Brassinosteroids Improve Postharvest Quality, Antioxidant Compounds, and Reduce Chilling Injury in ‘Arrayana’ Mandarin Fruits under Cold Storage

‘Arrayana’ mandarin is one of the most cultivated citrus species in Colombia, but this fruit has a short postharvest life and sensitive to chilling injury (CI) during cold storage. Generating strategies that decrease CI can reduce quantitative qualitative losses postharvest. Brassinosteroids (BR) have been used as sustainable technology alleviate fruits improve quality. This study evaluated effect applying 24-epibrasinolide analogue (EBR), at doses 5 mg L−1; DI-31 analogue, 10 control, on main physical biochemical characteristics stored 4 °C for 40 days and, subsequently, 7 room temperature (shelf life). The application EBR analogues reduced appearance exocarp by reducing electrolyte leakage, maintaining membrane integrity, increasing antioxidant activity phenol content end storage shelf life. was especially pronounced with L−1 EBR. Similarly, BR maintained quality mandarins weight loss, respiratory intensity, chlorophyll degradation; β-carotene; titratable acidity soluble solids. Our research reports, first time, tolerance Arrayana using natural (EBR) spirostanic (DI-31) illustrates functionality