Preserving Quality and Extending Shelf Life of Climacteric Persimmon Fruits Using Melatonin and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Quality and product losses during the postharvest storage of climacteric persimmon fruits pose significant challenges due to their short shelf life and limited marketing period. This study examined the effects of melatonin (1 mM) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on preserving the quality, biochemical properties, and organic acid contents of persimmons, as well as extending their shelf life during storage at 0°C ± 0.5°C. The MAP resulted in the lowest weight loss, recording only 6.63%. The combination of melatonin and MAP provided the highest fruit firmness at 8.69 kg/cm², along with a total antioxidant level of 12.40 μmol TE 100 g^-1. Additionally, this treatment improved total phenolic content and most individual organic acids, except for fumaric acid, which was highest in the MAP treatment. The organic acid contents of the fruits varied during storage, depending on the specific acid. Malic acid was the predominant organic acid and was consistently better preserved by the treatments compared to the control. It is important to note that the reduction in malic acid was approximately 1.5 times less in the treated fruits than in the controls, while the decline of other organic acids was 3-4 times greater. In conclusion, both MAP and the combination of melatonin and MAP were effective methods for preserving the quality attributes and extending the shelf life of persimmon fruits.