Determination of fruit quality of calcium carbide induced ripening in mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Alphonso) by physiological, biochemical, bio-enzymatic and elemental composition analysis (EDX)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the postharvest fruit quality of mango cv. Alphonso treated with the laboratory grade (LG) and commercial grade (CG) Calcium Carbide (CaC2) at the reported highest acceptable dose, and elemental composition analysis (EDX) results to support the statements for traceability of hazardous trace elements in CaC2, which can serve as a basis towards developing sensors for identifying CaC2 treated mangoes through detection of trace elements. Physical, physiological, biochemical and EDX of mango cv. Alphonso harvested from farmers’ field of Santur village in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, India were used for the study. All studied physical characteristics except fruit firmness of CG CaC2 treated fruits did not correlate to desirable fruit characteristics like total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titrable acidity, total sugars and ascorbic acid. Besides, these parameters were desirable only in control fruits, though a number of days taken to reach fruit consumption stage was relatively more compared to CaC2 treatment. In vitro, free radical scavenging potential of DPPH was comparatively higher in control fruits than CaC2 treated fruits of both grades. Lab grade (LG) CaC2 treated fruits were non-significant in modifying physical, physiological and biochemical properties of mango cv. Alphonso except for TSS. However, at the end of the experimental period, CG CaC2 treated fruits recorded higher TSS than LG CaC2 treated fruits. Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) results confirmed traceability of health hazardous chemical substances of arsenic (As) and phosphorous (P) in both LG and CG CaC2 lumps. Calcium carbide when used as an artificial ripening agent was not in contact with the fruit surface, the presence of arsenic and phosphorus were not detected in the EDX spectrum, a novel finding of our study.