Chitosan coating improves the shelf life and postharvest quality of table grape (Vitis vinifera) cultivar Shahroudi

Abstract

Table grapes (Vitis vinifera) of the cultivar Shahroudi were coated with 0.5% or 1% chitosan and then stored at 0 °C for 60 days. Shelf-life qualitative traits including rachis and berry appearance and berry cracking, shattering, decay, browning, acceptability, and flavor were evaluated. Treated berries showed less weight loss, decay, browning, shattering, and cracking. Flavor-related factors such as total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and TSS/TA ratio levels were higher in treated fruits; however, there was no significant difference between the fruits treated with 0.5% and 1% chitosan. Changes of the total phenolics, catechin, and antioxidant capacity of the berries coated with chitosan were delayed, while quercetin 3-galactoside and total quercetin were higher in the control treatment. Overall, fruits coated with chitosan had greater external adequacy than untreated ones. © TÜBİTAK.