Mexican limes have a limited shelf life due to color changes and reduced freshness. This study evaluated the effects of Melatonin (ML) and Pomegranate Seed Oil (PSO) on maintaining postharvest quality at 20±2°C and 50-60% relative humidity. The results showed that melatonin at 100 and 200 µM+PSO exhibited the highest overall fruit acceptability. The control group displayed the most weight loss (20.8%), while PSO demonstrated the least (12.5%). With the exception of the PSO treatment, all other treatments exhibited significantly elevated levels of phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants. The PSO and control treatments demonstrated the lowest catalase (69 U mg-1 FW) and peroxidase (53.5 U mg-1 FW) activities, while the highest polyphenol oxidase activity (99.6 U mg-1 FW) was also observed in these groups. The control and PSO treatments also exhibited the highest Total Soluble Solids (TSSs) content (8.2%) and the lowest acidity (8.5%). Overall, most traits exhibited significant differences between the treatment groups and the control, excluding the PSO treatment.

Keywords