Effect of milk protein coating and Nisin on the postharvest quality of strawberries (Fragaria ananassa).

Abstract

Due to postharvest losses, research to preserve fruits and vegetables' physicochemical and sensory quality has gained significant interest in recent years. Therefore, applying edible coatings is used to maintain quality when delaying the transport of gases (O2 and CO2) and water by retaining volatile aroma compounds, thus delaying the maturation process. The present research evaluated the effect of an edible coating obtained from milk protein and Nisin on the postharvest quality of Strawberries. The study was carried out in the Laboratories of Bromatology and Chemistry of the Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, located in the canton of Quevedo, province of Los Ríos, Ecuador, in the year 2022, where a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 3 replicates was used to determine the behavior of the characteristics during the days of conservation of the treatments. It was shown that the treatments with edible coating and 2% and 6% nisin had a longer shelf life than the uncoated strawberries, which only had a shelf life of 2 days. It was also observed that by T3, better ratings in the sensory categories evaluated (color, aroma, flavor, and acceptability) were obtained, conserving similar characteristics to the uncoated strawberries. The application of edible coating based on milk protein and 2% nisin can be used as an effective alternative during postharvest handling of strawberries, providing beneficial effects such as prolonging shelf life for 5 days. Keywords: coating, preservation, maturation, degradation.