Combined application of methyl salicylate and L-arginine alleviates chilling injury, potentiates antioxidant system and maintains quality of sweet pepper (Capsicum Annum L.) fruits cv. ‘Winner’

Chilling injury is the critical issue in sweet pepper fruit under low temperature storage. Present work was aimed to evaluate the effect of different concentration of methyl salicylate (MS) and L-arginine (Arg) on chilling injury and overall quality of sweet pepper fruits cv. ‘Winner’. The treatments were T1 = Control, T2 = 0.01mM MS, T3 = 0.05 mM MS, T4 = 1mM Arg, T5 = 1.5mM Arg and T6 = 0.01mM MS+1.5mM Arg. After respective treatment (for 10 min) fruits were kept at 5 ± 1 ◦C with 85-90 % RH for 28+2 days of storage. Physical, biochemical, and phytochemical parameters were studied at 7 days interval followed by two days of reconditioning at ambient conditions (25 ± 2 °C). On last removal (28+2days), sweet pepper fruits treated with combined MS and Arg treatment (T6) showed highly significant results in lower fruit weight loss (8.3%), maintained fruit colour (0.3 score) and firmness (13.4N), and reduced wrinkling (2 score), disease incidence (0.4 score), ion leakage (45.4%), alleviated chilling injury (1.7 score), retained total antioxidants (49.1%) and total phenolic content (74.4 mg 100 g-1 GAE FW) as compared to control. In addition, the ascorbic acid content was observed higher in all treatments in comparison with untreated control fruits. In conclusion, MS and Arg combine treatment improved storage potential with reduced chilling injury by maintaining higher total phenolic concentrations, ascorbic acid content and total antioxidants in terms of DPPH radical scavenging activities, and markedly maintained overall quality of sweet pepper under cold storage condition at 5 °C for 28 days.