The present investigation showed senescence inhibition of oyster
mushrooms by the combined effect of chemical treatment and
MAP, resulting in maintenance of tissue firmness and sensory quality,
inhibition of lipid peroxidation and better retention of phenolics
and antioxidant ability as compared to the control samples. These
results suggest that a combination of chemical treatment and MAP
has good promise in maintaining oyster mushroom quality and
extending their postharvest life up to 25 d when stored at 4 ◦C.
Another important observation made was that the use of chemical
treatment alone was more effective than the use of MAP alone
with either of the two gas compositions used in this study. High
weight loss with visible evidence of deterioration and senescence
were the main effects observed in the chemically untreated samples.
Thus, the use of chemical treatments should be explored with
other gas compositions and packaging materials for extending the
shelf life of oyster mushrooms.