Pomegranate - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 519

1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) gas treatment (Zhang completely control water loss and husk scald and maintain

freshness for 12 weeks at 8 ◦ C and 90% RH for 2 weeks and
an additional 1 week at 20 ◦ C (D'Aquino et al., 2010).

et al., 2008).

Thermal treatment (air)
Intermittent heating has been proved useful for
pomegranate fruit stored at chilling temperatures. Fruit
treated retained better anthocyanins and TA, presented a re-
duction of decay, and an alleviation of chilling injury (Artes
et al., 2000). 'Mollar de Elche' pomegranate fruit under cy-
cles of intermittent warming of 1 day at 20 ◦ Cevery6days
at 2 ◦ or 5 ◦ C showed longer shelf life than pomegranates
continuously stored at 2 ◦ or 5 ◦ C(Artes et al., 2000). Con-
ditioning 'Ganesh' pomegranate fruit at 55 ◦ C for 60 or
120 min significantly reduced chilling injury symptoms
and electrolyte leakage (Rahemi and Mirdehghan, 2004).

Waxing
Similar to the effect of MAP, pomegranate fruit may benefit
from waxing. 'Wonderful' pomegranate fruit waxed with
Zivdar R

wax (18% dry matter) showed a delay in quality
losses by preventing fruit shrivel and drying of the stamens
as well as preventing the development crown mold after
months at 6 ◦ C (Nerya et al., 2006). After 4 months cold
storage, the waxing increased husk scald incidence (Nerya
et al., 2006), suggesting that long-term storage (more than
3 months) may not be appropriate for the 'Wonderful'
cultivar.

Thermal treatment (water)
Pomegranates stored at chilling temperatures may benefit
from hot water treatment. 'Mollar de Elche' pomegranates
dipped in hot water (25 ◦ C for 4 min) and stored 60 days at
2 ◦ C followed by 5 days at 20 ◦ C showed less extensive chill-
ing injury than fruit without treatment (Mirdehghan et al.,
2007b). The heat-treated fruit showed higher total antioxi-
dant activity, which correlated to the high levels of total phe-
nolics and to lesser extent to ascorbic acid and anthocyanin
contents; in addition, the level of sugars (glucose and fruc-
tose) and organic acids (malic, citric, and oxalic acids) were
higher, too (Mirdehghan et al., 2006a). The optimum tem-
perature of hot water dips for pomegranate may vary from
25 ◦ to 45 ◦ C, while temperatures of > 50 ◦ C might damage
the fruit skin (Mirdehghan and Rahemi, 2005; Mirdehghan
et al., 2006).

1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP)
As an ethylene inhibitor, 1-MCP may be applied to
pomegranate fruit before storage. Senescence and devel-
opment of fruit skin browning of 'Dahongpao Chinese'
pomegranate stored at 20 ◦ C for 7 weeks were delayed by
0.25-1.0 μL/liter 1-MCP treatment for 12-hour duration at
20 ◦ C prior storage (Zhang et al., 2008).

Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid (2 mM) was very effective in reducing chill-
ing injury, electrolyte leakage from the rind, and loss
of ascorbic acid in 'Malas-e-Saveh' Iranian pomegranate
stored at 2 ◦ C for a period of 1, 2, or 3 months plus 2 days at
20 ◦ C (Sayyari et al., 2009). Therefore salicylic acid could
be used for extending storage and shelf life of pomegranates
stored at chilling temperatures.

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
As stated in several postharvest studies, MAP with appro-
priate films can be used to generate a favorable atmosphere
during storage and shipping of pomegranate fruit. Passive
MAP ( X tend R

MINIMALLY PROCESSED POMEGRANATE
ARILS
Consumers' preference for fresh fruits and vegetables is
on the rise due to their health-promoting properties. Mini-
mally processed or fresh-cut produce has been getting a lot
of attention firstly owing to its freshness, original flavor,
and nutrients, and secondly, to its easy-to-eat nature, lead-
ing a rapid and excessive augmentation in terms of variety
and quantity. Beyond having a unique flavor, considered as
a functional food and thus constantly publicized by scien-
tists, minimally processed pomegranate is on the rise, in
the same line with juice. Owing to fruit botany, only one
type of minimally processed product is possible from the
pomegranate fruit, which is minimally processed aril.
Pomegranate, due to its exceptional and unique sen-
sory and nutritional properties, is highly valued. The con-
sumption, however, is not very easy due to the difficulty

bags, StePac Ltd., Israel)
generated beneficial effects in the form of alleviating weight
loss and shrinkage, decay development, appearance of skin
blemishes (especially scald), and impaired taste for 'Won-
derful' cultivar for a period up to 16 weeks at 6 ◦ Cplus1
week at 20 ◦ C (Porat et al., 2008). 'Ganesh' pomegranates
shrink-wrapped with BDF-2001 R

and Easy-Tear R

(25 μm thick, multilay-
ered coextruded polyolefin) could be stored for a period of
12 weeks at 8 ◦ C without significant loss of quality with
respect to weight loss and firmness loss or changes in acid-
ity, sugars, and vitamin C (Nanda et al., 2001). In another
study, passive film wrapping (polyolephenic 25 μ mthick,
heat-shrinkable) of 'Primosole' pomegranate was shown to