Effect of eco-safe compounds on postharvest quality preservation of papaya (Carica papaya L.)

Early ripening and susceptibility to microbial infection are major postharvest problems in papaya fruits. Being a tropical climacteric fruit, low-temperature storage is not successful in papaya. In this study, we demonstrate the effect of aqueous salicylic acid (1 and 2 mM), nitric oxide (1 and 2 mM), and calcium chloride (1 and 2%) to enhance the papaya shelf life at the ambient conditions with reduced disease incidence. Calcium chloride 2% was the most effective for maintaining postharvest quality. The fruits had good firmness and maintained TSS, acidity, total chlorophyll, free radical scavenging activity and ascorbic acid on the 6th day during ambient storage. Moreover, the weight loss, yellow color development and disease incidence were minimum in calcium chloride 2%, followed by 1% solution of calcium chloride. The nitric oxide (2 mM) maintained higher antioxidant capacity and total phenol content in fruits that was followed by 1 mM salicylic acid during storage. The result suggests that application of calcium chloride 2% could be an easy and effective technique for extending the shelf life without impairing fruit quality during storage.