Speakers - 2026

Title: Postharvest application of oxalic acid enhances antioxidant enzymes activity that maintains quality of peach cv. ‘Flordaking’ fruit during storage

Abstract

Highly perishable postharvest life of peach fruit is major hindrance in its production enhancement. Surface treatments are necessary to delay physiological and prevent degrading processes that curb the quality of the product. Treatments with different chemicals are beneficial because the enzymes and substrates released from injured cells are rinsed from the product surface. In the present study the effect of oxalic acid (OA) treatments, applied as postharvest dips to peach fruit cv. ‘Flordaking’ on fruit quality attributes, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, ethylene biosynthesis and the antioxidant enzymes during long term cold storage was investigated. During storage, fruit firmness, total acidity, total antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes activity was higher in treated fruits as compared to the untreated ones. In addition, the activity of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase was also enhanced significantly by the treatments applied as postharvest dips. Furthermore, fruit weight loss, changes in fruit color and ethylene climacteric peak were lowered significantly by postharvest treatments of oxalic acid. Thus, postharvest treatment with oxalic acid could be a safe, eco-friendly and new tool to maintain the quality attributes and especially the contents of antioxidant compounds, with an additional effect on delaying the postharvest ripening through increasing the levels of antioxidant compounds and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes.