Influence of Chitosan-Based Coatings with UV Irradiation on Quality of Strawberry Fruit During Cold Storage

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine the effects of UV-C and chitosan coatings, alone or in conjunction, on the quality of strawberry fruit during storage. The treated fruits were examined for weight loss, respiration rate, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid contents, total anthocyanins, total phenolic contents, decay incidence and sensory analysis of strawberry fruit were investigated during cold storage 1±0.5°C and 90±5% RH for 15 days. The result showed that chitosan coating with UV-C irradiation could further reduce decay incidence of strawberry fruit, restrain increase of respiration rate and weight loss of strawberry fruit compared to other treatments. Moreover, the total anthocyanins and total phenolic contents were maintained at higher level, and the decrease of ascorbic acid was restricted during storage period. Likewise, sensory analysis results also showed the effectiveness of UV-C + chitosan treatment by retaining the quality of strawberry fruit. Control and individual UV-C treatment had similar effects on respiration rate and weight loss. The results showed that UV-C + chitosan treatment can be an effective method for enhancing the phytochemical content and delaying fruit senescence of strawberry fruit during cold storage.