Maintenance of physicochemical qualities of lime during cold storage using vacuum infiltration with salicylic acid

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of salicylic acid (SA) treatments on chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and postharvest quality of two lime (‘Persian lime’ and ‘Tahiti’) cultivars during cold storage. SA at 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mM were applied to fruit by vacuum infiltration at 30.55 kPa for 7 min and afterward stored at 4 °C, and 85% RH for 60 days, then kept at 20 °C for 2 days as a simulated shelf life. Postharvest SA application effectively maintained greater fruit firmness and lessened weight loss during cold storage. The results displayed that SA treatments efficiently delayed the reduction of the Chl a contents and hue values. During cold storage, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content were greater in SA treated limes than the control. SA treated limes had the highest titratable acidity (TA), whereas soluble solids concentration (SSC), pH, and SSC/TA ratios of control fruit were greatest. Altogether, SA application by vacuum infiltration could be an effective and simple method for maintaining postharvest quality of limes during cold storage without chilling injury symptom.