Effect of Acetyl Salicylic Acid on Quality and Chilling Resistance of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) at Different Storage Temperatures

The effects of pre-storage treatments of acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) in three concentrations (0, 0.5 and 1 mM) on chilling resistance, proline content and qualitative parameters of sweet pepper fruits, packaged in plastic (polythene) bags and stored at 2 or 10 degrees C, were evaluated at 0, 8 and 21 days of storage period. The chilling resistance indices such as proline content, electrolyte leakage (EL) and chilling index (CI) and qualitative parameters were elucidated in the fruits of experimental sets and they were compared with that of a control set. Fruits treated with ASA and stored at 2 degrees C showed a significant (p<0.05) delay in changes of weight, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity (TA) and proline content compared to untreated control fruits. Chilling symptoms were more obvious in fruits that were stored in higher temperature with longer storage time as indicated by CI. ASA treatments led to accumulation of proline during storage. Thus, it may be concluded that the ASA treatments (especially in 0.5 mM concentration) may ameliorate chilling injury, enhancing the keeping quality while retaining the nutritional quality of sweet peppers more than that of control fruits in chilling conditions.