Effect of chitosan coating on ripening and postharvest life of mango fruit cv. Nam Dok Mai Sithong
Weena Mekwatanakarn; arunruth Ananthut and Pranomporn Chernkasa
Proceedings of the APEC symposium on postharvest handling systems Bangkok, Thailand September 1-3, 2003. p. 321
2003
บทคัดย่อ
Effect of chitosan coating on ripening and postharvest life of mango fruit cv. Nam Dok Mai Sithong
A study was conducted to investigate an appropriate concentration of chitosan coating on ripening and post-harvest life of mango fruits at room temperature (30°C) and at 15°C. Mango fruits were coated with aqueous solution of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % chitosan (w/v) dissolved in 0.5 % acetic acid. Experiments were conducted comprising of five treatments, uncoated (control), 0.5 % acetic acid, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % chitosan coating, and then stored at 30 °C and at 15 °C. Changes in color, firmness and weight loss were measured every two and three days during storage periods at 30 °C and 15 °C respectively. 1 % and 1.5 % chitosan coating could help in delay ripening for 6 days at room temperature and 15 days at 15 °C. Coating mango fruit with 1 and 1.5 % chitosan significantly reduced color development and softening. Application of chitosan coating also reduced weight loss and partially inhibited decay of mango fruit during storage. However, mango fruits coated with 1.5 % showed abnormally changed in ripening with fermented odor. They became yellow before they softened. Therefore, an appropriate concentration of chitosan coating for mango fruits would need to be high enough to delay ripening and reduce disease occurrence, yet low enough to help the fruit to develop color and soften normally after removing from storage. Further investigation need to be done on intermediate concentrations between these levels to assess and make use of beneficial role of chitosan in inhibition of ripening and senescence process of postharvest mango and, to some extent, controlling decay of mango fruits.