Abstract
The effectiveness of chitosan fruit coating to delay the qualitative and nutraceutical traits of three strawberry cultivars, namely “Candonga”, “Jonica” and “Sabrina”, as well as the effects of chitosan on antioxidant enzymes were evaluated. The fruits were coated with 1% and 2% chitosan solution and stored at 2 °C for nine days. Samples were taken every three days. Physico-chemical (weight loss, soluble solid content and titratable acidity) and nutraceutical (total polyphenol, anthocyanin, flavonoid, ascorbic acid content and antioxidant capacity) properties along with the enzymatic activity (catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and lipoxygenase (LOX)) were evaluated. Chitosan treatment significantly reduced water loss and delayed the qualitative changes in color, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content in dose- and cultivar-dependent manners. Additionally, changes in the total polyphenol, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant capacity of chitosan-coated strawberry fruits were delayed. Chitosan coating enhanced the activity of some antioxidant enzymes, preventing flesh browning and reducing membrane damage. A global view of the responses of the three strawberry cultivars to chitosan coating and storage temperature was obtained using principal component analysis. Chitosan-coated fruit exhibited a slower rate of deterioration, compared to uncoated fruit in all tested cultivars.
Highlights
Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) is a “false fruit”, highly appreciated worldwide for its unique taste and distinct flavor, and for its health benefits
The weight loss increased throughout the cold storage period in chitosan-coated and uncoated strawberry fruit with significant (p < 0.05) differences among and within the strawberry cultivars (Figure 1a)
Chitosan coating is a valid tool to improve the postharvest life of strawberry cultivars
Summary
Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) is a “false fruit”, highly appreciated worldwide for its unique taste and distinct flavor, and for its health benefits. Edible coating with semipermeable films might extend the postharvest life of strawberry through a reduction of moisture, gas exchange, respiration and oxidative reaction rates [11,12]. Chitosan-based coatings are considered the best edible and biologically safe preservative coatings for different types of fruits, with functional advantages, such as slower respiration rates, extended storage periods, firmness retention and controlled microbial growth [4,15,16]. To enlarge the knowledge of chitosan as a strawberry-coating compound, we evaluated the influence of two chitosan coating postharvest treatments on three strawberry cultivars based on changes in the total phenol, anthocyanin, flavonoid and ascorbic acid contents and the antioxidant capacity during cold storage. The effectiveness of the chitosan coating treatments on postharvest oxidative stress in strawberry fruit was investigated
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