Improve the Effectiveness of Inhibiting Pathogenic Fungus and Maintaining the Quality of Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) Post-Harvest by Indigenous Lactic Bacteria

Abstract

The change in the quality of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) fruit after harvest is mainly dehydration. Rambutan fruit peel is often dark (brown) and fruit rot due to fungal disease. This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus bacteria strains [Lactobacillus plantarum CC6 (CC6), Lactobacillus fermentum DC2 (DC2), Lactobacillus fermentum DGMC2 (DGMC2)] with/without supplement combinations [chitosan 0.03% (Chito), alginate 0.03% (SA) and carboxymethyl cellulose 0.5% (CMC)] on the quality of Java rambutan fruit during storage at 13 °C, and included a sample without treatment with bacteria and chemical considered as the control. The results showed that among 16 treatments on rambutan fruits immediately after harvesting, the four treatments that showed the best results were CC6-Chito, DC2-Chito, CC6-CMC and DC2–SA, and DC2-Chito was more effective than the others. However, all four of these treatments supported the preservation of rambutan fruit, reducing both weight loss and browning of the skin and stem, and kept the infection rate at the lowest level. The brightness and peel color values were highest for these treatments.