Selenium Nanoparticle Treatments Alleviate Chilling Injury and Preserve the Quality of Valencia Orange Fruit in Cold Storage

In this study, we evaluated the effects of selenium nanoparticles on chilling injury and improving the shelf life of Valencia orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit. Treatments included 0.5 and 1 mg L-1 selenium nanoparticles, with three replicates per treatment and six replicates in total. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, with data analyzed by one-way ANOVA and mean separations by Duncan’s new multiplerange test. Results showed that samples treated with selenium at 0.5 and 1 mg L-1 significantly decreased lipid peroxidation (55 and 62%, respectively) compared to control samples. Selenium treatments also in creased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including CAT (twice and four times), peroxidase (2.5 and 4 times), APX (about 0.5 and 2.5 times), and SOD (by 4 and 6 times), with consistent results in DPPH radical scavenging (by 2.5 and 3.5 times) in the orange fruits. Selenium at both concentrations effectively reduced the incidence of chilling injury in Valencia orange fruits during six months of storage at 3 °C. Chilling injury was best reduced at 1 mg L-1. This study proved that selenium can enhance orange fruit quality and increase its tolerance to cold storage conditions, potentially leading to selenium-enriched fruits with health benefits for consumption.