Optimizing packaging materials for prolonged freshness of marigold loose flowers

Abstract The primary challenge for the freshly harvested flowers is their perishable nature, which severely limits their shelf life, typically ranging from 2 to 3 days, depending on prevailing meteorological conditions. The short storage life and poor keeping quality are the principal constraints in marigold marketing. To tackle the twin challenges, the present research was conducted to identify suitable packaging materials for extending the storage life and preserving the quality of loose marigold flowers when stored under both ambient (30 ± 2º C) and cold (5 ± 1º C) environments. Five different packaging materials, namely, muslin cloth, poly propylene woven bag, low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and shrink-wrap were used. The study was carried out in the Completely Randomized Design (factorial) with two replications. Greatest improvement in shelf life of marigold loose flowers was achieved using shrink-wrap (19.0 days) and HDPE (18.5 days) in cold storage. Marigold loose flowers packed in shrink wrap, either under ambient or cold storage, exhibited the longest shelf life (4.5 and 19.0 days, respectively). Additionally, shrink-wrapped flowers demonstrated superior characteristics such as flower diameter, brightness, moisture content, carotenoid content, membrane stability index, enzyme activity, as well as reduced shrivelling, weight loss, and respiration rate. In the like manner, shrink-wrapped flowers also exhibited the highest levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and guaiacol peroxidase activity. The use of shrink-wrap effectively delayed the senescence of marigold flowers by regulating enzymatic activities, ensuring freshness under both room temperature and cold storage conditions. The present study reports an important outcome that shrink wrap not only improves shelf life considerably but highlights that it maintains the physiological and biochemical properties of marigold for a significant period.