Effect of ultrasound and chemical compounds on microbial contamination, physicochemical parameters and bioactive compounds of cherry tomatoes

Abstract

In this study, different sanitization methods were evaluated to understand their effects on the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of cherry tomatoes stored at 7°C. Microbiological analysis showed that treatment with silver nanoparticles at 6 mg/L in combination with ultrasound treatment demonstrated a significant reduction in the assessed microorganism content of the cherry tomatoes. There were no changes in titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids, instrumental color, firmness, lycopene or beta carotene content after treatment followed by 10 d at 7°C. It was observed that cherry tomatoes treated with ultrasound had lower firmness values. Treatment with sodium dichloroisocyanurate, detergent-based surfactants, lactic acid, ultrasound treatment combined with detergent and ultrasound treatment combined with silver nanoparticles all led to increased ascorbic acid content during storage. An application of the silver nanoparticles promoted the best results in terms of microbial count reduction without significantly affecting the quality characteristics of the cherry tomatoes.