Guar and Eremurus Edible Coatings Enhance Postharvest Quality of Pomegranate Fruits
Summary
One effective method for extending the shelf life of harvested fruits is through the application of edible coatings. This study investigates the effect of edible guar (0.5%, 1%, and 2%) and eremurus (0.5%, 1%, and 1.25%) coatings on the storage life of pomegranate fruits cv. ‘Rababe Neyrize Fars’. The fruits were treated with different concentrations of the edible coatings. After drying, the fruits were stored in a roofed storage at the orchard with a temperature of 6 °C and relative humidity of 45% for three months. Fruits were taken out of the storage every month and various characteristics were measured. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of guar and eremurus coatings significantly reduced weight loss, and the highest weight loss (16.78%) was observed in uncovered pomegranates. Fruits covered with different concentrations of guar had higher antioxidant capacity and taste index compared to the control samples. The highest vitamin C (16.44 mg 100 mL-1) and phenol (268.61 mg 100 mL-1) were observed in 1% guar coating treatment, while the lowest amount was observed in the control samples. Higher TA was recorded in fruits treated with different concentrations of eremurus compared to uncovered pomegranates. Using 1.25% eremurus coating maintained the appearance quality of the fruits and 1% guar treatment also obtained the highest scores in terms of taste, juiciness and overall evaluation of the fruit. In conclusion, the results of the study suggest that guar and eremurus coatings are effective in increasing the postharvest life of pomegranate fruits.
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