Effect Of Different Postharvest Treatments On Physiochemical Attributes And Quality Of Tomato

The post-harvest preservation of tomatoes is a critical aspect of ensuring their availability and quality throughout the year. The research aims to provide insights into sustainable and natural approaches for extending the self- life and enhancing the nutritive value of tomato. This study investigates the impact of two distinct post-harvest treatments, namely ginger extract and sodium benzoate (C7H5NaO2), on the physicochemical attributes and quality of tomatoes. The experiment involves a single factor i.e. different concentrations of sodium benzoate and ginger extract which was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) at a temperature of 25°C, with seven treatments and three replications for each treatment. Physical parameters like weight loss, firmness and chemical parameters such as vitamin C, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), Titratable Acidity (TA) and pH were measured in every seven days of storage up to 28 days after treatment. A significant difference was observed in firmness, TSS, TA, vitamin C and pH while there was no significant difference in weight loss among treatments. The tomato sample treated with 40000ppm ginger was found to have more firmness and also have reduced weight loss during storage period comparative to control and other treatments. The tomatoes samples treated with 200ppm of sodium benzoate and 30000ppm ginger had higher TA and the samples treated with 100ppm sodium benzoate and 40000ppm ginger had higher level of vitamin C preserved which indicates the slower respiration rate and helps to extend the shelf life. Thus, ginger as a bio-preservatives can be used as one of the alternative to maintain the post- harvest life of tomato.