*4.2. Plant Material*

*Annona cherimola* leaves were collected under permission granted for Ministerio del Ambiente de Ecuador (Ecuadorian Environmental Ministry) by means of the authorization No. 001-IC-FLO-DBAP-VS-DRLZCH-MA. The leaves of chirimoya were collected between the months of October and January in the surroundings of the locality of Cango Bajo, canton Calvas, province of Loja, Ecuador, at 1950 m a.s.l. at a latitude of 4◦20 34 S and a longitude of 79◦34 24 W. Collection, store and transfer of chirimoya leaves were performed according to what is described by Valarezo et al. [35]. Botanist Nixon Cumbicus made the identification of the plant material. A voucher specimen was deposited at the Herbarium of Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (HUTPL).

## *4.3. Postharvest Treatments*

Between 2 and 3 h after being collected, the plant material was subjected to the postharvest treatments, which consist of the separation of degraded leaves and foreign material.
