Advancing Fruit Preservation: Ecofriendly Treatments for Controlling Fruit Softening

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The document presents a well-known and widely studied topic, so the scientific interest and novelty are somewhat limited.

 

The document covers many topics. However, the authors have left aside the topic related to the instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), which would help a lot to understand better the topic related to textural changes in fruits and vegetables.

 

The document is good, but it would not be complete without the instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), therefore the authors are asked to include a section where recent research is presented where the topic related to an instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) is explained and addressed, given that in reality consumers, marketers and researchers assess the texture in fruits manually or mechanically, without performing an analysis of the enzymatic activity, or changes in the proportions of the components of the cell walls, that is, the instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), is performed before the analysis of reaching a biochemical or chemical analysis of the fruit or vegetable.

 

Therefore, the authors are requested to include a section on instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA)

Author Response

Comment 1: The document presents a well-known and widely studied topic, so the scientific interest and novelty are somewhat limited.

Response: We acknowledge the feedback. While the topic of fruit softening is well-documented, this review offers novel insights by systematically analysing recent advancements in ecofriendly treatments and their underlying mechanisms. It addresses a significant gap by providing a comprehensive overview of how these treatments impact fruit softening, advancing our knowledge of sustainable fruit preservation strategies. Kindly refer to page 2, line 54 – 64.

Comment 2: The document covers many topics. However, the authors have left aside the topic related to the instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), which would help a lot to understand better the topic related to textural changes in fruits and vegetables.

Comment 3: The document is good, but it would not be complete without the instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), therefore the authors are asked to include a section where recent research is presented where the topic related to an instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) is explained and addressed, given that in reality consumers, marketers and researchers assess the texture in fruits manually or mechanically, without performing an analysis of the enzymatic activity, or changes in the proportions of the components of the cell walls, that is, the instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), is performed before the analysis of reaching a biochemical or chemical analysis of the fruit or vegetable.

Comment 4: Therefore, the authors are requested to include a section on instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA)

Response to comment 2 - 4: We would like to thank the reviewer for the comment. A section on instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA), addressing how ecofriendly treatments are quantitatively assessed through TPA, along with recent research studies regarding this topic has been added. Kindly refer to Page 24 - 27, Line 628 – 694 of the revised manuscript.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This review discussed the effect of ecofriendly treatments on the factors affecting fruit softening.The empirical evidence from the literature broadens the diversity of sustainable preservation strategies, which can potentially yield beneficial impacts for the fruit industry. However, the author still has shortcomings in this study and makes the following recommendations:

Suggestion 1: The introduction section is recommended to be refined to make the research background and research topic more prominent.

Suggestion 2: In Part 2.2, I suggest that the process or principle of fruit respiration be given at the same time

Suggestion 3: In the third part, iI suggest that before proceeding with the Effect of ecofriendly treatments on factors contributing to fruit softening, Edible coatings, Heat treatment, Ozone and UV-C inhibit fruit softening mechanism to make the necessary explanation.

Suggestion 4: It is recommended to describe in the table the extent to which the eco-friendly treatment inhibits or promotes C2H2, CO2, PME activity and hardness

Suggestion 5: It is recommended to streamline the conclusions

Author Response

Comment 1: The introduction section is recommended to be refined to make the research background and research topic more prominent.

Response: We greatly appreciate your valuable input. The revised version makes the research background and topic more prominent by clearly linking the problem of fruit softening with the proposed ecofriendly treatments and the aim of your review. Kindly refer to Page 1 - 2, Line 29 – 64 of the revised manuscript.

Comment 2: In Part 2.2, I suggest that the process or principle of fruit respiration be given at the same time

Response: Agreed, Part 2.2 has been rewritten as follows “Respiration is a fundamental metabolic process in fresh produce, playing a critical role in maintaining fruit vitality and supporting developmental changes. During respiration, stored organic materials such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins undergo oxidative catabolism, resulting in the production of energy, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water [17]. This energy is essential for sustaining cellular functions and various physiological processes in the fruit. However, respiration also leads to the loss of stored energy and can contribute to the deterioration of fruit quality. As respiration progresses, fruit loses moisture through transpiration, leading to a decrease in firmness [18]. Additionally, high respiration rates are associated with increased metabolic activities and the production of respiration heat, which accelerates the degradation of fruit texture and overall quality [19]. Therefore, managing the respiration rate is crucial for maintaining fruit firmness and optimising storage life.” Kindly refer to Page 3, Line 88 – 100 of the revised manuscript.

Comment 3: In the third part, I’ll suggest that before proceeding with the Effect of ecofriendly treatments on factors contributing to fruit softening, Edible coatings, Heat treatment, Ozone and UV-C inhibit fruit softening mechanism to make the necessary explanation.

Response: Agreed, Part 3 has been rewritten as follows “The inhibition of fruit softening by ecofriendly treatments such as hexanal formulations, edible coatings, heat treatment, ozone and UV-C irradiation, occurs through a variety of mechanisms. These treatments generally function by limiting gaseous exchange, inhibiting CWDEs and their related genes or suppressing fungal growth by inducing disease resistance. The following sections provide a detailed discussion of how these mechanisms impact the various factors contributing to fruit softening.” Kindly refer to page 6, line 171 - 177 of the revised manuscript.

Comment 4: It is recommended to describe in the table the extent to which the eco-friendly treatment inhibits or promotes C₂H₂, CO₂, PME activity and hardness

Response: Thank you for the suggestion. In response, I have updated the tables to include detailed information on the extent to which each eco-friendly treatment inhibits or promotes certain parameters such as ethylene, respiration rates, enzymes and firmness.

Comment 5: It is recommended to streamline the conclusions.

Response: Agreed, the conclusion has been streamlined to focus on the key findings of the review. Kindly refer to page 28, line 695 - 720 of the revised manuscript.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The document is adequate in its current version. However, it could be improved by including a schematic of a texture profile showing each of the attributes in the graph. But this is just a suggestion, not a request.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Well done