Essential Oils as Alternatives to Chlorine in the Postharvest Treatment of ‘Dalhari’ Watery Rose Apple Fruit

Utama, Nafi Ananda; Setiawan, Chandra Kurnia; Prabasari, Indira; Dewi, Sukuriyati Susilo

doi:10.22059/ijhst.2024.368019.734

Essential Oils as Alternatives to Chlorine in the Postharvest Treatment of ‘Dalhari’ Watery Rose Apple Fruit

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Nafi Ananda Utama

Chandra Kurnia Setiawan

Indira Prabasari

Sukuriyati Susilo Dewi

Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

10.22059/ijhst.2024.368019.734

Abstract

The thin skin and high water and sugar content of the watery rose apple cv. ‘Dalhari’ (Syzygium aqueum) make it highly susceptible to microbial infections. The fruit's skin serves as its outer protective layer, shielding it from mechanical damage and microbial invasion. Washing is the first step in postharvest fruit treatment. However, concerns over the potential carcinogenic effects of chlorine residues have prompted a need to reconsider its use in industrial washing processes. This study investigated alternative natural sanitizers for washing the ‘Dalhari’ watery rose apple, focusing on the use of essential oils. Five essential oils, betel, clove, cinnamon bark, lemon, and vanilla, were tested for their antimicrobial properties using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. The active compounds in these essential oils were identified using GC-MS analysis. Following treatment with the essential oils, several parameters were assessed on the watery rose apple, including microbial population, weight loss, fruit firmness, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and pH levels. The results showed that a 0.1% betel essential oil washing treatment was as effective as a 20 ppm chlorine treatment. These findings suggest that essential oils, particularly betel oil, can be viable natural alternatives to chlorine for washing the watery rose apple cv. ‘Dalhari.’

Keywords

Betel essential oil

Natural sanitizer

Postharvest