J. Product. & Dev., 16(3):397 – 414(2011) EFFECT OF SOME STORAGE AND PRESERVATIVE SOLUTION TREATMENTS ON VASE LIFE AND QUALITY OF STRELITZIA REGINAE L. CUT FLOWERS A.S. Gendy* and E.H. Hamad** *Hort. Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt **Hort. Department, Faculty of Agriculture,El-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt. ABSTRACT Such research was conducted during the two seasons of 2007and 2008 at the Hort. Lab. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ. to evaluate effects of five preservative solutions as pulsing applications and three cold storage periods as well as their interactions on vase life and quality of Strelitzia reginae L cut flower spikes. Pulsing treatments were implicated holding cut flower spikes in the following solutions: 1- Distilled water (dw) for 12 h as control, 2- Silver thiosulphate at 1: 4 mM (STS)for 30 minutes, 3- STS for 30 min., then solution containing 20% sucrose (S) + 200 ppm Ocimum basilicum L leaf extract for 12 h, 4- STS for 30 min., then solution containing 20% S + 200 ppm Matricaria chamomilla L. flower extract for 12 h, and 5- STS for 30 min., then solution containing 20% S + 200 ppm 8-hydroxy quinolene sulphate (8-HQS) for 12 h. Cut flowers were subjected to pulsing treatments just before cold storage. The three tested cold storage periods were without cold storage (control), storage for 5 or 10-days at 6±1°C and 80 – 90 % relative humidity (simulate transport conditions). After subjecting flowers to pulsing and storage treatments, treated cut flower spikes were hold in distilled water as permanent vase solution to record the effects on vase life. All tested pulsing solutions significantly increased vase life and florets opening %, decreased contamination in vase solution, improved water balance for cut flower spikes, and maintained flower quality; i.e., anthocyanin content in petals. Pulsing treatment of STS at 1: 4 mM for 30 minutes, then in solution containing 20 % S + 200 ppm 8-HQS for 12 hours had the most favorable effect in this respect. As the cold storage period was increased from zero-time to 10- days, the above mentioned characters of cut flower longevity and quality were decreased. When pulsing applications interacted with cold storage periods, the highest quality and the longest vase life of Strelitzia reginae L. cut flower spikes were obtained under the interaction treatments of pulsing Atividade antibacterian a de óleos essenciais Pereira RS et al 398 GENDY AND HAMAD in STS for 30 min. and then in 20% S + 200 ppm 8-HQS for 12 hours without cold storage or with storage for 5-days at 6±1°C compared to control and the other interaction treatments. Key words: Storage & preservative solution, vase life & quality of strelitzia reginae L., cut flowers. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, cut flowers occupy an important position in the local and foreign markets because of their importance as a source of national income. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae L.) cut flower spikes represent one of the most desirable and important flowering crops. Preservative materials used as pulsing seemed to prolong flower longevity. In this respect, some preservatives materials; i.e., sucrose (S), 8- hydroxy quinolene sulphate (8-HQS), silver thiosulphate (STS) and ethanol extracts of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) or German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) frequently used as pulsing solutions. On cut snapdragon flowers, sucrose inhibited ethylene synthesis and consequently delayed flower senescence as well as promoted bud opening (Ichimura and Hisamatsu, 1999). Also, 8-hydroxy quinoline sulphate (8- HQS) eliminated bacterial growth in vase solution, the principal reason for reduction water uptake and transport, so it delayed gerbera flower senescence (Abdel Kader, 1987). Additionally, silver thiosulphate (STS) was reported as most effective bactericide and an inhibitor to ethylene production and action, (Nowak and Rudnicki, 1990). With the presence of sucrose (S), adding germicide such as 8-HQS was necessary to inhibit microbial growth (Sacalis 1993). Since, S reduced the initial water uptake due to the caused reduction in osmotic potential of S solution. While, 8-HQS prevented growth of microorganisms in xylem and thus maintained water uptake by flower stems. Reid et al. (2001) reported that pulsing solution treatment of 20 % S + 250 ppm 8-HQS significantly improved vase life and flower opening of cut tuberose spikes. Similarly, Sashikala et al., (2001) on gladiolus reported that pulsing spikes with 20% S combined with 4 mM STS increased florets longevity and vase life. Since, STS inhibited ethylene action and reduced lipoxygenase activity as well as served as an antibacterial component. Extract of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) leaves contains many compounds; i.e., 1, 8 cineol, eugenol, methyl-eugenol, thymol, p-cimene, cis- ocimene, and cis-caryophyllene. It inhibited organisms' growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Ntezurubanza et al., 1987). J. Product. & Dev., 16(3),2011 399 Also, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) flower extract contains flavonoids, including flavone glycosides such as apigenin 7-glucoside and flavonols as quercetin glycosides and luteolin glucosides (Srivastava & Gupta, 2007). The pharmacological effect of chamomile is mainly connected with its essential oils (Salamon, 2007). Subjecting cut flowers to cold conditions during different handling processes; i.e., after cutting during grading and storage as well as transportation is an essential practice. Storage cut flowers at the optimum low temperature under high relative humidity percentage frequently delayed senescence and maintained flower quality. Song et al., (1992) on gladiolus cut flowers, they studied the effect of cold storage periods of 1 or 2 weeks at 8 °C, found that increasing storage period markedly reduced vase life. While, Palanikumar et al., (2000) recorded an enhancement in vas life and quality of cut roses by dry packaging and storage at 4 °C and 70 – 75% relative humidity for 4 or 5 days. When pulsing solutions was combined with cold storage, Kushal et al., (2000) stated that subjecting gladiolus cut flower spikes to pulsing solution treatment of 20% S + 200 ppm 8-HQS for 20 h at 23 ± 2°C was more effective than at 5 ± 1°C since, this combined treatment controlled bacterial growth and increased vase life. Waithaka et al., (2001) on cut tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) recorded that pulsing spikes with 20% S solution containing 8- HQS before cold storage significantly improved vase life. Therefore, the main purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of some pulsing solution treatments, cold storage periods under simulate transport cool truck conditions as well as their interaction treatments for prolonging longevity and keeping quality of Strelitzia reginae L. cut flower spikes. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present work was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2007 and 2008 at the Hort. Lab. Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University to evaluate effects of cold storage periods, pulsing solution treatments and their interactions on vase life and quality of Strelitzia reginae L. cut flower spikes. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae L.) inflorescences consist of boat-shaped bracts containing a series of 5- 6 flowers were used in this study. Flower spikes were supplied from Agriculture Faculty Farm, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. The uniform flower spikes at colored bud stage (the first emerging orange flower) with 90 cm. long and about 1 cm. diameter were harvested at the morning, and then they were warped in tissue paper and quickly transported to the laboratory. Flower spikes bases were 400 GENDY AND HAMAD re-cut (10 cm.) just before treatments and placed in glass containers containing distilled water, under Lab. conditions; i. e., 24 hours fluorescent light (about 500 lux), temperature of 25±2 °C and at 60–70% relative humidity. The experiment was started on the 1st November at the two tested seasons of 2007 and 2008. The Experimental Treatments: 1. Pulsing treatments: Pulsing solution treatments were applied on Strelitzia reginae L. cut flower spikes just before subjecting flowers to the tested cold storage treatments. However, pulsing treatments were implicated holding spikes in five different solutions as follows: 1. Pulsing in distilled water (d.w) for 12 hours as control treatment. 2. Pulsing in silver thiosulphate (STS) at 1: 4 mM for 30 minutes. 3. Pulsing in STS at 1: 4 mM for 30 minutes, then in solution containing 20% sucrose (S) + 200 ppm Ocimum basilicum leaf extract (OE) for 12 hours. 4. Pulsing in STS at 1: 4 mM for 30 minutes, then in solution containing 20% S + 200 ppm Matricaria chamomilla flower extract (ME) for 12 hours. 5. Pulsing in STS at 1: 4 mM for 30 minutes, then in solution containing 20% S + 200 ppm 8-hydroxy quinolene sulphate (8-HQS) for 12 hours. Silver thiosulphate (STS) was freshly prepared when ever needed according to the procedure described by Gorin et al., (1985) as follows: 1. Dissolving 0.079 g of (AgNO3) in 500 ml distilled water (solution 1). 2. Dissolving 0.462 g of (Na2S2O3, 5H2O) in 500 ml distilled water (solution 2). 3. Pouring solution 1 on solution 2 with stirring. The end concentration of silver was 0.463 mM. To prepare the tested plant material extracts, leaves of Ocimum basilicum and flowers of Matricaria chamomilla were collected from Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, plant materials were thoroughly washed using tap water and rinsed with distilled water. Then, they were subjected to 60 oC for 30 minutes for ensure stopping enzyme activity (Effraim et al., 2000). Then, collected plant materials were dried at airy and shady place. The dried materials were finely grinded and the powders were extracted in ethanol alcohol for 72 hours (one liter for 500 g powder) using Soxhlet extractor. Then, the extracts were filtered and concentrated at 40 °C using a rotary evaporator.