Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage
Litchi fruit (<i>Litchi chinensis</i> Sonn.) is highly perishable because its shelf life is significantly limited by pericarp browning and microbial spoilage. While sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) fumigation has been traditionally used to preserve color and reduce spoilage, c...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | I-Fang Liu Huey-Ling Lin Chang-Lin Chen |
| author_facet | I-Fang Liu Huey-Ling Lin Chang-Lin Chen |
| author_sort | I-Fang Liu |
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| description | Litchi fruit (<i>Litchi chinensis</i> Sonn.) is highly perishable because its shelf life is significantly limited by pericarp browning and microbial spoilage. While sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) fumigation has been traditionally used to preserve color and reduce spoilage, concerns over potential health risks have prompted the exploration of safer alternatives. This study investigated the application of hypochlorous acid (HClO) as an alternative treatment during postharvest processes to mitigate pathological decay, targeting <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i>, a fungus primarily responsible for litchi fruit rot in Taiwan. In vitro experiments demonstrated that <i>M. lusitanicus</i> growth was completely inhibited by HClO concentrations at 40 mg L<sup>−1</sup> or higher, as well as by temperatures below 1 °C. In vivo experiments further revealed that disease symptoms in inoculated litchi fruit were fully suppressed at 25 °C for seven days after hydrocooling with HClO. When 40 mg L<sup>−1</sup> HClO treatment was combined with hydrocooling and subsequent storage at 5 °C, the decay ratio of litchi fruit was reduced to below 3% after 21-day storage. The browning index and disease incidence of litchi fruit hydrocooled with an 8 h hydrocooling delay were significantly lower than those with a 12 h hydrocooling delay after 21 days at 5 °C, followed by 1 day at 26 °C. Therefore, hydrocooling within 8 h of harvest is recommended for commercial scales. This treatment effectively prevented pericarp browning and maintained total soluble solid levels, ensuring the quality. These findings suggest that integrating HClO with hydrocooling not only decreases spoilage and delays pericarp browning but also offers a viable alternative to traditional SO<sub>2</sub> fumigation, optimizing the postharvest process and enhancing food safety. This approach can extend the storage ability of litchi fruit while maintaining its quality, providing a safer method for local and international markets. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj-art-6b8ad9abfa5f435b88e57d43b7dab6722025-01-24T13:34:43ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-01-011118310.3390/horticulturae11010083Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold StorageI-Fang Liu0Huey-Ling Lin1Chang-Lin Chen2Department of Horticulture, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Road, Taichung City 40227, TaiwanDepartment of Horticulture, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Road, Taichung City 40227, TaiwanDepartment of Horticulture, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Road, Taichung City 40227, TaiwanLitchi fruit (<i>Litchi chinensis</i> Sonn.) is highly perishable because its shelf life is significantly limited by pericarp browning and microbial spoilage. While sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>) fumigation has been traditionally used to preserve color and reduce spoilage, concerns over potential health risks have prompted the exploration of safer alternatives. This study investigated the application of hypochlorous acid (HClO) as an alternative treatment during postharvest processes to mitigate pathological decay, targeting <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i>, a fungus primarily responsible for litchi fruit rot in Taiwan. In vitro experiments demonstrated that <i>M. lusitanicus</i> growth was completely inhibited by HClO concentrations at 40 mg L<sup>−1</sup> or higher, as well as by temperatures below 1 °C. In vivo experiments further revealed that disease symptoms in inoculated litchi fruit were fully suppressed at 25 °C for seven days after hydrocooling with HClO. When 40 mg L<sup>−1</sup> HClO treatment was combined with hydrocooling and subsequent storage at 5 °C, the decay ratio of litchi fruit was reduced to below 3% after 21-day storage. The browning index and disease incidence of litchi fruit hydrocooled with an 8 h hydrocooling delay were significantly lower than those with a 12 h hydrocooling delay after 21 days at 5 °C, followed by 1 day at 26 °C. Therefore, hydrocooling within 8 h of harvest is recommended for commercial scales. This treatment effectively prevented pericarp browning and maintained total soluble solid levels, ensuring the quality. These findings suggest that integrating HClO with hydrocooling not only decreases spoilage and delays pericarp browning but also offers a viable alternative to traditional SO<sub>2</sub> fumigation, optimizing the postharvest process and enhancing food safety. This approach can extend the storage ability of litchi fruit while maintaining its quality, providing a safer method for local and international markets.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/1/83browningpostharvest diseasestorage qualityprecooling |
| spellingShingle | I-Fang Liu Huey-Ling Lin Chang-Lin Chen Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage Horticulturae browning postharvest disease storage quality precooling |
| title | Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage |
| title_full | Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage |
| title_fullStr | Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage |
| title_short | Control of Unexpected <i>Mucor lusitanicus</i> in Litchi Fruit by Hydrocooling with Hypochlorous Acid and Cold Storage |
| title_sort | control of unexpected i mucor lusitanicus i in litchi fruit by hydrocooling with hypochlorous acid and cold storage |
| topic | browning postharvest disease storage quality precooling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/1/83 |
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