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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2025)

Shelf-life extension of guava and eggplant fruits using chitosan-sodium alginate based antimicrobial composite coating functionalized with clove-soy lecithin nanoemulsion

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.7980
Submitted
28 February 2025
Published
22-07-2025 — Updated on 29-07-2025
Versions

Abstract

In the present study, effects of chitosan-sodium alginate composite coatings functionalized with clove-soy lecithin nanoemulsion were investigated on the postharvest shelf life and quality characteristics of guava and eggplant fruits at room storage condition (23±3 °C, RH- 60-65 %). The postharvest characteristics such as weight loss, acidity, TSS, respiration rate, antioxidant activity and visual appearance of the fruits were determined up to 12 days of storage. The results revealed that the application of chitosan-sodium alginate composite effective to maintained higher postharvest characteristics of guava and eggplant fruits as compared to control and coating with alone chitosan and sodium alginate. The F3 (50:50, chitosan-sodium alginate) composite coating was found most significant with retarded the weight loss in guava and eggplant. On 12 days of storage, the significantly (p>0.05) lower weight loss (9.24 %, 10.9 %), respiration rate (22.48 mg CO2kg-1h-1, 18.78 mg CO2kg-1h-1), total soluble solids (9.87°Brix, 4.96 °Brix) with higher maintained of titratable acidity (0.49 %, 0.36 %), antioxidant activity (53.745 %, 33.09 %) and total phenolic content (129.74 mg/100g, 49.09 mg/100g), respectively was found in guava and eggplants fruits treated with F3 composite coating formulation followed by F4 and F2 coating formulations. The control (distilled water) samples showed higher weight loss (18.02 %, 21.84 %), TSS (10.78 °Brix, 5.78°Brix), with lower values of acidity (0.29 %, 0.22 %), antioxidant (39.12 %, 23.01 %) and total phenolic content (89.64 mg/100 g, 32.86 mg/100 g), respectively in both guava and eggplant fruits, respectively.  

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