Potential antioxidant retention and quality maintenance in raspberries and strawberries treated with calcium chloride and stored under refrigeration

Abstract

Abstract Raspberry and strawberry fruits were stored at 0 °C and relative humidity (RH) of 95% for eight days. The fruits were treated with calcium chloride and their quality parameters and weight loss monitored and compared with those of untreated ones. A higher weight loss was observed for the untreated raspberries (16%) than for the fruits treated with 2% calcium chloride (5.3%). Similarly, untreated strawberry fruits lost more weight (8.5%) than those treated with 2% calcium chloride – only 4.1%. The application of calcium chloride did not significantly influence the total acid content of the fruits. After 8 days storage the total soluble solids (TSS) had decreased to 10.22 ± 0.06, 9.60 ± 0.05 and 9.65 ± 0.12 in the raspberry fruits treated with 0%, 1% and 2% calcium chloride, respectively, and to 7.00 ± 0.17, 6.57 ± 0.08 and 6.35 ± 0.04 in the strawberry fruits treated with 0%, 1% and 2% calcium chloride, respectively. After storage, the ascorbic acid contents were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in samples of raspberry and strawberry fruits subjected to 2% calcium chloride dips. The CaCl2 treatments had a significant effect on retaining the ascorbic acid contents in these fruits. The treatment of raspberry and strawberry fruits with calcium chloride had a positive effect (p< 0.05) on the retention of the total phenolic contents (TPC) during the storage period. 66% and 74% of the antioxidant potentials were retained in the untreated samples of raspberries and strawberries, as against 78% and 89% in the 2% calcium chloride treated samples of these fruits.