Determination of the effects of hexanal steam application on strawberry fruit storage quality

In this study, the effects of postharvest hexanal steam application on 'Rubygem' strawberry fruits variety the shelf life quality were investigated. Strawberry fruits were stored in a modified atmosphere package (MAP) at +2 °C under 90±5% relative humidity conditions for 15 days. In order to determine the effects of 3 different doses which were (0%, 0.01% and 0.02% ) of hexanal steam application on 'Rubygem' strawberry variety, fruit decay, weight loss, fruit firmness, fruit color (L*, a*, b*), pH, titratable acidity, electrical conductivity, total soluble solids, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose) content, total mesophilic aerobic bacteria and total yeast mold amount and sensory quality were determined. As a result of the analyzes, it was determined that postharvest hexanal steam application delayed weight loss of fruits and prevents yeast-mold growth. However, since the strawberry is sensitive fruit, it has been determined that the application in the form of steam affects the cell membrane of the fruit negatively, it was concluded that other parameters constituting fruit quality were not very different from untreated fruits. When the results were evaluated in general, it was determined that hexanal steam 0.01% dose application was more effective on the preservation of the 'Rubygem' strawberry variety than other hexanal doses, and the study was important in terms of giving direction to future studies.