Effect of Gamma Irradiation and Coating with Jojoba Oil on Quality of Strawberry Fruits

Abstract

The aim of the present study was effects of gamma radiation and Jojoba oil coating on treatment of sound and decay strawberry fruits. And also, on quality parameters of strawberry fruits which were total soluble solids, firmness and ascorbic acid of strawberry fruits during cold storage. Strawberry fruits are exposed to a gamma source at different doses ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 kGy., and coating by different concentration of Jojoba oil from 1.0 to 4%. The obtained results were summarized as following:

Different concentrations of Jojoba oil (1, 2 and 4%) were used to control decay of strawberry fruits caused by Botrytis cinerea, at 13°C at different storage periods.  Jojoba oil coating (4%) significantly reduced the decay of strawberry fruits and cause increasing in fruit firmness, but TSS was decreased by increasing in storage time. Meanwhile,  vitamin C give fluctuated results by increasing storage time.

For gamma irradiation at 2.5 kGy, severity percentage of infected fruits was reduced from 57.5, 100 and 100% to 30.2, 42.3 and 48.0%, respectively and in healthy fruits severity percentage was reduced from 45.2, 100 and 100% to 21.5, 24.7 and 27.8% in different storage periods 1, 2 and 3 weeks, respectively.

For combination of gamma irradiation (2.5 kGy) and Jojoba oil (4%) were more effective in reducing severity percentage of strawberry fruits, since severity percentage reduced in infected fruits from 57.5, 100 and 100 to 7.8, 20.1 and 25.0%.  Healthy fruits severity percentage were reduced from 44.4, 100 and 100% to 3.5, 9.1 and 19.9% in different storage periods, respectively.