Postharvest Guar Gum Coating Modulates Fruit Ripening, Storage Life, and Quality of Tomato Fruits Kept in Ambient or Cold Storage Conditions

The growing interest in natural edible coatings to substitute commercial waxing would preserve agricultural products' postharvest quality. Tomato fruits' physical and chemical changes were investigated post-coating with ۱.۵% guar gum, then stored at room temperature or cold storage conditions. Tomato fruits at “breaker stage” were soaked in a ۱.۵% guar gum solution for ۱ minute and then stored at room temperature (۲۱°C, RH ۴۵%) or cold storage (۱۰°C, RH ۸۵%). Results showed that guar gum coating significantly (P≤ ۰.۰۵) preserved fruit firmness and organoleptic quality attributes. The fruit weight loss, decay percentage, Titratable Acidity (TA), Total Soluble Solids (TSS), and fruit color development were significantly preserved in guar gum-coated fruits compared to non-coated fruits. Guar gum could maintain the quality of tomato fruit combined with low temperature for ۳۵ days. Moreover, fruits coated with ۱.۵% guar gum kept at room temperature preserved the quality of fruits as uncoated fruits stored at cold temperatures. Therefore, guar gum could be an alternative to cold storage, as it is environmentally friendly and more economical than cold storage, especially in developing countries.

کلیدواژه ها:

Climacteric fruit ripening ، Coating substance ، Fruit decay ، Fruits edible coating ، Solanum lycopersicum L.