Influence of ozonated water sanitation on postharvest quality of conventionally and organically cultivated mangoes after postharvest storage

• Ozonated water can be used as a safe alternative sanitizer for mango, cv. Palmer.
• Ozonated water does not alter the firmness.
• β-carotene levels were high on senescent organic fruits immersed in ozonated water.
• Bioactive compounds did not decrease in mangoes sanitized with ozonated water.

We investigated the alterations on bioactive compounds after treatments with ozonated water during the storage of organically and conventionally cultivated mangoes, cv. Palmer. Mangoes were stored in a cold chamber (14 ± 2 °C) for 15 d and evaluated after the harvest and sanitization treatments (chlorine and ozonated water—10 and 20 min) at 7 and 15 d. To simulate the market, after 7 d, mangoes were removed from cold storage and kept at room temperature (27 ± 2 °C) to be analyzed following 4 (7 + 4) and 8 (7 + 8) d at room temperature. The conventionally mango showed higher firmness, regardless of the sanitization system used. Ozonated water did not alter the levels of β-carotene, ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid and phenol in organically or conventionally cultivated mangoes during storage, but when the mangoes, cv. Palmer were transferred to room temperature, the β-carotene level increased. Organically cultivated mangoes showed higher levels of antioxidant activity. Ozonated water can be used as an alternative to chlorine sanitizer without causing damage to mango, cv. Palmer fruit or inducing a decrease in the various compounds and the treatment using ozonated water was efficient for maintaining fruit without microorganisms, preventing the reduction of quality and avoiding the generation of organic waste.