The quality of sour cherry fruits (Prunus cerasus L.), treated with chitosan solution before storage
<p>The article shows the results of the research into marketability evaluation of sour cherry <em>(</em><em>Prunus cerasus</em><em> </em>L.) fruits, treated with chitosan solution. To achieve this goal, fruits were treated with 0.5 % or 1 % chitosan solution, and stored at 5 °C for 21 days. To assess the shelf life of fruit, physical and chemical parameters were determined: mass loss, reduction of sugar, titrated acidity and ascorbic acid content. Treatment with chitosan solution significantly reduced the mass loss, content of sugar, acids, ascorbic acid and respiration rate.<em> </em>The treatment with chitosan solution extended the shelf life and improved the quality of sour cherry fruit.</p><p>After 21-day storage of sour cherries, mass loss was 4.6 % with the product output accounting for 85.5 %. The obtained results are approved by physiological and chemical changes in the fruits during storage: respiration rate of fruits decreases, loss of sugar does not exceed 6.7 %, acids – 33 % and ascorbic acid – 18 %.</p>It has been found that post-harvest treatment with 1 % chitosan solution has a positive influence on commercial quality of sour cherry fruits.