Browning and quality management of pear fruit by salicylic acid treatment during low temperature storage

BACKGROUND ‘Patharnakh’ pear, a dominant cultivar in the Punjab province of India, has a shorter storage life as it matures during the hot and humid weather. Studies have reported that postharvest chemical treatments have a major role in improving the storage life of the fruit. In this study, the efficacy of different concentrations (1, 2, and 3 mmol L−1) of salicylic acid (SA), a well‐known signaling molecule, was explored to overcome browning and maintain the postharvest quality of the Patharnakh pear during cold storage. RESULTS SA treated pears were better than the untreated fruits in all of the studied parameters. SA application alleviated the rate of weight loss and respiration, and lowered the decay percentage. The efficacy of SA in the reduction of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, which correlates negatively with the total phenolic content, was quite noticeable. The SA treated fruits exhibited a slower oxidation of the total phenol content by inhibiting the action of PPO and retaining the total phenolic content, leading to lower incidence of browning. SA effectively maintained the ascorbic acid content and superoxide dismutase activity. Total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, and pH of the pears were highest with the SA treatment. CONCLUSION The 2 mmol L−1 SA treatment exhibited the best result of reducing fruit decay and tissue browning, and maintaining the postharvest quality parameters of pear up to 60 days of cold storage. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry