Postharvest Quality of <i>Citrus medica</i> L. (cv Liscia-Diamante) Fruit Stored at Different Temperatures: Volatile Profile and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils
Laura Quintieri,
Michela Palumbo,
Ilde Ricci,
Bernardo Pace,
Leonardo Caputo,
Angelo Adduci,
Anna Luparelli,
Maria Cefola,
Francesco Siano,
Rosaria Cozzolino
Affiliations
Laura Quintieri
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. Amendola, 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
Michela Palumbo
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o CS-DAT, Via M. Protano, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Ilde Ricci
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o CS-DAT, Via M. Protano, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Bernardo Pace
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o CS-DAT, Via M. Protano, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Leonardo Caputo
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. Amendola, 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
Angelo Adduci
Consorzio del Cedro di Calabria, Corso del Tirreno, 353, 87020 Santa Maria del Cedro, Italy
Anna Luparelli
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. Amendola, 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
Maria Cefola
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o CS-DAT, Via M. Protano, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Francesco Siano
Institute of Food Science, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Roma 64, 83100 Avellino, Italy
Rosaria Cozzolino
Institute of Food Science, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Roma 64, 83100 Avellino, Italy
Citron (Citrus medica L. cv. Liscia-diamante), cultivated in the “Riviera dei Cedri” (southern Italy), is mainly utilized in the production of candied fruit and essential oils (EOs). Up to now, no information regarding the effect of storage temperatures on citron has been reported. Here, citron samples, after harvesting, were stored at different temperatures (5, 10 and 20 °C at 70% relative humidity) for two weeks, and the main postharvest quality parameters were evaluated. Moreover, EOs extracted from the stored samples were chemically characterized to reveal changes in the volatiles profile and antimicrobial activity. The EOs presented monoterpene hydrocarbons (87.1 to 96.3% of the total oil profile) as the most abundant compounds, followed by oxygenated metabolites ranging from 9.7 to 3.1% of the total pattern. Postharvest quality traits showed a good retention of green peel color during storage at 5 °C, while EOs from samples stored for 7 and 14 days at 10 and 20 °C, respectively, showed the highest antimicrobial activity against most assayed strains. The results indicated storage at 10 °C for 7 days as the most suitable for the preservation of the postharvest quality of the fruit and the antimicrobial activity of the extracted EOs.