Effect of Nano-composite and Polyethylene Films on Postharvest Quality of Peach Fruit

Peach fruit has a short storage life due to high water content and respiration rate. In this study the effect of polyethylene (PE) and nano-composite (nano-C) packaging films on quality and postharvest life of peach fruit cv. Alberta was evaluated. Peach fruits were stored at 2°C and 90% RH for 6 weeks. Some properties such as weight loss, fruit firmness, pH, TSS, TA, color indexes, browning, microbial contamination and polyphenol oxidase activity were evaluated weekly. Results showed that both films could maintain fruit qualitative and quantitative properties better than the control. Application of nano-C and PE films led to delay in fruit softening, decrease in weight loss, fruit color darkness, internal browning and polyphenol oxidase in compression with the control. Application of both films resulted in low changes in TA, TSS and pH when compared control. Nano-C film caused a decrease in microbial contamination, whereas the highest microbial contamination observed in polyethylene one. Results also showed that the effect of nano-C film on the maintenance of fruit quality properties such as lightness index, chroma, hue, TA, browning, microbial contamination and polyphenol oxidase activity were more than PE film. In general, application of nano-C may be a useful way for the reduction of fruit weight loss and maintenance of peach quality during cold storage.