Chitin nanofiber coating retains postharvest quality and extends shelf life of mango.

Abstract

Purpose: Mango is a well-known fruit in tropical and sub-tropical countries, including Bangladesh. However, mangoes are climacteric fruits and exhibit limited storage life due to a high respiration rate. Mangoes are also susceptible to particular storage pathogens at postharvest and thus possess a short shelf life. Research Method: Mature mangoes were treated with different concentrations of chitin nanofiber (CNF) and stored in ambient conditions to evaluate the effect of CNF (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%) on postharvest quality and shelf life. Disease-free and physiologically mature mangoes were collected from an orchard. The experiment was devised following a Completely Randomized Design with three replications, and each replication consisted of 10 fruits. Fruits were evaluated for physical quality (weight loss, fruit firmness, and color changes), chemical attributes [ changes in total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), vitamin C content], microbial (disease incidence and disease severity), and shelf life. Findings: The application of 0.3% CNF maintains fruit color (6.33 vs. 4), decreases disease incidence (62.5% vs. 100%) and prolongs the shelf life (8.5 days vs. 6.02 days) of mangoes than the control. Similarly, 0.1% of CNF retains vitamin C (24.33 mg/100g vs. 12.33 mg/100g), decreases disease severity (62% vs. 85.68%), and 0.5% of CNF reduces weight loss (19.34% vs. 31.4%) than the control. Research Limitations: CNF preparation requires lab facilities and technical expertise, and it is costly. Originality/Value: CNF 0.3% has the potential to maintain postharvest quality and extend the shelf life of mangoes. However, more research is needed to make the final recommendation at the farmers’ level.