Enhancing the Quality of Ripened ‘Irwin’ Mangoes and the Shelf Life through Chitosan Edible Coating and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Abstract

The biochemical changes in mangoes during ripening affect the fruit composition and quality, making these fruits vulnerable to rapid quality deterioration given their climacteric nature. This study examined the effects of an edible chitosan coating and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on room-temperature and cold storage conditions in an effort to enhance the quality of the 'Irwin' mangoes in two experiments. The 100 μL•L -1 and 500 μL•L -1 chitosan coating treatments used here were applied twice as preharvest treatments. Soon after harvest, mangoes were treated with 500 μL•L -1 chitosan postharvest treatment and 80,000 cc and 150,000 cc MAPs along with control and chitosan pre-treated fruits. The fruits in these cases were kept under room-temperature storage conditions in our first experiment. The control and 100 μL•L -1 and 500 μL•L -1 chitosan-preharvest-treated fruits were kept in cold storage at 7°C for 14 days and then exposed to room-temperature conditions as our second experiment. The physicochemical characteristics and respiration rate were subsequently analyzed. Remarkably, MAP types at room temperature were found to affect quality retention and weight maintenance positively compared to the chitosan treatments. However, the physicochemical characteristics were retained during cold storage, and the weight loss% changed moderately after exposure to room-temperature conditions. The soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and respiration rates were not significant, and firmness was decreased significantly only in the control treatment in the days after cold storage. In addition, apparent chromaticity variations could not be obtained from the front and back sides of the fruits. Notably, our first experiment pinpointed MAPs as ideal for room-temperature storage, while our second experiment highlighted the preharvest chitosan treatments as optimal for cold storage. These emerged as the foremost strategies, significantly enhancing the post-harvest quality and extending the shelf life of fully ripe 'Irwin' mangoes.