Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

18 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

Studies on disasters can only be inclusive if scholars and practitioners “decolonize” themselves

The discussions on the decolonization of knowledge in disasters are not entirely new and have been the subject of inquiries...

Read More

14 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

“Filipinized” system that aims to make online learning accessible to nursing students and teachers presented at international conference

The project “Development of a Filipinized Learning Management System” (FLMS), funded by the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Program of the the...

Read More

10 Jul 2023

UP Los Baños

Transgender poet reflects on what it means to live under the new presidency

Now is no longer the time for poets is a suite of three poems with the following titles: “To write
another...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Manila

Pilgrimage can help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety

Research by psychologists and other mental health professionals tries to identify effective ways to manage and prevent emotional turbulence, including...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Visayas

A study of Chavacano shows how linguistic prestige evolves with changes in society

Chavacano is the lone Spanish-based creole in Asia and is spoken in different parts of the Philippine archipelago. Among the...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Los Baños

The sentiments of political actors on social media are “carefully manufactured” and affect our sense of nationalism

The sentiments peddled by political actors on social media are not coincidental. Rather, they are carefully manufactured texts that convey...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Los Baños

How do Filipino writers represent the experiences of young non-Western readers of science fiction?

Despite the popularity of young adult literature and speculative fiction locally and globally, there is not a lot of critical...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

What is the optimal position of trees that maximizes walking on urban sidewalks?

Trees can improve the walkability of urban outdoor spaces. Hence, studies have been conducted to examine and elucidate the relationship...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

Calle Crisologo in Vigan is a lived space and Thirdspace for the people who engage with it every day

Christoph Brumann and David Berliner, in their book World Heritage on the Ground: Ethnographic
Perspectives (2016), ask what World Heritage (WH)...

Read More

07 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

The propagandists struggled with homesickness while in exile

Traditional historiographies such as historian John Schumacher’s seminal work on the Propaganda Movement have portrayed the propagandists as larger-than-life individuals...

Read More

10 May 2023

The Provincial Chinese and the Progress of Iloilo Textile in Nineteenth-Century Philippines

Textiles played a significant role in Philippine economic history. In this study, archival materials and records have shown that the...

Read More

10 May 2023

Feeling like a philosopher of education: A collective response to Jackson’s ‘The smiling philosopher’

The article “Feeling like a philosopher of education: A collective response to Jackson’s ‘The smiling philosopher” (2022) aimed at responding...

Read More

Research

The development of diseases and decay in vegetables after harvest limits their shelf life and saleability. To control this, proper postharvest handling and technologies should be applied. There is an increasing concern with the use of synthetic chemicals as postharvest treatments. Hence, there is a need to develop natural and more sustainable methods for controlling diseases in horticultural crops while maintaining good postharvest quality. This study looked at how chitosan, a natural substance found in crustacean shells, affects the quality and shelf life of a type of sweet pepper called ‘Smooth Cayenne’. Peppers were dipped in different chitosan solutions and kept at room temperature for 15 days. Application of a higher concentration of chitosan (1.5%) delayed shriveling and decay by up to 4 days, and made the peppers look better. Chitosan also helped increase certain healthy compounds in the peppers, specifically the total phenolic content. This suggests that using chitosan especially at 1.5% concentration could be a good way to prolong the shelf life and preserve the quality of sweet peppers. This breakthrough holds the potential to significantly reduce postharvest losses in horticultural crops, guaranteeing that they reach consumers in optimal condition.

Photo by Marbie Alpos

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.56899/152.03.13