Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables are very susceptible to degradation mainly due tosome handling practices, fungal decay, chilling injury, irradiation, inadequate temperature andrelative humidity, and several other types of stress (Chan & Tian, 2006; Yahia, 2010). Thesefactors can reduce the antioxidant content and therefore the nutritional quality of fresh fruits andvegetables. Several postharvest treatments have been used to preserve the quality fruits andvegetables and they may also influence their antioxidant potential, including ultraviolet light,Downloaded by [Nipissing University] at 11:07 13 October 2014ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT4 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPTcontrolled and modified atmospheres, edible coatings, heat treatments, and application of naturalcompounds, among others