Tommy Atkins mango (Mangifera indica L.) postharvest quality with cassava starch, chitosan and pectin based coatings

Abstract

Bearing in mind the use of natural and biodegradable products, this study aimed to evaluate physicochemical quality of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mangoes coated with a cassava starch, chitosan and pectin based edible coatings. The experiment was conducted using simplex-centroid mixture design. Compounds concentration corresponded to the independent variables studied, encoded as factors x1, x2 and x3: 1– cassava starch (CS) 2%; 2– chitosan (CH) 2%; and 3– pectin (PE) with 2% of water polymers. Seven coating compositions (100% CS; 100% CH; 100% PE; 50% CS + 50% CH; 50% CS + 50% PE; 50% CH + 50% PE and 33.33% CS + 33.33% CH 33.33% PE (center point)), and uncoated control treatment with five replications per treatment, with four replications having five fruits treated in the center point were used. Fruits were stored for 28 days at 13°C and 90% relative humidity (RH). Physiological loss, appearance, pulp color: lightness, chroma and hue angle, fruit firmness, soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, and ratio were evaluated as dependent variables. Significant difference occurred with Scott-Knott tests and response surface for all the analyzed variables. Increase in physiological loss, soluble solids content were observed from fruits of all treatments. Decrease in appearance, fruit firmness, lightness in pulp color were observed. Fruits coated with mixtures of chitosan at 50 and 33.33% showed lower physiological loss. Coated fruits from all treatments presented lower fruit firmness than the control, except for SC + PE (1:1) treatment which provided similar result with the control group. Coating based in cassava starch and chitosan at 50% delayed the buildup of soluble solids and ensured reduction and/or maintenance of the variables of quality analyzed. Key words: Coatings, conservation, Mangifera indica L., postharvest, storage.