Chapter 3. The effect of protective composition on the quality of sweet cherry during storage

Abstract

The effect of an exogenous protective composition based on lactic and acetic acids on the preservation of sweet cherry fruits during refrigerated storage was studied. The physiological and biochemical mechanisms of action of this compo- sition were established. The object of the study was sweet cherry fruits (Prunus avium L.) of nine pomological varieties: Rubinova Rannia, Valerii Chkalov, Kazka, Talisman, Dilema, Melitopolska chorna, Karina, Regina, Krupnoplidna. Samples were selected in the phase of consumer ripeness, taking into account varietal uni- formity, degree of ripeness and fruit diameter. Before storage, the fruits were pre- cooled: by intensive air method, hydrocooling in water and a combined method, which involved hydrocooling in aqueous solutions of organic acids with subsequent cooling with cold air. The cooled fruits were stored in a cold room at a temperature of 1.5 ± 0.5°C and a relative humidity of 93 ± 1%. The fruits were stored in cool-ing conditions for 40 days. The results suggest that the formation of the integral loss index is determined primarily by the method of pre-cooling the fruits, while varietal characteristics modify, but do not determine the nature of the post-har- vest preservation of the fruits. The maximum yield of standard fruits was record- ed in the experimental version of combined cooling with the use of an exogenous protective composition. It was found that cooling with a protective composition based on organic acids contributed to the reduction of the oxidative load in the tis- sues of sweet cherry fruits after 40 days of storage, which is confirmed by a lower level of malondialdehyde and a more balanced response of antioxidant enzymes. Taking into account the experimental data obtained, the practical significance of the proposed technology acquires a clearly expressed economic value. Under the conditions of selling 1 ton of chilled cherries, the revenue is 23 thousand UAH, while the value of the additional net profit obtained for the implementation of the proposed technology increases by almost 12,92 thousand UAH per 1 ton of product. The socio economic effect of increasing the yield of standard products when stored using a combined method is 2918,2 UAH per 1 ton of fruit.