*2.3. Quality Attributes*

Red sweet peppers were weighed at the beginning and the end of each storage period. The variance between the two weigh values was calculated to be the total weight reduction and was indicated as a percent on a fresh weight basis.

Fruit color was indicated by measuring *L*\* (lightness), *a*\* (redness), and *b*\* (yellowness) using a color difference meter (Nippon Denshoku, ZE 6000, Tokyo, Japan). Each fruit was measured with three replications.

The overall quality of the fruit was assessed by the method of Özden and Bayindirli [6]. The quality was evaluated subjectively for their flavor and appearance according to the following scale: 5 = excellent, 3 = marketable level, and 1 = unusable.

#### *2.4. Electrolyte Leakage*

Electrolyte leakage was determined according to the method of Endo et al. [13]. Twenty disks (10 mm × 2 mm) of fruit pericarp tissue from each fruit were cut using a cork borer and then rinsed with distilled water before immersion in 30 mL of double-distilled water in glass vials. After incubation for 2 h at 25 ◦C, the initial electrolyte conductivity was evaluated with a digital electrolyte conductivity meter (DKK-TOA, MM-41DP, Japan). The disks were boiled for 30 min to complete the electrolyte leakage, and the final electrolyte conductivity was determined. The percent of electrolyte leakage was expressed as a relative between the initial and final electrolyte conductivity.
