes that codified for enzymes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. Huang et al. [27] reported that dipping of banana in 20 mM oxalic acid for 10 min followed by storage at room temperature, reduced the deterioration and enhances their storability of fruits.

#### **5. Salicylic acid**

Salicylic acid (SA) or ortho-hydroxybenzoic acid is a pervasive, natural simple phenolic compound, which is frequently disseminated in plants and involved in the regulation many catabolic activities in fruits and vegetables. It is considered as a safe chemical compound for postharvest application. It has been used to improve postharvest quality such as delay ripening and retention of firmness in guava

**31**

*Harnessing the Recent Approaches in Postharvest Quality Retention of Fruits*

(@600 μmol) [28, 29]) and increasing of antioxidants (@ 2 mM) in apple [30]. The application of 1.5 mM SA suppresses the chilling injury by altering malondialdehyde content and enhancing polyamine accumulation in plum [31]. Atia et al. [32], reported that the GA3 and SA treatments (2.0 mmol/L) reduced the percentage of weight loss, increase total soluble solids and efficient in limiting the changes in fruit color and texture in apple fruits. Mandal et al. [33] found that treatment of mango fruits with SA 2.0 mM reduces weight loss, maintain ascorbic acid and increase shelf life at ambient temperature. It is suggested that 600 μmol salicylic acid is beneficial to increase the shelf life of guava fruit during short term storage [29].

Edible coatings are the application of commercial food grade waxes or films to product surface natural glossiness in addition to or as a replacement for natural defensive waxy coatings. These provide a barrier for moisture, oxygen and solute movement for the food and extend the shelf life by decreased respiration and ethylene, there are many commercial formulations are available in market which widely applied on the surface of fruits and vegetables. Among them Citrashine, chitosan, SemperFresh, shellac wax, carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, lasoda gel, *Aloe vera* gel, bee wax, etc. are common. However, plant based surface coatings and extracts are more popular than those of chemically synthesized. Use of essential oils, leaf extracts and exudations also established their strong market. These can be applied directly on the produce surface due to its edible properties, biodegradability and also healthy distinct from chemical nonedible coating which leave residual effect on the product. They have antimicrobial properties and also act as barrier. It has many positive affect on fruits such as delayed ripening in pomegranate fruits [41], inhibits ethylene production and delays softening process in plum [36], retaining firmness in papaya and [34], reduces weight loss in blueberries [35], inhibits pathogenic spoilage in kiwi fruit slices [39], in fresh cut persimmon [37], in fresh cut orange [38] and in strawberry [40]. Hosseini et al. [42] observed that coating of banana fruits with putrescine and chitosan increases in phenolic compound and antioxidant activity at the end of the storage period and it was also suggest that 1% chitosan coating is effective in enhancing postharvest quality and shelf-life of banana. It was reported that treatment of mango fruits with 2% beeswax and chitosan reduces physiological weight loss, maintained firmness by reduction in

respiration rate and reduces the activities of hydrolysis enzymes [43].

also delayed the mold appearance (Nasrin et al. [46]).

Similar to that of waxes, essential oils could be effective in reducing microbial load during transportation and storage. These plant-based oils, oleoresins, leaf extracts, etc. gained popularity as surface disinfectant on fresh fruits. Many researchers have investigated the effect of leaf extracts like custard apple leaf extracts, tea extracts, neem oils, thyme oil, clove oil, ocimum oil, coconut oil, lemon grass oils, *Aloe vera* extracts, and many other herbal formulations on postharvest diseases. They may helpful in reducing many diseases like gray mold of grape, strawberry, blue mold of apple and citrus, anthracnose and stem end rot in mango and citrus, etc. and found to be effective to a certain extent. The application of these oils may increase the activities of certain defense related enzymes thus beneficial in inducing resistance mechanism in fruits. The application of 0.5% black seed oil was found effective in reducing chilling injury and also controlling gray mold disease in pomegranate (Kahramanoğlu et al. [44]). Abd-El-Latif [45] reported that application of eucalyptus, thyme and lemon grass oil (at a concentration of 0.6 and 0.8%) was found effective in reducing the incidence of gray and blue molds in apple fruits. It was observed that coating of mandarin fruits with pure coconut oil (100%) enhance their shelf life, quality and

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86889*

**6. Edible coatings and films**

*Harnessing the Recent Approaches in Postharvest Quality Retention of Fruits DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86889*

(@600 μmol) [28, 29]) and increasing of antioxidants (@ 2 mM) in apple [30]. The application of 1.5 mM SA suppresses the chilling injury by altering malondialdehyde content and enhancing polyamine accumulation in plum [31]. Atia et al. [32], reported that the GA3 and SA treatments (2.0 mmol/L) reduced the percentage of weight loss, increase total soluble solids and efficient in limiting the changes in fruit color and texture in apple fruits. Mandal et al. [33] found that treatment of mango fruits with SA 2.0 mM reduces weight loss, maintain ascorbic acid and increase shelf life at ambient temperature. It is suggested that 600 μmol salicylic acid is beneficial to increase the shelf life of guava fruit during short term storage [29].
