Abstract:

In the present work, we examined the effects of treatment with 7.5 kJ/m2 UV-C on the storability and quality of
Fuji apple fruits at room temperature and low temperature. Test apples were stored at 20 or 0 ℃ after being treated with
7.5 kJ/m2 UV-C. Weight loss rate, respiration rate, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acid content (TAC), superoxide
dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured regularly during storage. The results showed
that weight loss rate and respiration rate of UV-C treated fruits were lower than those of controls; fruit firmness and titratable
acid content decreased but their levels in the treatment group were higher than those of control; SSC increased first and then
declined, but compared with the control fruits, SSC of the treated fruits decreased more slowly; SOD activity rose first and then
decreased, but was always higher in the fruited treated with UV-C than in the control ones; and MDA content in both control and
treated fruits showed an upward trend, but increased more slowly in the treated ones. Therefore, treatment with the appropriate
dose of UV-C can exert good effects on maintaining the quality and extending the storage period of harvested apple.

Key words: apple, ultraviolet-C (UV-C), storage, preservation, quality