Composite coatings of beeswax + naphthalene acetic acid preserved fruit quality and antioxidants in stored lemon fruits

Lemon fruits are well recognized for their richness in antioxidants. The present study was conducted to maintain the antioxidant properties of lemon fruits under long term cold storage. Fruits were given different treatments of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) @ 50, 100 and 150 ppm plus beeswax (BW) @ 2% and were stored at 6–8 °C and 90–95% RH for 60 days. At the end of storage, fruits coated with NAA (50 ppm) + BW (2%) retained 42.14 and 34.61% antioxidants, 62.72 and 56.54% phenolic content and 17.72 and 13.80% hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity in peel and pulp, respectively as compared to the control. This treatment also resulted in lesser weight loss (5.27%), higher ascorbic acid content (46.31 mg 100 ml −1 juice) and titratable acidity (5.23%). Hence, NAA + BW coatings were promising for the maintenance of the postharvest antioxidant quality of stored lemons.