Abstract
Bell pepper is an important vegetable commodity; getting the intention of industry for fresh exports. However, short
postharvest life is one of the major limitations. Comprehensive investigations were made for the possibility of extending
storage life of bell pepper through UV-C (Shortwave ultraviolet radiations) and different edible coatings. The UV-C and
different edible coatings had significant effects on the shelf life of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) cv. “Royal Wonder”
stored at low temperature. UV-C irradiation (3 and 5 min at 254 nm) as well as edible coatings including; Aloe gel (1.5 and
2.5%), cinnamon oil (0.30 and 0.40%) and chitosan (1 and 1.5%) were applied on the fruit of bell pepper cv. “Royal
Wonder”. The treated fruit was kept in cold storage for 24 days at 8±1°C with 80-85% RH. The fruit samples were analyzed
for physical and chemical attributes with an interval of three days. The results indicated that, all the treatments maintained
fruit quality and storage life, but UV-C application for 5 min and 1.5% Aloe gel delayed the changes in firmness, titratable
acidity (TA), levels of ascorbic acid, soluble solids content (SSC) and fruit color development during storage. Moreover,
weight loss, electrolyte leakage and disease incidence was also lowered by these treatments. Postharvest fruit performance
indicated that UV-C application for 5 min and 1.5% Aloe gel significantly maintained the quality of pepper as compared to
control up to 24 days.
