Authors Shah, S.; Hashmi, M.S.
Mango is an extremely perishable fruit with a short postharvest time, and a considerable proportion of harvested mangoes become spoiled due to the postharvest decay in mango-producing areas of the world. The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of chitosan on the storage life of mango. Mango samples were coated with 750, 1000, and 1500 ppm chitosan solution, before storing them in the open or zip-bags under ambient and refrigeration conditions for different storage periods. Changes in different physical and chemical parameters were recorded to evaluate the treatments effectiveness in extending fruit shelf-life and sustaining postharvest quality of mangoes. The results showed that chitosan coating was able to reduce weight loss up to 65% in comparison to the uncoated control. Total mold and bacterial counts were also significantly lower in postharvest mangos when they were coated with chitosan compared to the uncoated samples. In addition, different fruit quality attributes, such as vitamin C content, titratable acidity, sugar content, ash, and protein content were also retained to a considerable extent by the chitosan coatings. Chitosan, a naturally occurring alkaline polysaccharide, is a biodegradable macromolecule, originated from the deacetylation of nontoxic and bio-functional chitin. Chitosan is one of the well-studied biopolymers, and it has a wide range of application prospects in agricultural production due to its inherent antimicrobial activity, low cost, abundant availability, nontoxicity, good film-forming properties, and biocompatibility. The strong inherent antimicrobial and antifungal properties of chitosan make it effective against fruit decay through the improvement of shelf-life and by inhibiting microbial infestation. Exogenous chitosan treatment decreases the transpiration and loss of firmness, increases the antioxidant capacity, and improves the overall quality of the harvested fruit. By modulating the physiological metabolism of fruits, chitosan treatments are able to preserve the freshness for a longer period of time. Previously, chitosan-based coatings, alone or incorporated with active agents, were successfully used in different fruits, such as guava, green tomato, plum, strawberry, mango, and kiwi, to extend their storage life. In many countries, packaging has been introduced in farms to minimize quality breakdown of postharvest fruits, and this is one of the most frequently adopted postharvest practices. Packaging helps to modify the atmosphere during storage and transportation of fruits and vegetables, which helps to maintain them in utilized volumes, protect them from hazards and allowing for easy handling, Aloe Vera
