Ripening Behavior and Fruit Quality of ‘Carabao’ Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Fruit In Response To Salicylic Acid Treatment

Salicylic acid (SA), a natural phenolic compound, has been reported to retard fruit ripening and maintain quality. This study was conducted to determine the response of ‘Carabao’ mango fruit to postharvest SA treatment during storage at 13°C. Fully mature mango fruits (115 days after flower induction) were dipped in freshly prepared SA (1, 3, and 5 mM) for 10 min then stored at 13°C and 95-99% RH for 4 weeks and evaluated weekly for physicochemical and physiological changes. Postharvest SA did not affect the ripening behavior during storage despite the lower respiration rate and ethylene production of fruit treated with 5 mM SA. Associated with the onset of ripening during cold storage were the decrease in firmness and titratable acidity, increase in total soluble solids content, and pH. SA treatment did not affect the total phenolic content. The beneficial effect observed with SA treatment was the delay in the onset of disease for 4 days and the decrease in disease incidence.