Effect of Postharvest Calcium Chloride Treatment on the Storage Life and Quality of Persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) cv. ‘Karaj’

The object of this study was to evaluate the storage life and quality of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) fruit cv. ‘Karaj’ stored at 0 ?C for four months after postharvest treatment of calcium chloride. Fruit weight loss, fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, soluble tannin content, chilling injury, antioxidant activity, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content were measured in 0,15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 days after storage. Peroxidase and catalase enzyme activities were also determined at the end of the storage. Fruits were dipped in the solutions containing 0.5, 1 and 2% (W/V) CaCl2 as well as distilled water only as the control. Results showed that fruit weight loss and chilling injury significantly decreased by CaCl2 treatments compared to the control. CaCl2 treatments also increased fruit firmness as well as catalase and antioxidant activities, while they reduced MDA content, EL and peroxidase activity during 4 months cold storage. The results indicated that CaCl2 application influenced TPC and soluble tannin compared to the control, but had no significant effect on TA. The best result was obtained from the 2% CaCl2 treatment in almost all the studied parameters. In general, postharvest CaCl2 treatment of persimmon could decrease chilling symptoms during the cold storage.