The effect of protective composition on the quality of sweet cherry during storage
Keywords:
Sweet cherry, cooling, storage, lactic acid, acetic acid, oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, antioxidant enzymes, microbiological diseases, physiological disorders, standard products, post-harvest lossesSynopsis
The effect of an exogenous protective composition based on lactic and acetic acids on the preservation of sweet cherry fruits during refrigerated storage was studied. The physiological and biochemical mechanisms of action of this composition were established. The object of the study was sweet cherry fruits (Prunus avium L.) of nine pomological varieties: Rubinova Rannia, Valerii Chkalov, Kazka, Talisman, Dilema, Melitopolska chorna, Karina, Regina, Krupnoplidna. Samples were selected in the phase of consumer ripeness, taking into account varietal uniformity, degree of ripeness and fruit diameter. Before storage, the fruits were pre-cooled: by intensive air method, hydrocooling in water and a combined method, which involved hydrocooling in aqueous solutions of organic acids with subsequent cooling with cold air. The cooled fruits were stored in a cold room at a temperature of 1.5 ± 0.5°C and a relative humidity of 93 ± 1%. The fruits were stored in cooling conditions for 40 days. The results suggest that the formation of the integral loss index is determined primarily by the method of pre-cooling the fruits, while varietal characteristics modify, but do not determine the nature of the post-harvest preservation of the fruits. The maximum yield of standard fruits was recorded in the experimental version of combined cooling with the use of an exogenous protective composition. It was found that cooling with a protective composition based on organic acids contributed to the reduction of the oxidative load in the tissues of sweet cherry fruits after 40 days of storage, which is confirmed by a lower level of malondialdehyde and a more balanced response of antioxidant enzymes. Taking into account the experimental data obtained, the practical significance of the proposed technology acquires a clearly expressed economic value. Under the conditions of selling 1 ton of chilled cherries, the revenue is 23 thousand UAH, while the value of the additional net profit obtained for the implementation of the proposed technology increases by almost 12,92 thousand UAH per 1 ton of product. The socio-economic effect of increasing the yield of standard products when stored using a combined method is 2918,2 UAH per 1 ton of fruit.
References
Gatto, A., Chepeliev, M. (2024). Global food loss and waste estimates show increasing nutritional and environmental pressures. Nature Food, 5 (2), 136–147. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00915-6
Todd, E. C. D., Faour-Klingbeil, D. (2024). Impact of Food Waste on Society, Specifically at Retail and Foodservice Levels in Developed and Developing Countries. Foods, 13 (13), 2098. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13132098
Liu, Y., Zhang, L., Hu, T., Liu, Q., Zhou, S., Zhao, Y. et al. (2024). A New Strategy for Enhancing Postharvest Quality of Sweet Cherry: High-Voltage Electrostatic Field Improves the Physicochemical Properties and Fungal Community. Foods, 13 (22), 3670. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223670
Sharafi, Y., Jannatizadeh, A., Fard, J. R., Aghdam, M. S. (2021). Melatonin treatment delays senescence and improves antioxidant potential of sweet cherry fruits during cold storage. Scientia Horticulturae, 288, 110304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110304
Liu, Y., Li, X., Gong, H., Guo, Z., Zhang, C. (2023). Analysis of the potential fading mechanism of sweet cherry after freezing and thawing using untargeted metabolomics. LWT, 178, 114633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2023.114633
Shankar, S., Mohanty, A. K., DeEll, J. R., Carter, K., Lenz, R., Misra, M. (2024). Advances in antimicrobial techniques to reduce postharvest loss of fresh fruit by microbial reduction. Npj Sustainable Agriculture, 2 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00029-x
Mahmoud, M. Z., Fagiry, M. A., Davidson, R., Abdelbasset, W. K. (2022). The benefits, drawbacks, and potential future challenges of the most commonly used ultrasound-based hurdle combinations technologies in food preservation. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 15 (1), 206–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2022.03.006
Sorathiya, K. B., Melo, A., Hogg, M. C., Pintado, M. (2025). Organic Acids in Food Preservation: Exploring Synergies, Molecular Insights, and Sustainable Applications. Sustainability, 17 (8), 3434. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083434
Ji, Q.-Y., Wang, W., Yan, H., Qu, H., Liu, Y., Qian, Y., Gu, R. (2023). The Effect of Different Organic Acids and Their Combination on the Cell Barrier and Biofilm of Escherichia coli. Foods, 12 (16), 3011. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163011
Yoon, J.-H., Oh, M.-S., Lee, S.-Y. (2024). Effectiveness of organic acids for inactivating pathogenic bacteria inoculated in laboratory media and foods: an updated minireview. Food Science and Biotechnology, 33 (12), 2715–2728. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-024-01618-9
Rossi, G. A. M., Link, D. T., Bertolini, A. B., Tobias, F. L., Mioni, M. de S. R. (2023). A descriptive review of the use of organic acids and peracetic acid as a decontaminating strategy for meat. EFood, 4 (4). https://doi.org/10.1002/efd2.104
Zhang, W., Jiang, Y., Zhang, Z. (2023). The role of different natural organic acids in postharvest fruit quality management and its mechanism. Food Frontiers, 4 (3), 1127–1143. https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.245
Plesoianu, A. M., Tutulescu, F., Nour, V. (2020). Postharvest antimicrobial treatments with organic acids to improve the shelf life of fresh blueberries. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 48 (1), 90–101. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha48111828
Amrutha, B., Sundar, K., Shetty, P. H. (2017). Effect of organic acids on biofilm formation and quorum signaling of pathogens from fresh fruits and vegetables. Microbial Pathogenesis, 111, 156–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2017.08.042
Meitha, K., Pramesti, Y., Suhandono, S. (2020). Reactive Oxygen Species and Antioxidants in Postharvest Vegetables and Fruits. International Journal of Food Science, 2020, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8817778
Ackah, S., Bi, Y., Xue, S., Yakubu, S., Han, Y., Zong, Y. et al. (2022). Post-harvest chitosan treatment suppresses oxidative stress by regulating reactive oxygen species metabolism in wounded apples. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.959762
Priss, O., Glowacki, S.; Priss, O. (Ed.) (2024). Strategies for reducing postharvest losses of vegetables through integral assessment of antioxidant status. Food Technology Progressive Solutions. Tallinn: Scientific Route OÜ, 4–27. https://doi.org/10.21303/978-9916-9850-4-5.ch1
Hutsol, T., Priss, O., Ivanova, I., Serdуuk, M., Cupiał, M., Tymoshchuk, T. et al. (2024). Effectiveness of Cooling Methods in Reducing Losses During Cherry Storage. Agricultural Engineering, 28 (1), 321–340. https://doi.org/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0020
Priss, O., Kalitka V. (2015). Effect of heat treatment with antioxidants on oxygen radical scavenging during storage of zucchini squash. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 6 (10 (78)), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2015.56188
Wu, J., Tang, R., Fan, K. (2024). Recent advances in postharvest technologies for reducing chilling injury symptoms of fruits and vegetables: A review. Food Chemistry: X, 21, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2023.101080
Chen, D., Liu, L., Gao, Z., Zhao, J., Yang, Y., Shen, Z. (2025). Preservation of Fruit Quality at Postharvest Through Plant-Based Extracts and Elicitors. Horticulturae, 11 (10), 1186. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11101186
Carrión-Antolí, A., Badiche-El Hilali, F., Lorente-Mento, J. M., Díaz-Mula, H. M., Serrano, M., Valero, D. (2023). Antioxidant Systems and Quality in Sweet Cherries Are Improved by Preharvest GABA Treatments Leading to Delay Postharvest Senescence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25 (1), 260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010260
Giménez, M. J., Valverde, J. M., Valero, D., Guillén, F., Martínez-Romero, D., Serrano, M., Castillo, S. (2014). Quality and antioxidant properties on sweet cherries as affected by preharvest salicylic and acetylsalicylic acids treatments. Food Chemistry, 160, 226–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.03.107
Downloads
Pages
62-86
Text Identifier of this Chapter
Chapter 3
Published
June 26, 2026
Copyright (c) 2026 Olesia Priss, Iryna Ivanova, Marina Serdyuk, Tetiana Tymoshchuk, Olga Pyurko, Sergii Basanets
How to Cite
Priss, O., Ivanova, I., Serdyuk, M., Tymoshchuk, T., Pyurko, O., & Basanets, S. (2026). The effect of protective composition on the quality of sweet cherry during storage. In O. Priss, L. Bal-Prylypko, H. Tolok, S. Tolok, I. Ustymenko, I. Bal, O. Kanishchev, V. Davydovych, L. Shevchenko, O. Semenko, N. Slobodyanyuk, O. Pylypchuk, A. Ivaniuta, N. Holembovska, V. Israelian, A. Omelian, I. Ivanova, M. Serdyuk, T. Tymoshchuk, … L. Chepurda, Advances in food technology and innovation (pp. 62-86). Scientific Route OÜ®. https://doi.org/10.21303/978-9908-845-03-6.ch3
