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The Effect of Chitosan Coating on the Quality and Nutraceutical Traits of Sweet Cherry During Postharvest Life

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Abstract

The effectiveness of a chitosan-coating treatment on the physical and chemical, nutraceutical, and sensorial traits of three sweet cherry cultivar (Prunus avium L., namely cvs. “Ferrovia,” “Lapins,” “Della Recca”) harvested at the commercial ripening stage was evaluated. Fruits were treated with a 0.5 % chitosan coating, stored at 2 °C for 14 days, and sampled weekly followed by storage at 24 °C for 3 days to assess the shelf life of the fruit. Physical-chemical (weight loss, soluble solid content, and titratable acidity), nutraceutical (total polyphenol, anthocyanin, flavonoid, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant capacity), and sensory (fruit juiciness, sweetness, sourness, texture, and taste) evaluations were performed. A chitosan coating significantly reduced the water loss and delayed the changes in color, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, and respiration rate in a cultivar-dependent manner. Additionally, changes in the total polyphenol, anthocyanin, and flavonoid content and in the antioxidant capacity of the chitosan-coated sweet cherry fruits were delayed. This treatment extended the postharvest life, improved the storability, and enhanced the nutraceutical value of sweet cherry.

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  1. Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (C.R.A.), Fruit Trees Unit Research, Via Torrino 3, 81100, Caserta, Italy

    Milena Petriccione, Maria Silvia Pasquariello, Francesco Mastrobuoni, Pietro Rega & Marco Scortichini

  2. Department for the Innovations of Biological, AgriFood and Forestry Systems, Postharvest Lab (LAPO), University of Tuscia, Via De Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

    Federica De Sanctis & Fabio Mencarelli

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  1. Milena Petriccione
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  2. Federica De Sanctis
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  3. Maria Silvia Pasquariello
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  4. Francesco Mastrobuoni
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Petriccione, M., De Sanctis, F., Pasquariello, M.S. et al. The Effect of Chitosan Coating on the Quality and Nutraceutical Traits of Sweet Cherry During Postharvest Life. Food Bioprocess Technol 8, 394–408 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-014-1411-x

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