Postharvest Applications of Chitosan and Plastic Wrapping to Mangosteen Fruits of Different Fruit Stages in Affecting Fruit Shelf-Life and Qualities

Abstract

Mangosteen is a highly valued horticultural commodity and selection for a postharvest technology is needed. The research objective was to study the effects of chitosan and plastic wrapping applied to mangosteen fruits harvested in different stages to prolong fruit shelf-life and maintain high qualities. This research used a randomized complete block design of 4 x 3 x 2 factorial. The first factor was maturity stage (0, 2, 3, and 4), the second was chitosan (0, 1.25, and 2.50 %), and the third was plastic wrapping (without and with one-layer plastic wrapping). The results showed that fruit stages 0 and 2 had a shelf-life 2.96 and 3.15 days longer, consecutively, compared to later stages. Single-chitosan treatment of 2.5% was able to extend shelf-life by 6.48 days longer than the control, and plastic wrapping was able to prolong shelf-life by 3.85 days longer than the control. Applying 2.50% chitosan and plastic wrapping to stages 0 and 2 lengthened significantly fruit shelf-life to 21.20 and 19.83 days, consecutively, with the fruit qualities were unaffected. Because there may be missjuged on fruit physiological maturity to fruits of stage 0, applying 2.50% chitosan and plastic wrapping to fruit stage 2 seems to be more reasonable.