{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T08:59:27Z","timestamp":1787993967109,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,7]],"date-time":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691366400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation","award":["RTI2018-09966-B-100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RTI2018-09966-B-100"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Spain is a great producer of organic lemon; however, it is necessary to reduce the losses caused by post-harvest diseases. Melatonin (MEL) is a naturally occurring compound with physiological functions in fruit growth and ripening and is able to modulate postharvest ripening and senescence, most of it being concentrated in climacteric fruit. Thus, the aim of this study was to apply MEL to organic lemon fruit with stems and leaves (LEAF) and to organic lemon without those components (LEAFLESS) after harvesting and storage during 21 days at 2 \u00b0C to understand the effects of this treatment on the fruit quality. For this purpose, two experiments were carried out. First, MEL was applied at 0.01 mM, 0.1 mM and 1.0 mM by immersion for 15 min on lemon fruits, and the quality parameters and bioactive compounds of the fruit were analysed. Subsequently, a second experiment was carried out where the best concentration (1 mM) was selected and another time (15 and 30 min) was added, with the same quality parameters being analysed. As a result, we observed that all MEL treatments showed positive effects on weight loss reduction, softening (higher fruit firmness), total acidity and lower colour changes. Total phenols increased in MEL-treated lemons, both in peel and juice. For the three concentrations tested, the best efficiency was obtained with MEL at 1.0 mM, while LEAF lemons were the most effective. In conclusion, lemons containing stems and leaves (LEAF) improved preservability by using MEL at 1.0 mM with better organoleptic quality and enhanced phenolic compounds.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods12152979","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,8]],"date-time":"2023-08-08T12:35:42Z","timestamp":1691498142000},"page":"2979","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Melatonin Postharvest Treatment in Leafy \u2018Fino\u2019 Lemon Maintains Quality and Bioactive Compounds"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1578-3869","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e1tima","family":"Badiche-El Hilali","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of AgroFood Technology, EPSO-CIAGRO, University Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez, Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5327-5049","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan Miguel","family":"Valverde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of AgroFood Technology, EPSO-CIAGRO, University Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez, Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4959-9419","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda E.","family":"Garc\u00eda-Pastor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of AgroFood Technology, EPSO-CIAGRO, University Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez, Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2251-3133","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Serrano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Biology, EPSO-CIAGRO, University Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez, Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salvador","family":"Castillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of AgroFood Technology, EPSO-CIAGRO, University Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez, Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3945-1629","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Valero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of AgroFood Technology, EPSO-CIAGRO, University Miguel Hern\u00e1ndez, Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1745-4549.2012.00731.x","article-title":"Changes in quality attributes of mandarin with and without leaf during refrigerated storage","volume":"38","author":"Qian","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Food Process. Preserv."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110087","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scienta.2021.110087","article-title":"Pineapple crown and slip removal on fruit quality and translucency","volume":"283","author":"Murai","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Hortic."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Badiche, F., Valverde, J.M., Mart\u00ednez-Romero, D., Castillo, S., Serrano, M., and Valero, D. (2023). 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