Effect of postharvest application of salicylic acid, oxalic acid and nitric oxide on improving qualitative properties and extending the shelf life of fresh apricot fruit cv. ‘Sharoudi’

Apricot is a climacteric fruit with high respiration rate, which ripen quickly during the postharvest stage and has a short shelf life. Therefore, the use of environmentally friendly compounds for delaying the ripening process is one of the safe methods for extending the shelf life and reducing the postharvest losses of this fruit. Hence, the effect of some chemical treatments on quality and shelf life of apricot fruit cultivar ‘Shahroudi’ was carried out in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments were fruit immersion in individual or combination solutions of salicylic acid, oxalic acid and nitric oxide at concentrations of 2, 2 and 1 mM, respectively. The fruits were then packed and transferred to 2 °C with relative humidity of about 85 ± 5%. After 4 weeks of storage, their chemical, sensorial and qualitative properties were evaluated. The results showed that the highest fruit firmness was obtained in salicylic acid (11.46N) and nitric oxide treatment (9.85N). Soluble solids content had the highest values in salicylic acid and combined treatments, respectively. In terms of organoleptic evaluation, salicylic acid and nitric oxide treatments significantly preserved the texture, taste and appearance of the fruits. The highest shelf life was observed in salicylic acid (27.5 days) and nitric oxide (25.5 days) treated fruits, while it was only 14 days in control. In general, it can be concluded that salicylic acid and nitric oxide were the best treatments.