Effect of calcium lactate concentrations on post-harvest storage life of apple fruit ”

The current study was carried out to check the effect of dissimilarity of calcium lactate concentrates on post-harvest life of apple fruit during storage. The treatments included Ao(control), ACaLa1(01%), ACaLa2(02%) and ACaLa3(03%) respectively during storage at ambient temperature on the shelf life of apple fruit after harvesting. All the samples including control and treated samples were filled in flexible box and were investigated for physicochemical features (total soluble solid, pH, titratable acidity and decay index). The above mentioned quality parameters of whole apple fruits influenced treatments and storage. Storage outcome shown that increased in TSS was found from (12.13 to 14.31 °Brix), pH from (4.05 to 5.21), decay index from (0 to 44.14) during 3 months of storage. In control sample (4.47) highest mean value for pH was observed, while treatment CaLa 2% (4.30) was found minimum. Declining in treatment during storage was found in the following parameters Acidity and overall acceptability. The treatment CaLa 2% has shown the best result while showing maximum stability in physicochemical qualities of the fruit followed by CaLa 1% and CaLa 3% respectively.


Introduction
Apple fit in to the family Rosaceae, its botanical name is (Pyrus malus).It is an imperative fruit and is approximately enjoyed all over the word by all standards of the people due to its dietetic and costeffective significance.Apple are cultivated in KPK, Punjab and Baluchistan.The primary habitat of the apple is measured to be in the Southwest Asia nation, as well as the state of Israel.From there it proliferates to Europe and the whole world.Apples can cultivate anywhere, very warm otherwise in chilly environment [1].In Pakistan the cultivation of apple was 105.2 thousand hectares which include Punjab, KPK, Baluchistan and Sind (0.4,8.1,96.7 and 0.1) thousands hectares although in Pakistan whole production was 606.1 thousand tons which include 92.3 in KPK, 3.6 Punjab, 510.2 in Baluchistan and 3.6 in Sindh [2].Apple contains 0.3g ash, Vitamin C 8mg, 0.3g lipid, 13.9g carbohydrates, 0.4g proteins, 0.8g fiber, 84.7% water, and edible portion of apple contain 57 K cal of energy per 100g [3].Apple contains total minerals 0.3g/100g.In which magnesium 6mg/100g, calcium 7mg/100g, potassium 145mg/100g, sodium 0.3mg/100g, iron 480ug/100g, phosphorus 12mg and iodine 2 ug are present [4].
Apple is well-liked because of the many ways that they can be consumed and because of their ease and stability."Apples may be consumed off the tree or stored for up to a full year.It can be processed into sauce, juice, slices, and are favored for cakes, tarts, pastries, and pies [5].Mineral exist in Ash when food is creamed, having 2 main functions, building and regulation in the body.The adjustment of water content in the body Sodium is necessary while several enzymes activated through magnesium.Potassium adjusts osmotic pressure of the cell contents and pH.For the development of bones and teeth calcium is important.An inherent iron transported oxygen from the lungs to muscles and other parts of the body [3].Initially apple was used broadly as a food and was also famous its remedial characteristics.For the purpose of intestinal disorders such as dysentery and diarrhea of 10infant apple was used [6].In Pakistan apple was used in fresh mode and the production of apple was excessive, became plentiful in the market but lack of storage facilities& perishable nature resulted serious losses.The main objective of this research work was to study the effect of Calcium lactate on the post-harvest life of apple fruit at room temperature.

Materials and methods
This research was accomplished at Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR) in the Quality control lab of Food processing, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.The fruits of apple were purchased from the local market of Peshawar.The variety selected for this research was Kaja variety (Green in color).The fruit selected for this experiment was proper mature not fully ripe and have the ability to support strength during storage.Total number of fruit selected for this experiment was 160.These fruit were then divided into four lots.Each lot contains 40 no of fruits.Lot no 1.Stands for (Ao) control without the use of calcium lactate.Lot no 2. Stands for (ACaLa 1) with the use of calcium lactate 1%.Lot no 3. Stands for (ACaLa2) with the use of calcium lactate 2%.Lot no 4. Stands for (ACaLa3) with the use of calcium lactate 3% respectively.The fruits were then immersed in each lot containing water and calcium lactate for five minutes.The fruits were then take out from each lot and dried under the fan (Table 1).The pulp of apple was pulverized and then takes 10 gram of this pulp and makes a volume of diluted juice up to 100ml by utilizing distilled water.After this 10 ml of juice was taken from that diluted juice with the addition of 1-2 drops of phenolphthalein indicator and was titrated against 0.1N NaOH in anticipation of pink color appeared.The formula used for acidity determination is mentioned as under:

Ascorbic acids
Vitamin C was explain by the method-of titration as suggested by of AOAC [8].First of all dye solution was prepared and standardized then standard ascorbic acid solution was prepared and oxalic acid solution.After this, standardization of dye took place and then the sample was titrated.

Decay index (%)
Initially all the samples of decay index was zero which was slowly inclined to 55. 72, 39.66, 40.67, and 40.50 correspondingly during research (Table 4).For treatment greatest values for mean was noted in control treatment (26.03) followed by CaLa 3% (17.74), whereas smallest values for mean were founded in treatment CaLa 2% (16.61).In research highest inclined were observed into A0 sample (55.720, while minimum was observed in CaLa 2% (39.66).The outcome of this research are in secure similarity to that of Kohli [12] who initiated the connection of Ca ion with the ingredient of cell which motivate Ca reliant enzymes during leakage that carry strength in tissues and lower the fruits decay rate.

Percent, acidity
First of all the samples of acidity was 0.91, 0.88, 0.92, and 0.9 which were fall down to 0.56, 0.56, 0.63 and 0.58 correspondingly in the research (Table 5).For treatment greatest values for mean were noted into CaLa 2% treatment (0.78) followed by CaLa 3% (17.74), whereas smallest values for mean were found in control treatment (0.72).A declined was recorded in control sample (38.46)

Table 4 . Effect of calcium lactate concentrations & storage intervals on decay index of apple fruits Treatment Storage interval (days)
Values followed by different letters are significantly (p˂0.05)different from each other

Table 5 . Effect of calcium lactate concentrations & storage intervals on acidity of apple fruits
Values followed by different letters are significantly (p˂0.05)different from each other