Effects of temperature on the physicochemical properties and total phenolic content of red and green chilies during postharvest storage

Chilies are usually packed and stored after harvesting for sale, which can result in quality loss and affect the edibility of the product. This study aimed to determine the effect of temperature on the physicochemical properties of red and green chilies during postharvest storage at three different temperatures (0, 5, and 25°C). The physicochemical analysis of chilies was conducted for 9 days to determine color changes, texture, pH, total soluble solids, and total phenolic content (TPC). All test data were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between physicochemical properties and the TPC. The study found that the TPC values decreased significantly at all temperatures for both red and green chilies. At 5°C, the TPC values were 3.42 mg GAE/g extract and 2.23 mg GAE/g extract for red and green chilies, respectively. The red chilies showed the lowest values of texture and TPC at 0°C, indicating poor preservation. The green chilies at 0°C had higher TPC values (4.74 mg GAE/g extract) but suffered from high firmness loss, whereas 25°C led to microbial growth. Therefore, the overall quality and market acceptability of both red and green chilies were ideal at 5°C due to better preservation of physical appearance. In conclusion, the ideal storage condition at 5°C can reduce qualitative and postharvest losses of red and green chilies by maintaining better texture and acceptable TPC values.