Physical and chemical properties of green chili pepper during storage in responseto pre- and post-harvest application of moringa leaf extract

The primary challenge encountered by marketers of green chili peppers is the rapid post-harvestdeterioration. The application of pre- and post-harvest moringa leaf extract (MLE) is an effectiveapproach to preserving the quality of fruits after being harvested. This study aimed to assess theeffect of MLE application at pre- and post-harvest periods on physical and chemical properties ofgreen chili during storage. For this purpose, a completely randomized design was arranged withnine replications. Pre-harvest MLE (seed soaking + foliar spraying with MLE) treatment showeda similar response to the control. Meanwhile, post-harvest MLE application on fruit by dippingmethod had better results on L*, a*, weight loss, firmness, and vitamin C after 7 d of storagecompared to the control. These results suggested that post-harvest MLE application was moreeffective in prolonging the self-life of green chili, particularly in maintaining the physical attributes.