Appropriate harvest maturity for exploitation of wild black raspberry (<i>Rubus</i> sp.) fruits during shelf life period from Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Sana Hayyat; Mehdi Maqbool; Abdul Hamid; Muhammad Shehzad; Raheel Anwar; Sandra Horvitz; Noosheen Zahid; Muhammad Azam Khan; Sana Hayyat; Mehdi Maqbool; Abdul Hamid; Muhammad Shehzad; Raheel Anwar; Sandra Horvitz; Noosheen Zahid; Muhammad Azam Khan

doi:10.3934/agrfood.2025001

AIMS Agriculture and Food

2025, Volume 10, Issue 1: 1-16. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2025001

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Research article

Appropriate harvest maturity for exploitation of wild black raspberry (Rubus sp.) fruits during shelf life period from Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir

1.
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
2.
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
3.
Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
4.
Public University of Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía – 31006 Pamplona, Spain
5.
Department of Horticulture, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Received: 19 September 2024 Revised: 20 December 2024 Accepted: 31 December 2024 Published: 08 February 2025

Black raspberries (Rubus sp.) are abundantly grown and distributed widely in temperate regions of Pakistan which shows rich plant diversity of fruit species. In this study wildly grown black raspberry fruits were harvested from Rawalakot at three different maturity stages and investigated for physical, biochemical and antioxidant properties. Random samples of wild black raspberry fruits from each maturity stage [turning (75% red, 25% green), full red (100% red), black (100% black)] were stored at room temperature (22 ± 2 ℃, 46% RH) for maximum 7 days and analysed on alternate days. Results showed that fruit weight, total soluble solids, pH, vitamin C, total flavonoids, total phenols, total antioxidants and total anthocyanins increased whereas fruit firmness and titratable acidity levels decreased as maturity progressed from turning to black stage. During shelf life period, total soluble solids and pH increased, while fruit weight, firmness, total anthocyanins, total flavonoids and total phenols significantly decreased with shelf life period. Moreover, titratable acidity and vitamin C decreased by advancement in shelf life period. It is advisable that wild black raspberry fruits should be harvested at black stage if used for immediate consumption. However, raspberries can be harvested at full red stage to extend storage period without compromising on fruit quality.
- antioxidants,
- ascorbic acid,
- ripening,
- shelf life,
- wild berries,
- skin colour
Citation: Sana Hayyat, Mehdi Maqbool, Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Shehzad, Raheel Anwar, Sandra Horvitz, Noosheen Zahid, Muhammad Azam Khan. Appropriate harvest maturity for exploitation of wild black raspberry (Rubus sp.) fruits during shelf life period from Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir[J]. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2025, 10(1): 1-16. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2025001

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Abstract

Black raspberries (Rubus sp.) are abundantly grown and distributed widely in temperate regions of Pakistan which shows rich plant diversity of fruit species. In this study wildly grown black raspberry fruits were harvested from Rawalakot at three different maturity stages and investigated for physical, biochemical and antioxidant properties. Random samples of wild black raspberry fruits from each maturity stage [turning (75% red, 25% green), full red (100% red), black (100% black)] were stored at room temperature (22 ± 2 ℃, 46% RH) for maximum 7 days and analysed on alternate days. Results showed that fruit weight, total soluble solids, pH, vitamin C, total flavonoids, total phenols, total antioxidants and total anthocyanins increased whereas fruit firmness and titratable acidity levels decreased as maturity progressed from turning to black stage. During shelf life period, total soluble solids and pH increased, while fruit weight, firmness, total anthocyanins, total flavonoids and total phenols significantly decreased with shelf life period. Moreover, titratable acidity and vitamin C decreased by advancement in shelf life period. It is advisable that wild black raspberry fruits should be harvested at black stage if used for immediate consumption. However, raspberries can be harvested at full red stage to extend storage period without compromising on fruit quality.

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