Abstract:To investigate the effects of high-oxygen pretreatment (HOP) duration on the storage quality of Lycium barbarum (goji) berries, “Ningqi No. 7” goji berries were subjected to HOP (90% O2) for 0 (control in ambient air, 21% O2), 30, and 60 min, followed by quantitative analyses of their quality, antioxidase activity, and active substance contents. After 30 days of storage, the hardness, mass loss, fruit decay percentage, total color difference, and soluble solids content (SSC) of goji berries subjected to 30 min of HOP were 1.93 N, 0.61%, 10.90%, 17.20, and 18.80%, respectively. Therefore, HOP slowed the degradation of fruit quality indices in goji berries and inhibited the increase in SSC. Furthermore, as compared to that by the control condition, 30-min HOP treatment decreased the malondialdehyde content and peroxidase activity by 51.32% and 21.11%, respectively, increased catalase and superoxide dismutase activities by 66.20% and 15.37%, respectively, and retained the vitamin C content at high levels. In summary, compared to that by no treatment, treating goji berries with 90% O2 for 30 min improved fruit quality, increased antioxidase activity and active substance content, and reduced oxidative damage, thus prolonging their shelf life.
