Impact of different treatments to enhance the fruit quality of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cv. Bombai under stored temperature

Litchi (Litchi chinensis) is a delicious and juicy fruit. In India, it is cherished for its flavourful aril and consumed as a fresh table fruit, whereas, in China and Japan, it is often enjoyed in dried or canned form. The experiment was conducted in the Laboratory of Post-Harvest Technology of Horticultural Crops, Directorate of Research Complex, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidayalaya Kalyani, West Bengal, India. The objective of the study was to find out how to enhance the shelf life of litchi fruit after different treatments, stored in ambient and refrigerated temperatures. The fruits underwent various treatments, including sulphur fumigation, sulphur fumigation with sulphur padding, sulphur padding on the top side, sulphur padding on both sides, packaging in polypropylene, cover with litchi leaves and an untreated (control). These fruits were then packed in ventilated corrugated fibreboard (CFB) boxes, while some were also packed in perforated low-density polypropylene (LDPP) bags. The treated fruits were stored under ambient conditions (27 °C to 36 °C) and refrigerated conditions (10 ± 1 °C). All treated fruits were packed in perforated LDPP bags and stored in CFB boxes lined with sulphur padding on the top and sides. Over 16 days of storage, the fruits exhibited minimal weight loss, rotting and changes in total soluble solids, acidity, ascorbic acid and sugar (both reducing and total sugars). The fruit colour initially belonged to the Greyed Red Group 179A. After 16 days of refrigerated storage, fruits treated with sulphur padding on the top displayed a colour change to Red Group 45C, while those with sulphur padding on both sides and packed in perforated polypropylene within CFB boxes showed a shift to Greyed Red Group 181A. Under ambient conditions, the Greyed Red Group 179A colour was retained in fruits treated with sulphur padding on the top and both sides for up to 10 days. The minimum loss of peel anthocyanin was found in sulphur padding on the top side (6.56 and 7.05 mg/100 g) and sulphur padding on both sides (7.55 and 9.59 mg/100 g) of litchi fruits at refrigerated and ambient temperatures. The litchi fruit's cv. Bombai shelf life in both ambient and refrigerated settings found that sulphur padding on the top side of fruit packed in perforated polypropylene with a CFB box was successful in maintaining pericarp colour and quality by controlling spoiling by minimising browning and infections.