Studies to prolong storage life of mango fruits.
Samar A. M. A. S., Abd-Allah A. S. E., Eman A. A. A. E.
Author Affiliation: FruitHandling Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Journal of Applied Sciences Research 9 : 6508-6520
Abstract : Postharvest management of mangoes is important for their successful marketing. In this context edible, coating has been used for prolonging the storage life and preserving the quality of fresh fruits. This investigation was carried out during two successive seasons 2011-2012. The main aim was to evaluate the effect of gelatine, lemongrass and Arabic gum as edible coatings on the storability and quality of Keitt mango, during cold storage at (13°C, 90% RH) for duration of 35 days. The design included T1 (control), T2 (gelatine at 8%), T3 (gelatine at 4%), T4 (gelatine at 2%), T5 (gelatine at 8% + lemongrass at 0.5%), T6 (lemongrass at 0.5%) and T7 (Arabic gum at 10%). The evaluated quality parameters included weight loss, firmness, decay, external and internal colors, and chemical parameters such as titratable acidity, total soluble solids and ascorbic acid. Generally, the results indicated that coated Keitt mangoes showed a significant delay in the changes of weight loss, firmness, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, decay and color of the fruits, compared to uncoated ones. Application of the gelatine at different percentages solely or in combination with lemongrass is more effective than the lemongrass or Arabic gum individually. Further, Arabic gum and lemongrass were less efficient than the others edible coating materials.