Postharvest treatment of antioxidant reduces lenticel browning and improves cosmetic appeal of mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruits without impairing quality.

The present study reports the usefulness of ascorbic acid for reducing lenticels browning (LB) in mango, which impairs the cosmetic appeal and thereby the export. Postharvest dip treatment of ascorbic acid at different concentrations (100, 150 and 200 ppm) was given to four varieties of mango (Indian-'Dashehari', 'Langra'; Exotic-'Sensation', 'Eldon'). After treatment, fruits were stored at ambient conditions (35 ± 4 °C and 65 ± 5 % RH) for 10 days. At the end of storage period, observations were recorded on several parameters. Our results revealed that fruits of 'Langra' mango exhibited 100 % LB, followed by 'Dashehari' (52.8 %), 'Sensation' (42.9 %) and 'Eldon' (38.3 %). All concentrations of ascorbic acid reduced the LB to greater extent and improved the cosmetic appeal of fruits of all the varieties significantly over untreated fruits but the best results were obtained with 200 ppm concentration for LB (4.8, 1.6, 3.7, 3.2 %, respectively) and other attributes, non-significantly followed by 150 ppm concentration. All concentrations of ascorbic also reduced the activities of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and lipoxigenase enzymes, and also reduced respiration rate and ethylene evolution rate but without impairing eating quality attributes (soluble solids concentrates and total carotenoids). It can be concluded that postharvest dip application of ascorbic acid at 150 ppm reduced LB and improve face value without impairing fruit quality.