بررسی تأثیر پیش‌تیمار امواج فراصوت و سالیسیلیک اسید بر سلامت و کیفیت میوه زرشک بی‌دانه

Two experiments were conducted at the Department of Chemistry, Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2022 and 2023. These experiments aimed to investigate the optimal conditions for using ultrasound waves alone or in combination with salicylic acid to improve the shelf life, health, and quality of seedless barberry fruit. Both experiments used a two-factor factorial design. The first experiment evaluated the device temperature at three levels (20, 30, and 40 degrees Celsius) and the time duration at three levels (5, 10, and 15 minutes). The test includes a control treatment. The experiment examines the treatment duration at two levels (5 and 15 minutes) and the concentration of salicylic acid at three levels (zero, 2, and 4 mM). The experiment includes a control treatment. The microbial load test results showed that ultrasound and salicylic acid pretreatment successfully reduced bacteria, molds, and yeasts in fresh and dried barberry after three months, compared to the control treatment. In our study, we investigated the impact of ultrasound treatments on the physicochemical properties of fresh barberries. Additionally, we investigated the combined effects of ultrasound and salicylic acid. Our experimental design included time intervals of 10 and 15 minutes, temperatures of 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, and a salicylic acid concentration of 4 mM. The study results showed that this treatment had positive effects on storing fresh barberries. It reduced decay and increased the levels of phenolic compounds, vitamin C, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and antioxidant properties in fresh barberries. The investigation reveals how ultrasound waves and salicylic acid impact the characteristics of dried barberry. This effect was observed immediately after drying and lasted for six months. The treatment combinations SA4-T15 and SA2-T15 showed the highest levels of acidity. The antioxidant capacity increased with a longer pretreatment duration. Specifically, when the ultrasonic agent was combined with salicylic acid, there was a significant increase in the total amount of phenols. This was observed in treatments SA4-T15, SA4-T5, and SA2-T15 during the initial and second measurement stages (at zero and 6 months). The dried barberries treated with SA4-T15 had the highest vitamin C content of 0.30 mg/100 g. Additionally, the combination of ultrasound waves and salicylic acid had a significant impact, resulting in the highest recorded amount of dry barberry anthocyanin at 136.54 mg/100 g. The analysis of the scoring results for the taste and flavor characteristics of barberry revealed that the combination of ultrasound waves and salicylic acid effectively preserves the optimal sensory experience of dry barberry fruit. The research findings indicate that a combination of ultrasound and salicylic acid treatments can be a promising alternative for treating barberry fruit. This approach minimizes destructive effects. However, further studies are needed to optimize the treatment conditions.