Effect of Ultrasound Bath Treatment on the Microbiological Quality of Red Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) Peel and Pulp During Postharvest Storage
Description
This dataset contains microbiological analyses of red pitaya fruits (Hylocereus polyrhizus) subjected to postharvest ultrasonic bath treatments and stored under refrigerated conditions (8 °C) for 28 days. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound as a non-thermal preservation technology for reducing microbial contamination and maintaining fruit quality during storage. Microbiological evaluations were performed at 7-day intervals (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days) on both peel and pulp samples. The analyzed parameters included mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total coliforms at 35 °C, Escherichia coli, psychrotrophic bacteria, and Salmonella spp. Different ultrasonic bath exposure times were applied before storage to assess their influence on microbial populations throughout the storage period. The dataset provides quantitative microbial counts obtained during the experiment, enabling the assessment of microbial growth dynamics under refrigerated storage and the effectiveness of ultrasonic treatment. Results demonstrated that longer ultrasound exposure times were generally more effective in reducing mesophilic bacteria, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli populations. The 45-minute ultrasonic treatment showed the greatest inhibitory effect on mesophilic bacteria throughout storage. Psychrotrophic bacteria increased during storage but remained at lower levels in ultrasound-treated fruits compared to untreated controls. Salmonella spp. was not detected in any sample during the experimental period. These data contribute to the understanding of ultrasound technology as a sustainable postharvest treatment for fresh fruits and may support future studies investigating alternative sanitization methods, optimization of ultrasound parameters, and combined preservation technologies for industrial applications.
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The dataset was generated from an experiment designed to evaluate the effect of ultrasonic bath treatment on the microbiological quality of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) during postharvest refrigerated storage. Fruits were harvested at commercial maturity, selected for uniformity and absence of physical damage, and subjected to different ultrasonic bath treatments before storage. The experimental design consisted of four ultrasonic bath exposure times: 0 min (control), 15 min, 30 min, and 45 min. After treatment, the fruits were stored under refrigeration at 8 °C for 28 days. Microbiological analyses were performed at regular intervals during storage (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days). Samples of peel and pulp were aseptically collected and analyzed according to standard microbiological procedures for food products. The evaluated parameters included mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total coliforms at 35 °C, Escherichia coli, psychrotrophic bacteria, and Salmonella spp. Microbial counts were determined using culture-dependent methods based on selective and non-selective culture media, incubation under appropriate conditions, and enumeration of colony-forming units (CFU). Results were expressed as log10 CFU/cm² for peel samples and log10 CFU/mL for pulp samples. The experimental data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mean comparisons were performed using Tukey's test at a 5% significance level (p ≤ 0.05). The dataset includes raw and processed microbiological data collected throughout the storage period, allowing the evaluation of microbial population dynamics and the effectiveness of ultrasonic treatment as a postharvest preservation technology. These data may be useful for researchers investigating non-thermal preservation technologies, postharvest fruit quality, food safety, and microbiological control in fresh produce.