The study was conducted to investigate the behavior of three different edible coatings formulations on the overall postharvest quality of ready to eat Orion nectarines under fresh-cut commercial storage conditions. Three different coatings were used: 1.5% (w/v) sodium alginate coating, 2% (w/v) chitosan coating plus a solution of 1.5% (w/v) of chitosan plus 1% (w/v) sodium alginate. Fresh-cut nectarines variations in color, flesh firmness, total soluble solids content (TSSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA) plus polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity were measured. Moreover microorganism counts of molds plus yeasts were analyzed. The results indicated that treatments with alginate inhibited decrease in firmness, titratable acidity plus delayed flesh browning. Furthermore alginate inhibited the PPO activity throughout the storage period considered. Chitosan coating reduced microorganism proliferation of molds plus yeasts compared to control treatment. Our study recommends that alginate edible coating treatment may be a desirable method to maintain fresh-cut nectarines quality plus to improve nectarines postharvest life.
The consumer request of ready to eat vegetables plus fruit has increased due to changes of lifestyle based on the demand for hale plus healthy foods, together with the busy lifestyle. However, mechanical operations like washing, sorting, peeling plus slicing or chopping necessary to produce fresh-cut fruits products, damage fruit soft tissues plus consequently limit their postharvest life (Chiabrando plus Giacalone, 2013; Oms-Oliu et al., 2010). Then fresh-cut fruits are more delicate than the whole. The main aspects that affect the acceptance or not of the consumer being discoloration of the tissues, flesh browning plus texture, dehydration plus water losses. For these reasons, fruit processing companies needs the advance of different postharvest practices able to maintaining safety, shelf-life plus to preserve the visual plus organoleptic fresh-like characteristics of fruits. A current method to extend plus improved the shelf-life of minimally processed fruit plus vegetables is the use of edible coatings. Edible coatings makes a semipermeable barrier to O2, CO2 plus water, with the consequent reduction of weight losses, respiration rate plus enzymatic browning (Correa-Betanzo et al., 2011). The dasar constituents of coatings for fruit plus vegetables are lipids, proteins plus polysaccharides. These coatings are directly applied on the superficial part of minimally processed or whole fruit or vegetables. There is a lot of polymers that have been used as coatings for fruit plus vegetables, like sodium alginate, gellan, carboxymethyl cellulose, chitosan plus whey plus soy proteins (Chiabrando plus Giacalone, 2013; Navarro-Tarazaga et al., 2008; Rojas-Grau et al., 2009; Reinoso et al., 2008). Maintenance of quality has been reached using chitosan coating in peaches plus nectarines (Chiabrando plus Giacalone, 2013; Li plus Yu, 2001), pectin coating in melons (Ferrari et al., 2013), sodium alginate in apples plus blueberries (Chiabrando plus Giacalone, 2015; Maftoonazad et al., 2008; Olivas et al., 2007), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose plus proteins in plums (Navarro-Tarazaga et al. 2008; Reinoso et al., 2008)