Application of chitosan edible coating on fresh strawberry fruit [Fragaria sp. 'Holibert') during storage in a tropical environment

摘要

Quality of fresh strawberry (Fragaria sp. 'Holibert') in tropical environment conditions sharply decreases and the fruit has a short shelf-life. We applied a coating method using chitosan to preserve quality of the strawberry fruit during storage. Chitosan is a semi-crystalline polymer as a biopolymer gel coating to cover strawberry fruit skin with standard formulation. Strawberry fruit at full and 70% maturity level are used and the quality parameter of fresh strawberry were measured such as weightloss, texture, color of skin, water content, total soluble solid content, vitamin C and titratable acidity. Tropical storage temperature without controlled temperature was used as a control and then compared with controlled temperature at 4°C with RH 90-92% and 10°C with 62-68% RH. Several quality parameters of strawberry fruit such as weight loss, texture, color of skin, and water content could be kept stable in conditions using chitosan coating at controlled temperature and non-controlled temperature storage. However, other quality parameters of strawberry fruit such as titratable acidity, vitamin C, and total soluble solid content were not significantly affected. Storage of strawberry fruit in lower temperature in tropical conditions with and without chitosan coating were better than higher temperature storage conditions. Shelf-life of strawberry fruit using chitosan edible coating can be longer than uncoated strawberry fruit. Chitosan coating can preserve physical quality conditions and increaseshelf life of strawberry fruit during storage in tropical environment conditions.