Title: Effects of chitosan-based coatings containing peppermint essential oil on the quality of post-harvest papaya fruit

Authors: Isabelle Picard; Robert G. Hollingsworth; Marisa Wall; Kate Nishijima; Stéphane Salmieri; Khanh Dang Vu; Monique Lacroix

Addresses: Research Laboratory in Sciences Applied to Food, INRS-Institut Armand Frappier, Canadian Irradiation Center, 531 Boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Quebec, H7V 1B7, Canada ' U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 64 Nowelo Street, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA ' U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 64 Nowelo Street, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA ' U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, 64 Nowelo Street, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA ' Research Laboratory in Sciences Applied to Food, INRS-Institut Armand Frappier, Canadian Irradiation Center, 531 Boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Quebec H7V 1B7, Canada ' Research Laboratory in Sciences Applied to Food, INRS-Institut Armand Frappier, Canadian Irradiation Center, 531 Boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Quebec H7V 1B7, Canada ' Research Laboratory in Sciences Applied to Food, INRS-Institut Armand Frappier, Canadian Irradiation Center, 531 Boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Quebec H7V 1B7, Canada

Abstract: Edible coatings comprised of antimicrobial polymers based on chitosan are promising technologies to preserve post-harvest fruit quality. In this study, we investigated the potential utility of a coating made from chitosan modified by N-acylation with fatty acid to preserve post-harvest papaya quality. Peppermint essential oil (EO) was added to the chitosan-based coatings as an antifungal agent. A formulation which contained a high concentration of peppermint EO (1.0%) without chitosan apparently damaged the peel, resulting in higher peel discolouration, less colour development and lower marketability. The most promising treatment was unmodified chitosan (1%) in combination with peppermint EO (0.2%). The fruits treated with this formulation showed less peel discolouration than the experimental control and 100% of the fruits were marketable. The modified chitosan apparently increased the hydrophobicity of the coating resulting in a loss of firmness and delayed colour development of coated fruits during ripening.

Keywords: edible coatings; modified chitosan; peppermint essential oil; papaya marketability; chitosan coating; papaya fruit quality; postharvest papaya fruit; antifungal agents; peel discolouration; hydrophobicity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPTI.2013.055845

International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 2013 Vol.3 No.2, pp.178 - 189

Received: 29 Mar 2012
Accepted: 27 Feb 2013
Published online: 05 Jul 2014 *

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