Indian Journal of Science and Technology
DOI: 10.17485/ijst/2014/v7i5.4
Year: 2014, Volume: 7, Issue: 5, Pages: 554–558
Original Article
K. Rama Krishna1* and D. V. Sudhakar Rao2
1 Department of Horti., Postharvest Technology, UHS, GKVK Campus, Bangalore-560065, Karnataka, India; ramakrishna.karri001@gmail.com
2 Division of Post Harvest Technology, IIHR, Bangalore-500089, Karnataka, India; dvsrao@iihr.ernet.in
The effect of chitosan coating on the physico-chemical characteristics of guava cv. Allahabad Safeda fruits stored at room temperature (28-32°C and 32-41% RH) was investigated. The fruits were treated with chitosan (1% and 2%) to study its effect on the postharvest life and quality of guava. Various storage attributes were studied at successive intervals of storage. In general, Physiological Loss in Weight (PLW %), respiration rate and TSS increased while firmness and acidity decreased with storage duration. Among various treatments, 1% chitosan treatment was found effective in extending the shelf life upto7 days, as it delayed ripening and retained greater firmness with reduced PLW%. However, the fruits treated with 2% chitosan showed uneven ripening and didn’t turn yellow even at the end of shelf life, attributed to CO2 injury.
Keywords: Chitosan, Guava, Postharvest Quality, Respiration, Storage
Subscribe now for latest articles and news.