## 3 Results and Discussion
### Physicochemical Parameters of Cucumber Flesh during Storage  
The physicochemical parameters of cucumber flesh samples, including water activity (aw), moisture content (%), color parameters, and texture attributes, were evaluated over a 28-day storage period. The values obtained are presented in Table 4.  
Based on the results, water activity exhibited a significant (\(p<0.05\)) decrease on day 7 of storage, which was followed by insignificant variations until the end of the storage period. The moisture content (%) exhibited fluctuations throughout the storage period, with two significant (\(p<0.05\)) decreases occurring on days 7 and 28. In accordance with the aforementioned findings, [PERSON] et al. [7] reported a reduction in the moisture content of cucumbers with increasing storage time. Regarding the color parameters of the cucumber flesh, the L* (lightness) parameter showed a significant (\(p<0.05\)) increase on day 7, followed by a decrease up to day 22 and a subsequent increase until the end of the storage period. The a* (redness/greenness) parameter demonstrated a significant and progressive (\(p<0.05\)) increase on days 13 and 22. The b* (yellowness/blueness) parameter decreased gradually (\(p<0.05\)) from day 16 to day 22, after which it stabilized until the end of the storage period. The h (hue angle) parameter exhibited two significant (\(p<0.05\)) decreases on days 7 and 28. Interestingly, the findings indicate that a reduction in moisture content may contribute to a decrease in hue values, operating as a time milestone. The color changes in cucumber peel during storage have been the focus of numerous studies, yet there is a lack of reliable reports on color changes in the cucumber flesh. Consequently, the alteration in color parameters of cucumber flesh may be linked to a number of factors, including a decrease in moisture content, chlorophyll degradation, increased respiration due to their high moisture content, and oxygen diffusion into the flesh during storage [20,36]. The firmness, corresponding to the maximum force required to compress the cucumber flesh between the teeth, demonstrated an initial (\(p<0.05\)) increase at day 7, an insignificant fluctuation up to day 16, and afterward, a significant (\(p<0.05\)) and progressive decrease until the end of the storage period. Based on the results, it seems that cucumber preservation at 15 \({}^{\circ}\)C in packaging bags with adequate air ventilation successfully delayed the flesh softening until day 16 of the storage period. Cucumbers are particularly susceptible to chilling injury when stored below 10 \({}^{\circ}\)C, which results in a subsequent breakdown in texture and the structural collapse of the tissue [37,38]. It is reported that keeping cucumbers at temperatures between 10 \({}^{\circ}\)C and 15 \({}^{\circ}\)C is an effective method of preserving their color and firmness while avoiding the induction of chilling injury and yellowing [39,40]. Moreover, the integrity of the cell walls of cucumbers may deteriorate, leading to increased evaporation, transpiration, and metabolic activity in fruits and vegetables stored at temperatures exceeding 20 \({}^{\circ}\)C, which may result in firmness reduction during the storage period [36,41]. Regarding the gradual decrease in cucumber flesh firmness from day 22 until the end of storage period (Table 4), it has been reported that the progressive degradation and solubilization of structural compounds such as pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose in the cell wall of fruits and vegetables (such as peach, banana, pitaya, and kiwifruit) due to the enzymatic