Effect of modified atmosphere package on biochemical properties of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits

Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important, as a table and processed fruit, due to its nutritional quality. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different packaging material on chemical compositions of pomegranate fruits during storage. Pomegranate fruits were harvested from field washed with 150 ppm sodium hypochlorite, air dried, and graded based on uniformity (size, color, weight). Graded fruits were subjected to four modified atmospheric packaging treatments: 1) polyethylene; 2) polypropylene; 3) Xtend® bag 4) Silver nano bag. Pomegranates fruits without packaging served as controls. All pomegranates were stored at 7 ± 2 °C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity for 100 days. MAP treated pomegranates maintained higher quality measurements compared to unpacked pomegranates. Overall, TSS, sugars and ascorbic acid decreased in all treatment groups with prolonged storage while, anthocyanin and antioxidant activity increased upto 60 days again decreased with prolonged storage, but the rate of decrease was highest in unpacked fruits. Overall, application of MAP maintained quality of pomegranate fruits up to 100 days compared to unpackaged fruits.