Physicochemical properties of eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) fruits as affected by cassava starch coating during low temperature storage: Optimisation of coating conditions

Abstract

Eggplant, a major fruit consumed in Africa, suffers from huge losses in quality due to the high perishability of the fruit after harvest. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of cassava starch coating combined with low temperature storage on extending the quality of eggplant fruits, and to determine the optimal coating conditions. Eggplants were coated with 2% starch solution with or without 1% citric acid pre-treatment, stored at 10°C and the changes in quality of the fruits monitored for 17 days. Cassava starch coating helped to reduce weight loss, while maintaining the colour and firmness of the fruits. Further improvements in quality were observed in fruits pre-treated with citric acid prior to coating. The nutritional composition (total phenolic content, ascorbic acid and total antioxidant capacity) of the fruits were also enhanced by the coating. A response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design was used to determine the optimal coating conditions.