The Effect of Gaseous Ozone and Moringa Leaf–Carboxymethyl Cellulose Edible Coating on Antioxidant Activity and Biochemical Properties of ‘Keitt’ Mango Fruit

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of edible coating and gaseous ozone on the antioxidant activities and biochemical properties of mango fruit. Mango fruit (cv. Keitt) were coated with moringa leaf extract and carboxymethyl cellulose (EC) before exposure to ozone (0.25 ppm). Gaseous ozone (O3) was administered intermittently for 24 or 36 h, and the control fruit were untreated. The fruit were stored at 10 °C for twenty-one days, then ripened at ambient temperature for seven days. The parameters measured were ascorbic acid, lipid peroxidation, phenolic content, total sugars, and antioxidant capacity (FRAP and DPPH). At the end of storage, the EC + O3 (36 h) had high phenolic content: 175.02 µg GEA/g DM compared to 151.87 µg GEA/g DM and 138.98 µg GEA/g DM for the O3 (24 h) and untreated fruit, respectively. Moreover, the combination of the EC and O3 (36 h) had a higher effect (p < 0.05) on preserving the antioxidant capacity of the mangoes. The EC + O3 (24 h) and EC significantly delayed fruit softening and maintained membrane integrity. Furthermore, the fruit treated with the EC reduced the accumulation of reducing (7.61 mg/mL) and total sugars (8.81 mg/mL) compared to the control treatment, which had a concentration of 12.74 mg/mL and 13.78 mg/mL, respectively. These findings demonstrate that EC combined with gaseous O3 enhanced the antioxidants of mango fruit during storage.