) Effect of different periods of ambient Storage on chemical composition of apple fruit

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE & BIOLOGY
1560–8530/2004/06–3–568–571
http://www.ijab.org
Effect of Different Periods of Ambient Storage on Chemical
Composition of Apple Fruit
M. ASIF ALI, HASNAIN RAZA, M. AZAM KHAN AND MANZOOR HUSSAIN
Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad–38040, Pakistan
ABSTRACT
The investigations were carried out on five apple varieties viz. Golden delicious, Mashhadi, King Amri, Kalakulu and Amri to
study the effect of ordinary storage at room temperature (25oC) during the month of September with two weeks interval. The
chemical analysis consisted of sugars, acidity, total soluble solids and ascorbic acids. There was increase in reducing sugar,
decreased in non-reducing sugar and increase in total sugars of all varieties when storage period was prolonged. Non-
significant decrease in acidity and significant increase in total soluble solids during storage of the five varieties at room
temperature was observed. Vitamin C decreased during storage. The experiment enables us to conclude that ‘Amri’ and
‘Golden Delicious’ cvs. of apple can be stored up to six weeks to fetch good market price.
Key Words: Apple; Total soluble solids (TSS); Reducing sugars; Non- reducing sugars; Vitamin C.
INTRODUCTION
The Apple (Malus x malus) is one of leading fruits
which is being grown in temperate region of the world. Its
beautiful appearance, crispy flesh, pleasant flavour and
sweet taste attract the consumers and fetch high price. In
Pakistan apples are grown in temperate region of the
country such as Murree Hills (Rawalpindi), part of
Peshawar region, Northern areas, Kashmir and Quetta.
Despite multifarious problems, the apple growers
obtain a phenomenal profit which leads to ultimate efforts
for increasing the fruit of this production. It is an important
source of vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin and other vitamin
complexes. Different varieties of apple contain different
amount of vitamin C. Bilisili (1970) observed a decrease in
malic acid, losses of ascorbic acid and considerable
variation in sugar contents during storage. Acidity in
different varieties of apple is reduced during storage. Bilisili
(1970) in an experiment, when fruit was stored at 2-30C for
six months examined at different intervals, observed a great
loss of malic acid, had some losses of ascorbic acid, were
also noticed some changes in reducing, non- reducing and
total sugars. Robert and Von loeska (1960) reported the
changes of sugars in several varieties of apple during
storage. In general, there was an increase in total sugars
followed by the gradual decline during the remaining life of
apple fruit.
Apple fruit is mainly harvested during the month of
August and September and maximum fruit is supplied to the
market during these two months. The growers do not get
proper price during these days due to glut of fruit in the
market. To get the fair price and to keep it in the edible
condition with out hampering its availability thorough out
the year, this fruit has to be stored in ordinary and cold
storage condition. The apple fruit has a good potential for
storage under favourable conditions, especially in Kashmir
and Muree hills where the natural cold storage facilities are
present due to low temperature.
The purpose of present studies was to explore the
optimum storage duration at which the chemical
composition of fruit is least deteriorated and to compare the
response of different varieties to these storage durations.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fruits of five apple varieties as given below were randomly
harvested at full maturity from Rawalakot and Dirkot Azad
Kashmir. The fruit was brought to the post graduate
research laboratory, Institute of Horticultural Sciences,
University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The varieties Golden
Delicious, Mashhadi, King Amri, Kalakulu and Amri were
used in these studies. The fruit of each variety was divided
in four samples and kept in storage as, fresh; and two, four,
and six weeks intervals. Each sample comprised of five fruit
that were used for chemical analysis to find out the effect of
storage on fruit at room temperature. The experiment was
laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with
factorial arrangement. Data were collected on reducing
sugars using Lane and Eynon method, non-reducing sugar,
total sugar, and total soluble solids following Hortwitz
(1960). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was determined by the
method described by Ruck (1961).

CHEMICAL CHANGES IN APPLE STORAGE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE / Int. J. Agri. Biol., Vol. 6, No. 2, 2004
569
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Effect on reducing sugar. At the initial stage of storage
reducing sugar was 10.15% which increased to 14.30%
during six weeks storage in King Amri. In Mashhadi
reducing sugar increased from 11.30 to 14.0% during six
weeks storage. In golden delicious at the starting of storage
there was 11.0% reducing sugars which increased to
14.30% during six week’s storage. In Kalakalu variety at the
beginning of storage, the reducing sugars were 12.0% and at
the end of storage increased to 14.6%. King Amri reducing
sugar increased from 10.55 to 13.80% during six weeks
storage. All differences were different at 5% levels (Fig. 1).
In the storage period of six weeks as a whole the four
varieties viz, King Amri Mashhadi, Golden Delicious and
Kalakulu had significantly higher percentage of reducing
sugars as compared to Amri. However, they did not differ
among themselves. The results of these investigations are in
conformity with the finding of Wright and Whiteman
(1955) who reported that reducing sugars tended to increase
during storage.
Effect on non-reducing sugars percentage. Higher
quantities of non-reducing sugar percentage was 2.15% in
Golden delicious and 2.0% in Kalakulu at initial stage of
storage while lower quantities of non-reducing sugar
percentage was found 1.54% in King Amri, 1.45% in
Mashhadi and 1.15% in Amri at initial stage of storage.
There was decrease in non-reducing sugar during six week
of storage. Decrease in non-reducing sugar during six week
of storage in five varieties of apple was 2.15 to 1.11% in
Golden delicious, from 1.15 to 0.84% in King Amri, from
1.45 to 0.88% in Mashhadi and from 1.15 to 0.76% in Amri
(Fig. 2).
Two varieties Kalakulu and Golden delicious do not
differ between each other and their non reducing sugars
contents were significantly higher as compared to king
Amri, Mashhadi and Amri. However, King Amri and
Mashhadi varieties have more non-reducing sugar was
compared to Amri but they did not differ among
themselves. Similar results were reported by Srivastava and
Souza (1962) who determined the effect of storage on non-
reducing sugar in five different Japanese plus varieties and
reported that the non – reducing sugar decreased during
storage.
Effect on Total Sugars percentage. The highest
percentage of total sugars was 14.25% in Kalakulu at initial
stage of storage. Other three varieties showed higher
percentage of total sugar, 2.90% in Mashhadi, 12.75% in
Golden delicious and 12.75% in King Amri and lowest
amount of total sugars were found in Amri 11.80% at initial
stage of storage. After two week this percentage of total
sugars increased from 14.25% in Kalakulu, from 12.90 to
14.38% in Mashhadi, from 12.75 to 14.10% in Golden
Delicious, from 12.75 to 14.69% in King Amri and 11.80 to
13.50% in Amri variety of apple during storage at room
temperature , after four weeks of storage. The percentage of
total sugars increased in all varieties as with the time of
storage (Fig. 3).
Fig. 1. Effect on the reducing sugar in apple at room
temperature
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
A
mri Mas hhadi Golden De licious King Amri Kalakulu
A
pple Varietie
s
e
ducing Sugar(%)
Fres
h
Two weeks
Four weeks
Six weeks
Fig. 2. Effect on non-reducing sugar percentage in
Apple at room temp
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Amri Mashhadi Go lden Delicious King Amri Kalakulu
Apple Varieties
o
n reducing Sugar (%)
Fres
h
Two weeks
Four weeks
Six weeks
Fig. 3. Effect on Total Sugar Percentage in Apple at
room temp
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
A
mri Mas hhadi Go lden Delicio us King Amri Kalakulu
A
pple Varietie
s
o
tal Sugar (%)
Fres
h
Two weeks
Four weeks
Six weeks

ALI et al. / Int. J. Agri. Biol., Vol. 6, No. 3, 2004
570
During six weeks storage period, the Kalakulu variety
differed from all other varieties due to higher total sugars
percentage. Three varieties Mashhadi, Golden Delicious and
King Amri did not differ among themselves but their sugars
were significantly higher than Amri variety. Tahir and
Ericsson (2003) found that the sweetness increased 10%
after storage. These findings also confirm the results of
Krotkov and Helson (1946), Wright and Whiteman (1955),
Robert and Von-Loeske (1960), Bidabe (1970) and
Stranzhey (1973) who reported that there was increase in
total sugars with the increase in storage time.
Effect on the acidity percentage. The results showed that
amount of Acidity was found in Golden Delicious (0.44%),
while in Mashhadi and in King Amri it was 0.4 and 0.39%,
respectively. The lowest amount of acidity percentage was
found in Amri (0.33%) and Kalakulu (0.31%) at initial stage
of storage. As the storage period increased, the percentage
of acidity gradually decreased. Acidity decreased from 0.44
to 0.09% in Golden Delicious, from 0.40 to 0.16% in
Mashhadi, from 0.39 to 0.15% in King Amri, from 0.33 to
0.11% in Amri and from 0.31 to 0.12% in Kalakulu at the
end of six week storage (Fig. 4).
After the storage of six weeks, Golden Delicious and
Mashhadi varieties differ from all other varieties because
their acidity was significantly higher as compared with
varieties. Amri and Kalakulu did not differ with each other
but differs among other varieties of apple at initial stage of
storage. As regards the effect of storage period there was a
non-significant decrease in acidity at each interval during
storage. These results confirm the findings of Crouch (2003)
who reported that there was decline in titrable acidity in
apple fruit after harvesting. Apple fruit stored for six months
were found to bear great losses of malic acid (Billisli, 1970).
Tahir and Ericsson (2003) also found a marked difference in
acidity of apples after storage.
Effect on total soluble solids percentage. The storage
period increased the percentage of total soluble solids
increased from 15.40 to 17.3% in Kalakulu, from 15.25 to
16.20% in Golden Delicious, from 14.60 to 16.30% in
Mashhadi, from 14.46 to 16.80% in King Amri, and from
13.15 to 15.85% in Amri variety of apple at the end of six
week storage (Fig. 5).
These results confirm the findings of Bidabe et al.
(1970). They observed the increase in total soluble solids,
starch and sugar contents, when different varieties of apple
were stored at room temperature, same results were
observed by Isagullyan (1976) and Crouch (2003). The
present investigations have clearly indicated that total
soluble solids in apple fruit would increased throughout
storage period.
Effects on vitamin C percentage. The highest amount of
vitamin C contents were found 12.68% in King Amri,
12.19% in Golden Delicious and lowest amount of vitamin
C contents were found 9.70% in Mashhadi, 9.10% in Amri
and 8.70% in Kalakulu at initial stage of storage. Vitamin C
in these varieties of apple ranged from 8.70 to 12.68%
which reduced significantly during six weeks storage (Fig.
6). During six weeks storage period, the King Amri
variety as a whole was significantly higher in vitamin C
Fig. 4. Effect on Acidity Percentage in Apple at room
temperature
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
A
mri Mas hhadi Golden Delic ious King Amri Kalakulu
A
pple varietie
s
A
cidi ty (%)
Fres
h
Two weeks
Four weeks
Six weeks
Fig. 5. Effect on Total Soluble Solid Percentage (TSS)
in Apple at room temperature
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
A
mri Mashhadi Go lden Deli cious King A mri Kalakulu
Apple Varieties
o
tal Soluble Solid (%)
Fres
h
Two weeks
Four weeks
Six weeks
Fig. 6. Effect on Vitamin C in Apple storage at room
temperature
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
A
mri Mashhadi Go lden Deli cious King A mri Kalakulu
Apple Vari eties
tamin C cont ent (%)
Fres
h
Two weeks
Four weeks
Six weeks

CHEMICAL CHANGES IN APPLE STORAGE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE / Int. J. Agri. Biol., Vol. 6, No. 2, 2004
571
contents as compared to all other four varieties. Golden
Deelicious variety of apple was also higher in vitamin C
contents as compared to Mushhadi, Amri and Kalakulu. The
two varieties Mashhadi and Amri did not differ between
themselves but their vitamin C contents significantly higher
than Kalakulu. The storage periods at different intervals had
a profound effect in decreasing of vitamin C contents. Same
results were reported by Martin (1968), Manaschiffmann
(1971), Ahmed et al. (1979) and Purvis (1983).
CONCLUSION
Our experiment shows that the reducing sugar
increases by prolonging storage periods while significant
decrease in non-reducing sugar occurs. As the storage
period increases there was significant increase in total sugar,
non- significant decrease in acidity, increase in total soluble
solids (TSS) in all apple varieties and vitamin C contents
decrease in all apple varieties with different proportions
during storage at room temperature. However, the
maximum decrease in acidity of ‘Golden Delicious’ lead us
to the conclusion that it can be stored up to six weeks after
maturity to fetch good market price. At the end of the
experiment ‘Amri’ possesses the most desirable levels of
vitamin C, total sugars, TSS and acidity so it may also be
stored up to six weeks with out deteriorating its internal fruit
quality.
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(Received 10 November 2003; Accepted 28 April 2004)