Effects of post-harvest treatment with sodium hypochlorite solution on the storage quality of chestnut in modified atmosphere cold-storage

The effects of post-harvest treatment with sodium hypochlorite solution at three concentrations(100, 500, 1000 mg/L) on the storage quality of chestnut "Yanchang" in modified atmosphere(MA) storage were investigated. The treatment with sodium hypochlorite solution of 500 mg/L or 1000 mg/L can reduce the rate of rot, especially the rate of sprouting during the shelf-life significantly. Moreover, the rate of starch hydrolyzation slows down simultaneously. The treatment with sodium hypochlorite solution of 500 mg/L is capable of delaying the catabolism of soluble protein at a certain extent and reducing ethanol content during MA storage. However, there is no obvious difference on soluble sugar content among the three concentration treatments. The results demonstrate that sodium hypochlorite solution treatment can increase storage quality, and 500 mg/L is the best concentration of sodium hypochlorite solution for chestnut storage.