UV-C radiation in postharvest quality of red dragon fruit

Abstract

Dragon fruit cultivation in Brazil has been growing and the increase in consumption is associated with the nutritional benefits and attractiveness of the fruit. However, information on the fruit postharvest behavior relative to its conservation potential and technologies is incipient. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the postharvest quality of red dragon fruit submitted to different doses of UV-C radiation. The fruits were obtained from a commercial orchard in the rural area of Piracanjuba-GO, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in a 4x9 factorial scheme, with four radiation doses (0, 1.81, 3.62, and 7.24 kJ m-2) and nine days of analysis (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 days). After radiation, one fruit was packed per low-density polyethylene (LDPE) package, which was refrigerated and stored in a BOD at 8±1 °C and 60±4% RH. Weight loss, postharvest conservation, soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, maturation index, color (°hue and chroma), betacyanins, and carotenoids were evaluated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (P<0.05) and, when significant, to regression analysis. The dose of 1.81 kJ m-2 stood out for maintaining the red dragon fruit quality. The red dragon fruit, whether or not treated with UV-C radiation, packed in LDPE, can be maintained refrigerated for up to 21 days without deteriorating.