Effect of Nano-Composite Packages on Quality Properties and Shelf Life of Santa Rosa Plum (Prunus salicina L.)

In order to maintain the quality and increase the shelf life of fruits, many studies have been carried out in terms of the packaging specially applications of the nano-composite packages in the packaging. Because of the low storage ability of the plum fruit, in this study, the effects of the four nano-composite packages and common polyethylene (as a control) were analyzed on maintaining quality and increasing of the plum fruit, in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design at two levels of the storage. So, the containers including plum fruits were kept at temperature of 1±1 ºC and relative humidity of 90±5 % during 45 days. After 22 and 45 days, the fruit different quality properties such as total antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content, total soluble solids, acidity, titratable acidity, firmness, fruit weight loss percentage and decay were measured. The results showed that the application of the nano packages as compared with common polyethylene could maintain the fruit quality at level of (P≤0.01) after 45 days of storage, and increase the post harvest shelf life of the plum fruit as the highest total antioxidant activity, vitamin C, acidity, titratable acidity, firmness and the lowest fruit weight loss percentage and content of the decay were observed in nano composite packages. According to these results, using the nano-silver packages was effective on increasing the plum fruit quality maintenance during the storage.