Effect of Harvest Time and Storage on Moro Blood Orange Fruit Quality (Citrus sinensis cv. Moro)

The different factors such as harvest time, product handling, temperature and storage duration can be influenced on the different properties of citrus fruits and has considerable economic consequences. Therefore a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with 3 replications was performed to evaluate the effects of harvest times (start of color change, 50% of color change and full color change of fruits), storage period (0, 25, 50 and 75 days) at 7ºC on total soluble solids, titrable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenol content, flavonoid, antioxidant capacity, anthocyanin and activity of L-phenylalanin ammonia-lyase. The results showed that the harvest times and storage period had significant effect on the measured properties. So that the after 75 days of storage, peak phenylalanin ammonia-lyase activity and total flavonoid observed concomitantly with the accumulation of anthocyanin in ripe blood orange fruit but decreased antioxidant capacity and total phenol after 25 days of storage. Also, the highest vitamin C content and total soluble solids were measured in full ripening of fruits before storing and decreased after 75 days storage. So, according to changes in all of measured characteristics, the apropriate time of harvesting of Moro blood orange was the stage of commercial maturity of fruits.