Combined hot water and salicylic acid treatments extend mango postharvest shelf life

Mango is a climacteric fruit that undergoes rapid biochemical changes and fast ripening after harvest, which significantly limits its shelf life under ambient storage conditions.

This study investigates the effects of two postharvest treatments, salicylic acid (SA) and hot water treatment (HWT), applied individually and in combination to Dashehari mango fruits.

Fruits were treated with SA at 1 mM and 2 mM, HWT alone, and combinations of HWT with both SA concentrations, alongside an untreated control group.

Results show that combined HWT + SA treatments significantly reduce weight loss, decay incidence, electrolyte leakage, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and the activity of enzymes involved in fruit softening.

At the same time, these treatments better maintain fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid content during storage.

Both combined treatments showed similar effects across most quality parameters; however, HWT + SA 1 mM resulted in lower malondialdehyde levels, indicating reduced oxidative damage.

Overall, the findings suggest that the integration of hot water and salicylic acid is an effective strategy to delay ripening and preserve the biochemical quality of mango fruits under ambient conditions.

Source

Singh, U., Darshan, D., Singh, S. N., Bhushan, A., & Siddiqui, S. (2026). Combined application of hot water and salicylic acid treatment preserves postharvest quality of mangoes. Scientific Reports.