title: Effect of chitosan coating combined with postharvest calcium treatment on strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) quality during refrigerated storage.
abstract: Strawberries (Fragaria×ananassa Duch.) were coated with either 1% or 1.5% chitosan (CS) or chitosan combined with calcium gluconate (CaGlu). Following treatment, strawberries were stored at 10°C and 70±5% RH for one week. The effectiveness of the treatments in extending fruit shelf-life was evaluated by determining fungal decay, respiration rate, quality attributes and overall visual appearance. No sign of fungal decay was observed during the storage period for fruit coated with 1.5% CS (with or without the addition of CaGlu) or 1% CS+0.5% CaGlu. By contrast, 12.5% of the strawberries coated with 1% CS lacking calcium salt were infected after five days of storage. The chitosan coating reduced respiration activity, thus delaying ripening and the progress of fruit decay due to senescence. Chitosan coatings delayed changes in weight loss, firmness and external colour compared to untreated samples. Strawberries coated with 1.5% chitosan exhibited less weight loss and reduced darkening than did those treated with 1% chitosan, independently of the presence or absence of CaGlu. However, addition of calcium to the 1% chitosan solution increased the firmness of the fruit. Coated samples had greater visual acceptability than had untreated fruits. The addition of calcium gluconate to the chitosan coating formulation increased the nutritional value by incrementing the calcium content of the fruit.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, CSIC, Apdo. Correos 73, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: phernan@iata.csic.es.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hernández-Muñoz
authors.affiliation: School of Packaging, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-122, United States.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Almenar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, CSIC, Apdo. Correos 73, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Valeria Del
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, CSIC, Apdo. Correos 73, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Dinoraz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Velez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, CSIC, Apdo. Correos 73, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gavara
keywords: Calcium gluconate; Chitosan concentration; Refrigerated storage; Shelf-life; Strawberry