Maturity Stage at Harvest Determines the Fruit Quality and Antioxidant Potential after Storage of Sweet Cherry Cultivars

Abstract

Eleven sweet cherry cultivars were harvested at three maturity stages (S1 to S3) based on skin color and stored at 2 °C for 16 days and a further period of 2 days at 20 °C (shelf life, SL) to analyze quality (color, total soluble solids, and total acidity) and bioactive compounds (total phenolics and anthocyanins) and their relationship to total antioxidant activity (TAA), determined in hydrophilic (HTAA) or lipophilic (L-TAA) fraction. For all cultivars and maturity stages, the ripening process advanced during postharvest storage with increases in color intensity and decreases in acidity, as well as enhancements in phenolics, anthocyanins, and TAA in both H-TAA and L-TAA, although important differences existed among cultivars. The results showed that sweet cherry should be harvested at stage S3 (4 days later than the commercial harvest date) since after 16 days of cold storage + SL, the highest antioxidant capacity was achieved for both H-TAA and L-TAA.