Improvement of the Antioxidant Properties and Postharvest Life of Three Exotic Andean Fruits by UV-C Treatment

Abstract

Three Andean fruits naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lam.), uvilla (Physalis peruviana L.), and mortiño (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth) were subjected to prestorage UV-C treatments (0, 8, or 12.5 kJ m−2) and evaluated weekly to select the most suitable dose for fruit quality maintenance during storage (21 days at 6°C). The highest dose retains quality through lower deterioration index for all three fruits and was selected to further analyze the effects on physicochemical and antioxidant properties during storage. UV-C exposure delayed softening in naranjilla and increased soluble solid content in uvilla. UV-C also improved the maintenance of antioxidant capacity (AC) in mortiño and uvilla. Overall, results indicate that short prestorage UV-C exposure may be an effective nonchemical approach to supplement low temperature storage, maintain quality, and extend the postharvest life of Andean naranjilla, uvilla, and mortiño fruit.